A record 6.26 million people visited Japan in the first half thanks to the yen's weakness and a jump in international flights to Tokyo's Haneda airport, a government estimate says.

"If this pace continues for the remaining months of the year, we can expect as many as 12 million visitors" this year, an official from the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday.

The figure eclipsed the previous high of 4.95 million set last year from January to June.

In June alone, foreign arrivals by sea and air rose 17.3 percent year on year to 1.06 million, surpassing 1 million for the fourth consecutive month, said the JNTO, which anticipates more tourists in July, when travel begins to peak.

Among countries and regions, Taiwan accounted for the largest number of visitors to Japan last month, up 12 percent from a year earlier to 254,300, mainly due to increased flights to Japan.

South Korea was second at 207,600, down 1.8 percent. Many South Koreans are still refraining from travel out of respect for the fatal April 16 ferry disaster, but Korean national holidays in early June combined with travel promotions to reduce the drop.

Despite strained ties between Tokyo and Beijing over territorial issues, China ranked third as travel jumped 76.7 percent to 174,900 thanks in part to new flight routes.

Arrivals also increased from six Southeast Asian countries — Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam — both in June and over the six months through June.