The spending power of Chinese tourists in Japan is so impressive there's a special word for it: bakugai, or explosive buying.
While the soaring yen this year has threatened to curb tourists' enthusiasm, the latest figures from the Japan National Tourism Organization show that 731,400 Chinese visitors flocked to the country in July, a monthly record.
What also emerges from a detailed look through the data is the growing importance of young female travelers, the popularity of Japanese cosmetics, and waning sales of electronic goods as the quality of Chinese-made products improves.