Record Number of Foreign Visitors to Japan
19.74 million, up 47% from the previous year
(January 2016 data photo)
A group of asian tourists explores Kyoto on January 16, 2016, in Kyoto, Japan. The Japan National Tourism Organization reported on Tuesday a record increase in foreign visitors in 2015. Approximately 19.73 million people visited Japan from abroad, up 47.3 percent compared with 2014 and almost four times the 5.21 million that came in 2003. According to the report there were more Chinese visitors than from any other nation with 4.99 million coming in 2015. South Korea (4 million) and Taiwan (3.67 million) were next on the list, and over 1 million Americans also visited Japan in 2015. The number of visitors is the highest in 45 years and already close to Japan's goal of attracting 20 million foreign visitors in a year by 2020. (Photo by Rodrigo Reyes Marin/AFLO)