The next biggest source markets are Singapore, Indonesia and Taiwan, with interest growing by 37%, 30% and 25% respectively.

The study also highlighted the top-searched Japanese cities with the highest average international traveller review ratings.
 
Kanazawa saw the biggest increase in travel interest from international travellers at 65%, followed by Ishigaki at 52% and Takayama at 44%. 

Takayama also received the highest praise from international visitors across TripAdvisor’s business categories, including eatery (4.32 out of 5); accommodation (4.18 out of 5); and attraction (4.23 out of 5).

“The study not only reaffirms China’s significance as a major source of inbound tourism for Japan, but also suggests that inbound travel is being driven by the country’s diverse tourism offerings across different regions,” said Aaron Hung, director of partnerships, APAC, TripAdvisor. 
 
“The surging interest in Kanazawa and Ishigaki is evidence that international travellers are keen to discover more of Japan.”
 
In 2015, 19.73 million people visited Japan, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization, marking a 47% increase from 2014. Chinese travellers accounted for one-fourth of total arrivals to the country.

Japan issued over 4 million visas to foreign visitors last year, recording the largest number ever, with China ranked as the top recipients of Japanese visas, showed statistics released by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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