A government survey shows many visitors to Japan are frustrated by congestion at tourist spots and long waits for immigration procedures.



The survey by the Japan Tourism Agency asked over 4,000 foreign visitors what problems they had during their visits to Japan. Multiple answers were allowed.



A little over 13 percent of the respondents chose congestion at tourist spots and other areas.



Eight-point-six percent selected immigration procedures -- more than double the level posted in the previous survey. Many cited long wait times as a reason.



Nearly 22 percent said they had a hard time finding trash cans.



Difficulties communicating with staff at facilities were another point of friction, reported by 15 percent.



Both figures are lower than in the last survey. The agency says this shows that efforts across Japan to improve the experience for international visitors are producing results.



More than half of all the respondents said they experienced no problems during their trips. This marks an increase of more than 21 percentage points.



Agency officials say the survey revealed new challenges, and stress the need for stepping up cooperation with relevant government offices to deal with them.