Japan Logs 2nd Highest Number of Foreign Visitors In July

Above, the resort city of Atami, Japan.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japanese tourism industry had a great month in July, according to an article in The Japan Times.

According to their article:

The number of foreign visitors to Japan totaled 845,000 in July, the second-highest monthly total on record and a 50.5 percent increase from a year earlier, the government's tourism promotion agency said Friday.

The latest figure reflects a continued recovery in tourism after the plunge following the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami and start of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, but officials are concerned the recent territorial rows with China and South Korea could again spark a drop-off.

This is still down 3.8% from the record high set in July 2010, but it is still a welcome statistic.  It shows that Japan's tourism industry is nearly fully recovered.

The article does note the continuing problem concerning the yen's appreciation (something I've been keeping close tabs on) as well as radiation fears:

The yen's appreciation, which makes travel to Japan more costly for foreigners, and concerns over radiation from the Fukushima nuclear disaster continue to weigh on the industry, the JNTO said.

The JNTO is the Japan National Tourism Organization.  

To read the full article, go here.