YANGON (Kyodo) The number of Japanese tourists who visited Myanmar plunged 55 percent last year, according to the latest available official data.

Some 4,413 Japanese arrived on tourist visas at international airports in Myanmar from January to December, down from 9,889 in 2007, figures from the Central Statistical Organization show.

Last year, 261,472 international tourists visited Myanmar, down 17 percent from 314,224 in 2007.

Tourism suffered due to the military crackdown on prodemocracy protesters in September 2007 and Cyclone Nargis, which hit in May 2008 and left more than 130,000 people dead or missing.