Fastest ever！ Japan's tourist arrivals hit 10 million — with Taiwan and Korea making up half

▲ Tokyo landmark Skytree. (Photo / Provided by 640)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

2014 can be called a bumper year for tourism in Japan. On the 22nd, the Japan National Tourism Organization announced that by early October, the number of foreign visitors to Japan had surpassed 10 million — the fastest it has ever reached that milestone.

With the sharp decline in the yen, the increasing number of budget airlines setting up routes across Japan, and the expansion of duty-free items starting in October, all have become reasons attracting global travelers to visit Japan again and again. The Japan Tourism Agency further stated that in terms of the proportion of tourists from various countries visiting Japan, those from Taiwan topped the list, followed by Korean tourists. Visitors from just these two countries alone accounted for half of the total number of arrivals. In addition, travelers from Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Malaysia also exceeded 1 million this year. The Tourism Agency expressed hope that the 20 million visitor mark could be reached by 2020.

In terms of growth in the number of visitors from various countries, the Tourism Agency said China saw the highest increase, with a 57.6% rise in September compared to the same period last year, amounting to about 246,100 people. As for Taiwanese visitors, around 228,000 traveled to Japan in September alone, though the growth rate was a modest 6.7%. The growth rate for Korean visitors was 32.3%, with approximately 217,700 visiting Japan in September.