An estimated record 88.89 million people visited Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples during the first three days of the new year, 2.67 million more than last year, the National Police Agency said Tuesday.
The agency attributed the increase to good weather in most parts of the country.
The number of visitors to leisure and sightseeing spots, however, dropped by some 260,000 to an estimated 4.18 million, the agency said.
Tokyo's Meiji Shrine drew the largest crowd at 2.9 million, followed by Shinshoji Temple in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, with 2.6 million, and Kawasaki Daishi temple in Kawasaki, which attracted 2.55 million. The rankings were the same as last year.
Among leisure and sightseeing spots, Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, maintained the top place with 371,000 visitors. Universal Studios Japan in Osaka came in second with 123,000, and Wakayama Marina City, a theme park in Wakayama, ranked third with 109,000.
10.4 million on rails
The Japan Railway group has announced that its six passenger railways nationwide carried 10.36 million people on their bullet, limited express and express trains during the Dec. 26-Jan. 4 holiday period, up 1 percent from a year earlier and the fourth straight annual increase.
Japan Highway Public Corp. meanwhile said 3.58 million vehicles used expressways during the holidays, up 5.4 percent from a year earlier.
The Tokaido Shinkansen Line carried 6 percent more passengers than last year's holiday period.
East Japan Railway enjoyed an across-the-board rise in local ticket sales at stations near stadiums and halls where holiday concerts, martial arts contests and sporting events were held, with Suidobashi Station in Tokyo seeing a 35 percent increase.