On Nov. 22, the Kyushu Regional Development Bureau announced that the number of cruise ships calling at ports under its jurisdiction (which includes the Port of Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture) during 2017 has exceeded 1,000 for the first time in a calendar year. The majority of ships stopping in the region carry tourists from China. The Department of Transportation confirmed that from January to August this year, more than one million passengers entered Kyushu (not including the Port of Shimonoseki). As of October this year, a total of 946 cruise ships had stopped at ports in Kyushu, which was up 36% compared to the same time in 2016. The Port of Hakata was the busiest with 283 cruises using their facilities, followed by Nagasaki Port (228), Kagoshima Port (93), Sasebo Port (78), and Yatsushiro Port (58). Staff from the Regional Development Bureau confirmed that there has been an increase in the number of overseas-based companies entering the market, which run cruise ships from China bound for Japan. There has also been a rise in the number of boats touring around Japan. Source: Nikkei Shimbun, 11/22/2017
Photo provided by the City of Fukuoka
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