The number of visitors from Japan is still only about half of the 1.5 million that came before the COVID-19 pandemic. But numbers only tell part of the story.
Before COVID, visitors from Japan weren’t just Hawaiʻi's biggest international market; they were the center of the visitor economy, especially in Waikīkī. Boutiques and hotels catered to them.
But the number of Japanese visitors today is still nowhere near the 1.5 billion that came to Hawaiʻi pre-COVID. Japan didn't fully lift its travel restrictions until 2023 — two years after most other countries.
The delay had a cascading effect on international travel habits and the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority's ability to attract Japanese visitors. And things have changed. Hawaiʻi is more expensive, and the weak yen doesn't help.
Some local businesses that catered to the Japanese traveler have cut back or even closed.
Others chose not to wait for a recovery, like the Waikīkī hotel that turned a space once used for Japanese weddings into a tequila bar.
And Japanese travelers have changed. A JTB Hawaiʻi survey on where people from Japan want to travel no longer has Hawaiʻi at number one.
Younger travelers who want to go abroad are opting for more affordable places like Korea and Taiwan. Still, the Japanese market has shown consistent year-over-year growth since reopening three years ago.
That trend is pointing upward for 2026, and the HTA is forecasting visitor levels to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of next year.
Eric Takahata is the managing director of Hawaiʻi Tourism Japan. He says the rising numbers are clear signs that Japan is recovering — and that the sky is not falling.
