Japan’s tourism trade surplus surges 58%, topping patent royalties

TOKYO — Japan’s tourism trade surplus — when spending by foreign visitors exceeds spending by outbound Japanese tourists — climbed 58% in the year ended March, surpassing the country’s surplus derived from patent royalties for the first time.

Japan’s overall current account surplus for the year reached 30.38 trillion yen ($204 billion), Finance Ministry statistics released Monday show, rising 16% for a second consecutive annual record.