Japan sees 8 million tourists
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The number of foreign tourists visiting Japan hit a record 8.35 million last year - surpassing the eight million mark for the first time.
The Japan National Tourist Organisation attributed the fourth consecutive record-breaking rise to increasing numbers of tourists from Asia on the back of robust economic growth, a Kyodo News report said.
The weakening yen and growing interest abroad in Japanese food and culture also contributed to the rise, it added.
The government and travel industry aim to raise the annual number of visitors to 10 million by 2010.
Among the top inbound markets was South Korea – accounting for about 30 percent of all foreign tourists - followed by Taiwan and mainland China.
The number of Japanese who traveled abroad last year came to 17.3 million, down 1.3 percent, the JNTO was quoted saying. This marked the first decrease since 2003, when the figure dropped due to the SARS outbreak.
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