JAPAN DATA: The number of travelers visiting Japan from overseas
totaled 648,500, up only 3.4% on year in December, slowing from +12.4%
in November and +11.0% in October, data released by Japan National
Tourism Organization showed. The number of Chinese travelers visiting
Japan fell 3.1%, marking the third straight y/y drop after -15.9% in
November and -1.9% in October in light of bilateral territorial
disputes. Meanwhile, the number of Japanese travelers going overseas
totaled 1.308 million, up 2.1% y/y in December, decelerating from +9.2%
in November and +5.3% in October. In 2010, the number of overseas
travelers visiting Japan rose 26.8% y/y to a record 8.611 million,
topping the previous record of 8.351 million marked in 2008, while
Japanese visiting overseas rose 7.7% to 16.637 million. In Japan’s
current account data, the service account showed deficits for eight
straight months through November mainly because the number of Japanese
going abroad surpassed that of overseas visitors in Japan.