TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The number of foreign visitors to Japan between January and September rose 17.7 percent from a year earlier to around 31.65 million, marking the fastest pace on record in surpassing 30 million within a year, the government said Wednesday, amid a weak yen and a surge in Chinese tourists.

The annual number is certain to surpass the record 36.87 million hit in 2024 and may even reach the 40 million range, data from the Japan National Tourism Organization showed.

The total amount spent by foreign visitors on accommodation, shopping and other consumption in the first nine months of the year reached a record 6.9 trillion yen ($45.5 billion).

With the surge in visitors, overtourism has become a problem in urban areas, making it an urgent task to disperse travelers to regional areas and boost accommodation capacity.

By country and region, China topped the list with around 7.49 million visitors, up 42.7 percent from a year earlier, followed by South Korea with around 6.79 million, up 5.0 percent, and Taiwan with around 5.04 million, up 9.8 percent, according to the JNTO.

The number of foreign visitors in September rose 13.7 percent from a year earlier to around 3.27 million, marking the first time the figure has topped 3 million for the month, with about 65 percent coming from other East Asian countries.

Although the monthly growth rate fell into single digits earlier this year amid rumors of major natural disasters possibly occurring in Japan over the summer, it rebounded to double digits in August and September.

The average spending per visitor in the quarter through September was 219,428 yen, down 0.2 percent from the same period last year, with the highest being German visitors at 435,512 yen, followed by visitors from Britain at 360,054 yen and Spain at 354,793 yen.

As Japan seeks to achieve its goals of attracting 60 million foreign visitors and 15 trillion yen in total spending by 2030, issues such as crowding, litter and noise are emerging as serious problems in various parts of the country, JNTO officials said.

According to a survey conducted by One Inc. in early July among 1,000 people, 62 percent expressed unfavorable views toward the increase in foreign visitors, with most citing concerns about visitors' manners and public safety.

Local governments have been taking steps to address these issues at major tourist destinations, such as installing pictogram signs near trash bins to illustrate proper etiquette in ways that are easy for foreign visitors to understand.

Yoshihiro Sataki, a professor at Josai International University, stressed the importance of communicating Japan's culture and rules to foreign visitors so they can better understand them.

"Sustainable tourism cannot be achieved unless both tourists and local residents are happy," Sataki said.

Japan tops 31 mil. visitors in Jan.-Sept., surpasses 30 mil. at record pace