THE number of foreign visitors to Japan in May rose 21.5 per cent from a year earlier to 3.7 million, a record for the month, government estimates showed Wednesday, as travel demand remained strong even after cherry blossom season.

By country and region, South Korea topped the list with 825,800 visitors, up 11.8 per cent, followed by China with 789,900, a 44.8 per cent increase, accord­ing to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

The two countries and 19 other markets also set new visitor records for May, it said.

Japan received some 18.1 million foreign arrivals from January to May, up 23.9 percent from the same period in 2024.

Kyodo