![Composite photo merging flags of the Philipines and Japan](https://globalnation.inquirer.net/files/2023/02/PH-JAPAN-FLAGS-620x352.png)
INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines — The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) on Monday announced that the Philippines is the top Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) country for tourist arrivals in Japan for the month of July.
An impressive influx of approximately 51,700 Filipino tourists visited Japan in July. This signifies a 36.9 percent surge compared to the same period in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
In addition, for the month of July 2023, the Philippines secured a place as the sixth-largest contributor to Japan’s tourism sector.
The ambassador of Japan to the Philippines, Koshikawa Kazuhiko, thanked the Filipinos for this year-on-year increase.
“A big ‘arigatou gozaimasu!’ to all our Filipino visitors!” wrote the envoy in X (formerly Twitter).
Japan’s tourism industry has been steadily improving, with more than 13 million foreign tourists welcomed in the first seven months of the year.