Operators of hotels and other accommodation facilities in Japan saw a sharp rise in the number of overnight stays last year, although they were still below pre-pandemic levels.

Preliminary data from the Japan Tourism Agency puts the number at 453.97 million in 2022. That's up 42.9 percent from the previous year but down 23.8 percent from 2019, before the pandemic.

The number of stays by lodgers who were residents of Japan rose about 40 percent. The figure shot up from October when the government launched a subsidy program to promote domestic travel.

Stays by overseas guests marked a nearly 4-fold increase. The number recovered significantly from October as Japan eased anti-coronavirus entry restrictions.