Latest news with #ShowaDay
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Golden Week sees slight bump in Japanese visitors
Golden Week, a traditional holiday time for Japanese travelers, attracted more visitors to Hawaii than last year but still brought only about half the volume of 2019. From about April 29 to May 5, Golden Week tends to attract more Japanese visitors because it includes four holidays during that time. By planning their travel around Showa Day (April 29 ), Constitution Day (May 3 ), Greenery Day (May 4 ), and Children's Day (May 5 ), Japanese travelers can maximize their vacation time. But Danny Ojiri, vice president of sales and marketing for Outrigger Enterprises Group, said 'this year's calendar isn't especially favorable for Hawaii-bound travel. The holidays are more spread out, requiring travelers to take additional vacation days to make a longer trip feasible.' The Golden Week holidays this year did not allow travelers to combine holidays as effectively with vacation days, and some favored designations that were closer to home for shorter trips. Ojiri added that another challenge for Hawaii was prices, which have continued to climb, consistent with the broader rise in the cost of living since the pandemic. Also, he said that the prevailing consumer confidence sentiment in Japan—much like in many other countries closely tied to the U.S.—is one of uncertainty. 'A stronger yen certainly helps make Hawaii travel more affordable. However, an overly strong yen could hurt Japan's export-driven economy, ' he said. 'We believe U.S. policy will continue to influence the yen in ways that support American trade competitiveness. Already, we're seeing some signs of the yen strengthening, which could create more opportunity—but the balance is delicate.' Ojiri said even before factoring in the exchange rates, costs are higher across the board than they were in 2019 and 2024 for everything from airfare and fuel to hotels, activities and meals. 'While Golden Week remains a popular time for travel, the surge in airfare costs during the holiday can be a deterrent, ' he said. 'We're also seeing a shift in behavior among Japanese travelers—they're more flexible with their schedules and increasingly choosing to travel during off-peak periods to avoid higher prices and crowds.' Japan, historically Hawaii's top international market, has continued to lag the tourism recovery. Tourism officials have said it could be 2027 or longer before the Japan market is restored to its 2019 level of more than 1.5 million visitor arrivals. Arrivals from Japan and spending already were down heading into Golden Week. In March, arrivals from Japan fell to 61, 505 visitors, a drop of 4.7 % from March 2024 and 54 % from March 2019. In March, spending by visitors from Japan fell to $91.9 million, down 2.9 % from March 2024 and 50.4 % from March 2019. During the first quarter arrivals from Japan fell to 163, 932, a decline of 5.4 % from the first quarter of 2024 and a drop of 56.3 % from the first quarter of 2019. During the first quarter spending by visitors from Japan fell to $243.2 million, down 4.8 % from the first quarter of 2024 and 53.6 % from the first quarter of 2019. It's not that travelers from Japan are staying home, they just aren't traveling to Hawaii at the same level during Golden Week and beyond. Golden Week is an important measure of the health of Japan travel to Hawaii as it's one of the busiest travel times, which also include New Year's, the summer Obon season in August, and the series of September holidays that make up Silver Week. Eric Takahata, managing director of Hawaii Tourism Japan, said Golden Week was up about 10 % over 2024, and the hope is that recovery will continue building into summer, where the pace from late July to September is up, and beyond. Ojiri said, 'We're feeling optimistic about summer. Advance bookings are trending upward—something we haven't seen in quite a while.' He said Japan Airlines' flight frequencies beginning July 1, with expanded serv ice from Narita, Kansai and Nagoya, are adding to the positive outlook. Moreover, Ojiri said that Nippon Airways will increase service from Tokyo to 14 flights per week effective June 16. Takahata said tourism officials are shooting for 900, 000 visitors from Japan to come to Hawaii by year's end—about a two-thirds of the 1.56 million visitors who came from Japan to Hawaii in 2019. He added that a full recovery is the goal for 2027 ; however, getting there will require a full tourism industry press, especially given changes under the Trump Administration, which have led to growing economic uncertainty. Takahata said there also has been plenty of news coverage about deportations of green card holders and the difficulties that some international visitors have faced entering the U.S. He said Hawaii needs to work harder to keep from losing ground to aggressive marketing from other destinations like Okinawa, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, Guam, Thailand, Europe and Singapore. 