TOP COUNTRY FOR CULTURE

JAPAN

Japan’s tourism boom in recent years has been nothing short of stunning: just five years ago the country received 8.3 million international visitors, compared to the 28.6 million who visited in 2017. But while currency fluctuations – and shopping – are big drivers of travel, it’s the country’s inimitable culture, food and landscape that draws visitors back time and again – where Buddhist and Shinto practices, urban and island landscapes, timeless and contemporary styles all meet in a land that stretches from the subtropical to the sub-Arctic.