A tourist from China takes pictures of Japanese traditional masks at a souvenir shop in Asakusa district in Tokyo on July 17, 2014. (Reuters photo)TOKYO: The number of foreign visitors to Japan this year has established a new record, exceeding the previous high of over 24 million logged last year, Japan's tourism minister said Friday. The figure has been boosted by an increase in budget airlines and cruise ships connecting Japan with its neighbours such as China, South Korea and Taiwan, according to officials. "The government's efforts [to promote inbound tourism] have brought a consistent growth in the number," said Mr Ishii, the land, infrastructure, transport and tourism minister. Data released by the Japan Tourism Agency in October showed about 21.2 million foreigners were estimated to have visited Japan in the first nine months of 2017, up 17.9% from a year earlier.

Source: Bangkok Post November 10, 2017 06:11 UTC