Japan’s tourism boom has continued into the New Year with another stellar month of growth in January.
Japan National Tourism Agency Commissioner Akihiko Tamura said an estimated 1.8 million foreign visitors came in January, up 52% from the same period in 2015.
Tamura said the figures were helped by the one-month school winter holiday in China beginning a week earlier than usual this year.
The number of Chinese visitors more than doubled from a year ago.
South Korea remains the biggest market which passed the 500,000 mark for the first time in a calendar month.
Tourism officials again cited the weak Japanese yen as a boon for continued tourism growth along with recent visa reform and an expanded list of goods which may be bought duty-free.
Japan National Tourism Agency also said an increase in airlift from the US, Europe and Australia also contributed.
