TOKYO, Jan 25: Japan saw a record-high 36.78 million foreign visitors in 2024, a 42-percent increase from the previous year, government data showed Friday.
The figure exceeds the previous record of 31.19 million set in 2019 and marks the highest number since statistics began in 1950, according to Japan's Immigration Services Agency.
Call for submission of entries for the 2024 Oscars entries
The agency highlighted the resumption of international flights, a weakened yen, and a strong post-pandemic recovery trend as key factors contributing to the surge.
Short-term visits for purposes such as tourism accounted for the majority of arrivals. Other categories included study and technical internships.
By country or region, South Korea accounted for the largest number of visitors, with approximately 8.63 million arrivals. This was followed by China's Taiwan with around 5.69 million, Chinese mainland with approximately 5.49 million, the data showed.
