Japan’s national tourism board has set up its first office in Malaysia.

The Japan National Tourism Organization’s (JNTO) latest overseas office launched in Kuala Lumpur this month, becoming its 17th global location.

This follows a record number of Malaysian visitors travelling to Japan in 2016, with the total of 394,200 arrivals marking a 29% increase compared to 2015. The JNTO noted that this growth is primarily being driven by a proliferation of low-cost air routes between Malaysia and Japan.

And to improve how Japan caters to Malaysian visitors, the JNTO has announced a series of measures, including new facilities for Muslim travellers such as halal restaurant listings and prayer rooms.

In addition, the JNTO will start participating in Malaysian trade fairs, such as the MATTA Fair Kuala Lumpur, MITM Penang and MATTA Johor, as well as conducting Japanese fam trips for Malaysian media and travel agents.

The launch of the KL office coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and Japan.

“I would like to offer my sincere thanks for the earnest support and cooperative effort to those who have contributed to the establishment [of the office]. Japan and Malaysia have a long history of friendship and strong ties. The mutual exchanges between our countries stretch out to the field of economy and culture,” said JNTO president, Ryoichi Matsuyama.

The JNTO’s KL office is located in Chulan Tower in the centre of the city.