More than 3 million foreigners visited Japan for the second straight month in April as the weak yen continued to boost the country's appeal as a tourist destination.

The Japan National Tourism Organization estimates that 3.04 million people from abroad arrived last month.
That is up 56 percent from a year earlier and a 4-percent increase over April 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic.

Officials say the cherry blossom viewing season was a big lure. A significant proportion of visitors came from Southeast Asia and the Middle East, keen to take trips after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

In contrast, the number of Japanese traveling overseas in April fell by almost half compared to 2019, mainly because of the weaker yen.