Visitors to Japan surged to a post-COVID high in March, official data showed on Wednesday, as many international tourists flocked to see the nation’s famous cherry blossoms for the first time in four years as travel curbs were gradually lifted.

The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure totalled 1.82 million in March, compared to 1.48 million in February, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation.

Arrivals were still down 34% from March 2019, before pandemic travel curbs that were instituted from the following year.

Reuters