Toyko, Japan - A record 97.95 million people visited shrines and temples across Japan on the first three days of this year, 4.22 million more than the year earlier, the National Police Agency (NPA) said Friday.
The NPA compiled the figure based on those released by major temples and shrines throughout the nation.
In contrast, the number of visitors to tourist spots fell 70,000 from last year to 3.67 million people.
Tokyo Disney Resort in Chiba Prefecture was visited by 345,000 people over the three-day period while Universal Studios Japan in Osaka attracted 140,000 visitors.