Foreign visitors to Japan up 16%, hit record high for August

The number of foreign visitors to Japan was up more than 16 percent in August from the same month last year, hitting a record high for the month.

The Japan National Tourism Organization estimates that the country had over 3.42 million overseas visitors last month, up 16.9 percent year-on-year.

The largest number of visitors came from China, with the figure up 36.5 percent from the same month last year. The second-largest number came from South Korea, increasing 8.0 percent.

The number of visitors from the United States was up 11.7 percent, while those from Canada increased 9.8 percent.

Meanwhile, visitors from Singapore decreased 17.3 percent partly due to a reduction in flight numbers.

The number of visitors from Hong Kong was down 8.3 percent, marking the fourth consecutive month of decline.

The JNTO cited an unfounded rumor that a massive disaster would hit Japan during the summer of this year, which spread on social media and elsewhere, as among reasons for the decline.

Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Murata Shigeki told reporters that inbound visits are on a powerful growth trajectory. He said the agency will continue to implement strategic promotions and actively attract visitors to regional and rural areas.