The number of Vietnamese tourists to Japan reached 7,400 in February, representing a year-on-year rise of 70 percent.

According to the latest report of the Japan National Tourism Organisation, the increase was the third highest, following Thailand (72.4 percent) and China (71.1 percent).

The surge in numbers is attributable to the Japanese Government’s relaxation of visa requirements for visitors from several Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam and Thailand.

The report said that 880,000 foreigners visited Japan last month, up 20 percent from February.

The Republic of Korea topped the list of tourists to Japan with 231,000 arrivals. It was followed by Taiwan (191,200) and mainland China (138,000).

In the latest statistics from Nara prefecture’s tourism authority, the locality has enjoyed a rapid increase in Vietnamese visitors.

It plans to spend 1.5 million JPY (14,600 USD) on promoting tourism in Vietnam’s major cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.-VNA