By country and region, South Korea topped the list with 867,200 visitors, up 18.4 percent, followed by China with 715,700, a 22.8 percent increase, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.
Visitors from China accounted for 18.4 percent of the total, boosted by national holidays.
But it is unclear whether the trend can be sustained after a sharp deterioration in bilateral ties over remarks earlier this month by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding a potential Taiwan contingency, which prompted the Chinese government to urge its citizens to refrain from visiting Japan.
by MagazineKey4532