１月訪日客、９８％減　変異ウイルス影響

　日本政府観光局が１７日発表した１月の訪日外国人数（推計値）は前年同月比９８．３％減の４万６５００人だった。新型コロナウイルス感染拡大の影響で大幅な前年割れが続いている。段階的な入国規制の緩和に伴い毎月の訪日客数は回復傾向にあったが、変異ウイルス対応で規制が強化された影響で、８カ月ぶりに前月比でも減少（２０２０年１２月は５万８７００人）した。
　国・地域別では、ベトナムが２万人、中国が１万２００人、韓国が２５００人。変異ウイルスが流行している英国は３００人だった。訪日客の大半は技能実習生や留学生とみられる。（2021/02/17-16:55）

The estimated number of visitors to Japan in January dived 98.3 pct from a year earlier to 46,500, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday.
   The number of visitors had been on a moderate recovery track thanks to the gradual easing of the country's entry restrictions related to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
   But the discovery of coronavirus variants in Japan prompted the government to tighten the restrictions again, resulting in foreign visitors decreasing also month on month in January in the first such development in eight months. In December 2020, about 58,700 foreigners visited Japan.
   By country or region, the number of visitors from Vietnam was largest in January, at 20,000, followed by 10,200 from mainland China and 2,500 from South Korea. Japan had 300 visitors from Britain, where a coronavirus variant is spreading.
   Most visitors are believed to be technical interns or students.