Photo/Zhang Jian (NBD)

The number of foreign visitors to Japan plunged 58.3 percent in February, the largest drop in nearly nine years, due to travel restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, government statistics showed Thursday.

About 1.09 million foreigners visited Japan last month, less than half of the 2.60 million a year earlier.

The number dropped for the fifth straight month, logging the biggest decline since April 2011 when the figure plummeted 62.5 percent due to the devastating earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan the previous month.

According to the statistics from the Japan Tourism Agency, tourists from China declined 87.9 percent from a year earlier to 87,200 visitors in February.

Chinese travelers accounted for 30 percent of all overseas visitors in 2019, the biggest among all countries and regions.

The number of foreign tourists is set to drop more sharply in the coming months, as Japan recently tightened entry restrictions on people arriving from China, South Korea and European countries to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Email: lansuying@nbd.com.cn