Tourism arrivals are hitting a new record for the second month in a row. In fact, the summer travel season may be headed toward unprecedented numbers. But this is not a story about Hawaiʻi — it's about Japan.
More than a quarter of a million Americans visited Japan last month. That's an increase of more than 26% from a year ago.
The broader figures spike even higher.
Overall, foreign visitors to Japan were up about 42% from a year earlier — hitting an all-time record for any month.
The biggest numbers came from China. South Korea was a close second, followed by tourists from Taiwan and Hong Kong.
In part, arriving travelers are drawn in by a yen that is stretching budgets further than they used to go.
But this is also a trend with official approval from authorities.
The national government is encouraging tourism as a growth industry, although there is a bit of grumbling along the way in some quarters — and not just about over-tourism.
Kyodo News reported continuing issues with labor shortages at tourist accommodations — especially hotels.
While Japan is on pace to break its 2019 annual record of nearly 32 million visitors, the prime minister's office is sticking with a loftier goal: 60 million visitors by the end of this decade.
