Japan received nearly 8.37 million visitors from abroad in 2012, up 34.6 per cent from a year earlier, as the nation's tourism industry recovered from the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, an industry organization said Friday.
The figure was second only to the record of 8.61 million in 2010, with the entry of more budget airlines also contributing to the increase, the Japan National Tourism Organization said.
The number of visitors from South Korea, the largest market, climbed 23.3 per cent to 2.04 million, making up 24.4 per cent of the total, the organization said.
Taiwan became the second-largest market, surpassing China, as the number of Taiwanese visitors rose 47.6 per cent to 1.47 million, the organization said.
The number of Chinese tourists dwindled in late 2012 due to strained ties with Japan over a territorial dispute.
The number of visitors from Thailand jumped 79.9 per cent to 260,800, making the country the sixth-largest market, the organization said.