May foreign entries to Japan at 1.89 mil, 68% of pre-pandemic level

Japan saw a continued recovery in foreign arrivals in May to an estimated 1,898,900, equivalent to 68.5 percent of the May 2019 figure prior to the coronavirus outbreak, government data showed Wednesday.

The figure surpassed April’s recovery level of 66.6 percent, marking the highest number since February 2020, when arrivals began to plummet due to the pandemic.

May is considered an off-season following Japan’s cherry blossom season, but the month saw favorable results as arrivals from countries such as South Korea and Canada increased from April, the Japan National Tourism Organization said. ...