The number of overseas visitors to Japan hit a second straight monthly high in July.

The Japan National Tourism Organization says the country had more than 3.29 million foreign visitors last month. That topped the previous high of 3.13 million set in June.

It also says more than 21.06 million overseas visitors arrived in Japan between January and July, surpassing the 20 million mark at the quickest pace.

Tourism officials say demand for travel to Japan from various countries and regions during school holidays was boosted by the weak yen. They also say Japan continued attracting a large number of visitors from Taiwan, the Philippines and the United States.

By country or region, China topped the list with 776,500 visitors, followed by South Korea at 757,700, Taiwan at 571,700 and Hong Kong at 279,100.

It was the first time that China was ranked top in the list since October 2022, when Japan eased border controls against the coronavirus pandemic.

Tourism officials say the survey covered visitor arrivals from 23 countries and regions, with 19 of them setting record highs for July.