Foreign Visitors To Japan May Have Already Topped 10 Million

Above, the Tokyo Skytree from Kitchen Town. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japanese government data appears to indicate that the number inbound foreign tourists have already exceeded last year's record 10 million visitors to Japan.

According to the Japan Times:

More than 10 million foreigners are believed to have visited Japan so far this year, amid a weakening yen and relaxed visa restrictions for some nationals. 

Foreign arrivals in the January to September period soared 26 percent from the same period a year earlier to a record 9.73 million, government data showed on Wednesday. 

At this pace, the number of foreign visitors for the whole of 2014 is almost certain to surpass the previous high of 10.36 million, which was logged in 2013, the Japan National Tourism Agency said. 

The increase in foreign visitors to Japan was also attributable to a greater number of international flights being given slots at Tokyo’s Haneda airport, the government body said.

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