Japan Saw A Record 1.7 Million Foreign Visitors In April

Above, Oshima Island from Atami harbor. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The good news just keeps on coming, at least as far as tourism in Japan is concerned.

The April foreign tourist numbers are now in and they indicate that Japan's tourism boom marches on.

According to an article in the Japan Times:

Japan’s tourism boom continues, with the number of foreign passenger arrivals rising to another record in April of 1,764,000, up 43.3 percent from a year earlier, a government estimate showed Wednesday. 

The record high for a third straight month, topping 1,526,000 arrivals in March, came as a weaker yen and government policy measures such as expanding the range of consumption-tax-free products has made Japan an attractive destination for foreign tourists. 

There were around 19,000 shops nationwide in April registered to sell products to foreign tourists free of the 8 percent consumption tax. 

The figure represents a three-time increase from a year before, highlighting hopes for Japan’s economic growth will be aided by robust consumption by foreign visitors.

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