Record Visitors Flocking to Japan in Bright Spot for Weak Economy
A group of Chinese tourists sit with their suitcases in the Ginza district of Tokyo, Japan.
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The number of visitors to Japan this year is rising at a record pace, topping 10 million as of July and aiding an economy that’s hamstrung by weak domestic spending and exports.
The 10-million threshold was reached three months earlier this year than in 2014, driven by increasing numbers of Chinese tourists, according to data released on Wednesday by the Japan National Tourism Organization. There were 11.1 million foreign visitors in the January-July period, up from 7.5 million a year earlier.