Japan welcomed a record 24 million visitors in 2016, up an estimated 20% on last year.
Inbound tourism from China is still the big market, although the biggest growth during the year came from ASEAN nations Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Japan tourism has been on the up for the last few years, although 2016 showed slower growth compared to the previous year when a weak yen and the easing of visa restrictions spurred a 50% year-on-year increase.
Still, the government remains bullish and has set an ambitious target of 40 million visitors by the time it hosts the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
To support this the tourism department has been allocated a record 25.6 billion yen ($220 million) for the year ahead.
Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said tourism remains a government priority and the agriculture ministry will also spend millions to promote regional destinations and agri-tourism activities.
