Nine percent fewer Japanese traveled overseas in 2001

Associated Press

TOKYO — The number of Japanese who went abroad plunged nine percent last year as the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States prompted travelers to stay home.

A total of 16,215,657 Japanese went overseas in 2001, compared with the previous year's record 17,818,590, Transport Ministry official Daisuke Idesawa said last week.

He said the biggest factor contributing to the reduction was the Sept. 11 terror attacks, which prevented many potential travelers from making overseas trips for the rest of last year.

Until Sept. 11, the number of Japanese going abroad last year had registered a steady increase nearly every month, Idesawa said.

By country, the number of Japanese who went to the United States last year saw a sharp 18.5 percent drop from 2000, the Idesawa said. Still, the country remained the most popular overseas destination among Japanese with 4.12 million travelers visiting there, he said.

China was the second-most-popular country for Japanese travelers, with 2.38 million people visiting last year, up 8.3 percent, according to ministry figures. A similar number of 2.37 million Japanese visited South Korea, down 3.8 percent.

Also last year, Japan welcomed a record 4.77 million foreign visitors, up 0.3 percent, the ministry said. The previous record was 4.75 million recorded in 2000. Tourists from South Korea remained the largest contingent with 1.13 million coming to Japan, up 6.5 percent.

Visitors from Taiwan came in second at 810,000 people, down 11.6 percent, followed by 690,000 from the United States, down 4.7 percent, according to the ministry.