The Japan National Tourism Organization says more than 3.55 million people visited the country last month, down 3.6% year-on-year, Japan Today reported.
Visitors from 19 countries and territories reached record levels for the month of May.
Arrivals from South Korea climbed 15.2% year-on-year to nearly 950,000, while the number of travelers from the United States increased by 7%, and those from the Middle East, whose numbers had plunged in March and April, surged 67.8% as some airline services resumed, The Mainichi newspaper reported.
A crowd of tourists walk at Nishiki Market in Kyoto, western Japan, March 29, 2023. Photo by Reuters
The number of visitors from China fell 60.4% to around 310,000, marking a sixth consecutive month of declines. The downturn comes after Beijing advised its citizens last autumn to avoid travel to Japan amid deteriorating bilateral ties.
