The family of three from Indonesia were welcomed by a large crowd including the officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and the Japan Tourism Agency. When Japan’s 13 millionth visitor in 2014 walked into the arrival lobby, she was greeted with the confetti and a special big welcome banner, and was presented a commemorative gift. The Indrajadi family – Eddy, Mulijati Utami, and their 14-year-old daughter – arrived Japan from Jakarta, Indonesia for a vacation.

While the total number of visitors marked the record number, JNTO has also achieved a record number in the U.S. market. The number of U.S. visitors to Japan was in a steady growth since 2013, and it has marked record high for eight consecutive months since April 2014, according to the latest statistics released in December 2014. The statistics also shows that the number of U.S. visitors to Japan from January through November 2014 reached 818,100, an increase of 11.9% from the previous year.

JNTO New York Office said this is a result of the year-long promotion in the U.S. market focusing on the Hokuriku region which is on the verge of a new Bullet Train extension. JNTO has been making efforts for exposure varieties of tourism attractions such as food, historic landmarks, cultural workshops, skiing and natural hot springs, all of which are coincides with what the Hokuriku region has to offer.

Heading towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Japanese government has set a goal of 20 million annual visitors from overseas.

Japan National Tourism Office NY, www.jntonyc.org