The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 72.1% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

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72.10%

Expense Example [Heading]

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Example

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

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This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

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Investments, Risks, and Performance

Principal Investment Strategies

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

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The fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets (including any borrowings for investment purposes) in companies located (or with primary operations) in Japan. The fund may purchase the stocks of companies of any size and expects to make its investments across a wide range of Japanese industries and companies. While the fund invests with an awareness of the outlook for industry sectors within the country, bottom-up stock selection is the focus of our decision-making.

Security selection reflects a growth style. The fund relies on a global team of investment analysts dedicated to in-depth fundamental research in an effort to identify companies capable of achieving and sustaining above-average, long-term earnings growth. We seek to purchase stocks of such companies at reasonable prices in relation to present or anticipated earnings, cash flow, or book value.

In selecting investments, the fund generally favors companies with one or more of the following characteristics:

· leading or improving market position;

· attractive business niche;

· attractive or improving franchise or industry position;

· seasoned management;

· stable or improving earnings and/or cash flow; and

· sound or improving balance sheet.

The fund may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses, or redeploy assets into more promising opportunities.

Risk [Heading]

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Principal Risks

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

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As with any mutual fund, there is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective. The fund's share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money by investing in the fund. The principal risks of investing in this fund are summarized as follows:

Active management risk The fund is subject to the risk that the investment adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, value, or potential appreciation of the fund's investments may prove to be incorrect. If the securities selected and strategies employed by the fund fail to produce the intended results, the fund could underperform other funds with similar objectives and investment strategies.

Risks of stock investing Stocks generally fluctuate in value more than bonds and may decline significantly over short time periods. There is a chance that stock prices overall will decline because stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and falling prices. The value of a stock in which the fund invests may decline due to general weakness in the stock market or because of factors that affect a company or a particular industry.

Foreign investing risk Investing in the securities of non-U.S. companies involves special risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. Foreign securities tend to be more volatile and less liquid than investments in U.S. securities, and may lose value because of adverse political, social or economic developments overseas, or due to changes in the exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. In addition, foreign investments may be subject to regulatory and accounting standards that differ from those of the U.S.

Geographic concentration risk Because the fund concentrates its investments in a particular country, the fund's performance is closely tied to the social, political, and economic conditions of that country. As a result, the fund is likely to be more volatile than more geographically diverse international funds.

The Japanese economy has in the past been negatively affected at times by government intervention and protectionism, an unstable financial services sector, a heavy reliance on international trade, and natural disasters. Some of these factors, as well as other adverse political developments, increases in government debt, and changes to fiscal, monetary, or trade policies, may affect the Japanese markets and significantly harm the fund's performance.

Investment style risk Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor, depending on market conditions and investor sentiment. The fund's growth approach to investing could cause it to underperform other stock funds that employ a different investment style. Growth stocks tend to be more volatile than certain other types of stocks and their prices usually fluctuate more dramatically than the overall stock market. A stock with growth characteristics can have sharp price declines due to decreases in current or expected earnings and may lack dividends that can help cushion its share price in a declining market.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

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The fund's share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money by investing in the fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

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Performance

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

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The bar chart showing calendar year returns and the average annual total returns table indicate risk by illustrating how much returns can differ from one year to the next and how fund performance compares with that of a comparable market index. The fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of future performance.

The fund can also experience short-term performance swings, as shown by the best and worst calendar quarter returns during the years depicted.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

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Performance Availability Phone [Text]

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1-800-225-5132

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

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troweprice.com

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

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The fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of future performance.

Bar Chart [Heading]

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Japan Fund

Calendar Year Returns

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

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Quarter

Ended

Total

Return

Best Quarter

9/30/03

24.33%

Worst Quarter

3/31/09

-21.61%

Performance Table Heading

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Average Annual Total Returns

Periods ended

December 31, 2011

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

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After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

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After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as a 401(k) account or individual retirement account.

Performance Table Narrative

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In addition, the average annual total returns table shows hypothetical after-tax returns to suggest how taxes paid by a shareholder may influence returns. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as a 401(k) account or individual retirement account.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

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Updated performance information is available through troweprice.com or may be obtained by calling 1-800-225-5132.

T. Rowe Price Japan Fund | TOPIX Index

Risk/Return:

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1 Year

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(12.50%)

5 Years

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(5.91%)