According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the number of foreign visitors to Japan during the first half of 2015 reached an all-time high, totaling 9,139,900 — nearly 1.5 times the previous mark, set in 2014.
Visitors from 19 countries set new records for inbound tourist numbers to Japan. Contributing most to the overall 46% increase were Japan's closest neighbors, with China (116.3% increase), Hong Kong (64.2%), and Vietnam (58.3%) ranking highest for visitor growth.
Growth in inbound is expected to increase even further in the second half, with July traditionally being the month that garners the most foreign tourists to Japan.
Over 40 cruise ships from eastern Asia are scheduled to make stops in Japan, while the 23rd World Scout Jamboree, with over 25,000 visitors from around the world expected to attend, will be held in Kirara-hama in Yamaguchi from July 28th to August 8th.
Furthermore, whilst inbound tourism from South Korea (ranking 2nd in total visitors) suffered a setback due to the fallout from the MERS outbreak, inbound is expected to keep growing as well.
On the other hand, outbound tourism decreased by 4.9%, with Japan currently facing negative growth for the 13th consecutive month in terms of the number of overseas travelers. The first half of 2015 also marked the first time the number of foreign visitors surpassed that of Japanese visitors overseas.
With the government aiming to establish Japan as a "tourism nation" by the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and setting the lofty goal of 20 million annual foreign visitors, the 9.14 million milestone shows the early signs are positive.
