The number of foreigners entering Japan hit a record 5.77 million in 2002, up 9.2 percent from the previous year, the Immigration Bureau said Friday.

The figure was attributed primarily to the nation's cohosting of the World Cup soccer finals.

Those who entered Japan for the first time in 2002 numbered 4.64 million, also a record high and an increase of 9.9 percent from 2001, ministry officials said.