Outstanding sales going forward for their hair care products?...

Outstanding sales going forward for their hair care products? That certainly seems to be the case in Japan if the latest inbound tourism figures are anything to go by.

I searched for a link online, but couldn't find one so here are some stats from an article that appeared in today's (Thursday November 19th) Japan Times:

A total of 1.82 million people arrived in Japan in October, a record high and up 43.8% from the same time last year.

During the 10 months through October the number of arrivals reached 16.31 million, a record high.

By country, October arrivals logged record highs among tourists from 17 countries with the sole exception of Russia.

Of the 1.82 million, travellers from China topped the list with 445,600 arrivals nearly double the figure the same month last year.

Arrivals from South Korea came in second with 370,000, up 43.8% followed by 343,600 from Taiwan, up 32%.

Meanwhile, January-October arrivals from China reached 4.28 million marking the first time ever that travellers from any country topped 4 million within a year.

The number of cruises from China rose to 46 this past October up from 12 the same month last year. The number of flights connecting Chinese cities to Japanese cities also continue to increase.

Apart from heated toilet seats and rice cookers, cosmetics top the shopping list amongst tourists from China, South Korea and Taiwan with many filling multiple suitcases (if not boxes) with cosmetics alone.

Anyone who thinks a slowdown in the Chinese economy will impact upon the Japanese economy where cosmetics are concerned had better think again.

A bleak Christmas? Not in Japan!