TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The number of foreign visitors to Japan in February rose 16.9 percent from a year earlier to a record 3.26 million for the month, driven by strong demand for winter sports and the Chinese New Year holiday trailing into the month, government data showed Wednesday.

The figure topped 3 million for the first time in February, driven by a surge in visitors from Australia and the United States, the Japan National Tourism Organization said.

By country and region, South Korea led with 847,300 visitors, up 3.5 percent and a record for the month. China followed with 722,700 visitors, a 57.3 percent increase, driven in part by expanded flight connections between the two countries.

"This February had a shorter Lunar New Year holiday than last year. Yet, the number of visitors to Japan rose from the year before," Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Naoya Haraikawa told a press conference, adding that the rising trend is "robust."

The number of travelers from Australia and the United States also hit record highs for February, rising 33.5 percent to 88,800 and 28.8 percent to 191,500, respectively.

In total, a record number of visitors for the month came from 20 countries and regions, including Vietnam, Taiwan, and Britain.

The cumulative number of visitors for the start of this year reached about 7.04 million, up 28.5 percent from the same period the previous year.