NEWS24: Foreigners flock to Japan
The arrivals of foreign travellers in Japan rose 17.8% from a year earlier to a record 6,138,000 in 2004, the transport ministry said on Friday. The total exceeded the previous mark of 5,239,000 in 2002 when Japan and South Korea co-hosted the football World Cup finals, the ministry said. The ministry, which has been promoting visits by foreign travellers, said it hoped to boost the number to seven million in 2004 as the country hosts the World Exposition in Aichi, central Japan. By country and area, South Korea topped the list of foreign travellers to Japan with 1 588 000 visits last year, up 8.8% from 2003. Taiwan followed with 1 081 000, up 37.6%, and the United States 760 000, up 15.8%. Mainland China came in fourth with 616 000, up 37.3%, followed by Hong Kong with 300 000, up 15.4%.