BUSINESS TIMES
 
THE number of tourists from Singapore to Japan leapt by 18,319, or 15.9 per cent, between January and September this year, compared to the same period last year, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).
 
Japan's most northern island, Hokkaido, boasts the third largest number of tourists after Tokyo and Kyoto.
 
Fuelling the growth is the cheaper domestic fares and discounts offered by All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest airline, to international visitors.
 
ANA has also developed a special website "Is Japan Cool?" to actively promote Japan's nature, history and time-honoured traditions, as well as its modern culture such as manga (comics) and anime, Kenya Inada, senior vice-president, marketing, ANA, said.
 
ANA boasts Japan's largest route network, with 72 international routes connecting 36 destinations and 115 domestic routes between 115 locations.