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Wednesday, 19th August 2015
In Japan Travel News,
Osaka's Kansai International Airport sees busiest month on record
Visitors flocked to the Osaka metropolitan area in July, as its international gateway, Kansai Airport noted a record number of passengers.
Some 2.05 million people passed through the facility, which is the most it has handled since opening in 1994.
Prior to last month's record-breaking figures, the highest level of passenger numbers recorded at the airport had been 2.03 million in August 2000, reports The Japan Times.
The preliminary data released by the airport operator is particularly interesting, as it shows there was a decrease of Japanese passengers by around ten per cent, taking the figure down to 47,000, apparently as a result of a weak yen.
International travellers surged 72 per cent to 960,000, however, more than counteracting the decline in domestic visitors.
Osaka is located on the island of Honshu and attracts visitors for its modern architecture, bustling nightlife and thriving street food scene.
It is the third largest city in Japan and has a wide selection of attractions to entertain visitors.
These include the shogunate Osaka Castle, which can date its origins back to the 16th century and is in a classic Japanese style with pitched roofs.
The Shinto Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine is one of the oldest in the country, as it was founded in the third century, and attracts many visitors to the part where it is located.
Osaka is also a popular place to see the cherry blossom in bloom each year, with the distinctive pink flowers covering the trees in April.
When the buds come into flower, there is no more iconic a sight than seeing them at the base of the Osaka Castle, with the building rising up from a sea of pink.
Kema Sakuranomiya Park and Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park are also great spots to meander though during the season.
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