The number of foreign visitors to Japan surged 26.8% in September, a record-high for the time of year, boosted by a weaker Yen, the Japan National Tourism Organization said.
There were an estimated 1.1 million foreigners in Japan last month, taking the inbound tourism total to just under 10 million for 2014.
Travelers from China, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, India, the US, Canada, France and Germany all surpassed previous records for the month of September, in part due to relaxed visa rules as well as the more favourable exchange rates.
The government has set a target of 20 million international visitors in time for the 2020 Olympic Games hosted in Tokyo and is in the process of debating the merits of a long delayed casino resort bill designed to further boost inbound tourism.
