Japan welcomed more than 3 million visitors for the second month in a row in April, official data showed on Wednesday, paving the way for a potentially record year for tourism.
The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure reached 3.04 million last month, down from the monthly record of 3.08 million reached in March, data from the Japan National Tourism Organization showed.
April arrivals were 56% higher than the year before and 4% higher than in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic closed world borders. Visitors from France, Italy and the Middle East rose to record single-month levels in April.
The yen’s fall to a 34-year low has made Japan a shopping destination for foreign visitors, with arrivals set to surpass an annual record of 31.9 million in 2019.
While the increase in arrivals is good news for Japan’s economy, it has caused friction with locals. Complaints about litter and illegal parking prompted local officials this month to erect a barrier to block a popular photo spot of Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji.
Trail restrictions and a new ยฅ2,000 ($12.79) fee will come into effect for Mount Fuji climbers this summer, following an increase in pollution and accidents during last year’s hiking season.
Visitors from mainland China, Japan’s largest tourist market before the pandemic, surpassed 500,000 in April for the first time since January 2020, but were still 27% below 2019 levels.
