LEISURE Japan is costliest for filmgoers

Tourists with a yen for filmgoing in Japan could find their leisure hours burning a hole in their pockets. The Land of the Rising Sun is easily the most expensive country to buy a cinema ticket, according to Business Traveller magazine.

Screen fans in Japan have to fork out an average of pounds 10.75 for a cinema ticket - a far higher cost than the pounds 8.21 paid by cinema-goers in Switzerland, which has the second most expensive tickets.

Of the 12 major countries in the magazine's list, Britain is in 11th place, with tickets costing an average pounds 4.90.

The cheapest place to see a film is South Africa, where tickets cost just pounds 2.59.

Cinema ticket prices around the world

1. Japan pounds 10.75

2. Switzerland pounds 8.21

3. Germany pounds 5.58

4. France pounds 5.48

5. Australia pounds 5.53

6. Brazil pounds 4.96

7. Britain pounds 4.90

8. Russia pounds 4.89

9. Hong Kong pounds 4.71

10. USA pounds 4.41

11. Singapore pounds 3.31

12. South Africa pounds 2.59