A record 9.14 million foreigners are estimated to have visited Japan from January to June this year, a 46 percent increase from the same period in 2014, as the country continued to attract tourists from China, Taiwan and elsewhere, government data showed Wednesday.

The surge in foreign passenger arrivals, which greatly eclipsed the previous high set last year, came on the back of a weaker yen and government measures such as easing visa rules and expanding the scope of duty-free shopping, according to the Japan Tourism Agency.

The figures are the latest sign that the government is moving closer to achieving its goal of increasing the annual figure to 20 million by 2020, when Tokyo will host the Olympics and Paralympics.