'We're number one on Expedia for demand, but we are number seven for booking conversions against these competitors, ' Takahata said. He said Okinawa 'has always been a thorn in Hawaii's side ' as it's just a 2-1 /2 hour flight from the Japanese mainland and offers plenty of luxury resorts. 'Even Halekulani in Okinawa is doing gang busters, ' he said. Takahata said Singapore is another competitive destination to watch. Singapore is about the same distance from Japan as Hawaii and has an unfavorable exchange rate too ; however, he said the government is really investing in building demand in Japan. 'They spend a ton of promotion money in Japan. They are creating more reasons to go and more perks. They do things with Japanese celebrities, ' Takahata said. 'They are already back to their 2019 level.' He said many competitive destinations have increased their marketing budgets, but HTA has allocated just $6 million for Hawaii Tourism Japan's 2025 marketing budget, which is down from $9 million in 2019. Ted Kubo, JTB Hawaii president and CEO, said increasingly Hawaii must find ways to add value to trips. He said JTB Hawaii recently launched the Oli Oli Ocean Station in Hawaii Kai, an exclusive playground for customers who buy the package. He said JTB also recently partnered with Mobi on a rideshare service to transport JTB's travelers throughout pre-designated pickup and drop off points in Waikiki and Ala Moana. Kubo said customers get access via an exclusive rideshare app. 'We are trying to bring up the value of our trips and the value of the experiences and the convenience that the company provides to the tourist, ' Kubo said. 'We are getting a lot of positive feedback.' Aya Takita, 45, and Emri Koga, 24, who were visiting Hawaii on a JTB Hawaii package in April said the rideshare offering helps provide more value during the trip, which is important given that prices are much higher than they were in 2019. 'Almost half the people in Japan cannot travel to Hawaii because of the cost, and it's even higher during Golden Week, ' Takita said. She added that package prices for Golden Week in Singapore, Taiwan, and Korea are about half the price of Hawaii. Koga said, 'Cost is of course an issue, especially for younger people. A lot are going to Korea.' Ojiri said there are many repeat travelers coming from Japan, but a large portion of the Japanese market, especially younger generations, has yet to experience Hawaii. 'To reach them, we need to offer more in live entertainment : live concerts, cultural festivals and sporting events that give travelers a specific reason to choose Hawaii, ' he said. 'The new Cirque du Soleil show 'Auana at the Outrigger Theatre is an example of an attraction that perfectly combines culture and live entertainment.' Ojiri said Outrigger has seen momentum through efforts like ANA's 'Tube ' concert, which will bring more than 2, 000 fans to Hawaii. He said 'Tube '—often referred to as Japan's answer to The Beach Boys—has a strong nostalgic pull and last played here in 2000 and 2005. Ojiri said in July that two former boy-band stars are expected to draw more than 800 fans to the new Outrigger Theater in Waikiki. 'Similarly, Japan Airlines' support of events like the Honolulu Marathon, Hapalua Half Marathon and Century Ride continues to position Hawaii as a preferred destination for active travelers, ' he said. 'These events not only drive visitation but also garner valuable media exposure that helps keep Hawaii ' top-of-mind.'
The Mainichi
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
In Photos: Step back in time with Japan hotel's Showa era-themed offerings
Image 1 of 6 A room where you can spend the night as though in the Showa era (1926-1989) starting this April 29, the Showa Day public holiday in Japan, is seen in the Hotel New Akao in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, April 25, 2025. (Mainichi/Koji Wakai)
Japan Forward
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Forward
Remember the Showa Era by Strengthening Unity Within Japan
Today we find ourselves facing severe domestic and international situations. The world economy is in turmoil and concerns about a Taiwan contingency and other crises are ever present. At a time like this, it makes sense to look back on the turbulent Showa era. April 29 marked Showa Day (Showa no Hi). This national holiday celebrates the birthday of Emperor Showa (Emperor Hirohito). It is defined by the National Holidays Act as a day to "look back on the Showa era, which saw the country recover after turbulent times, and to consider the nation's future." Television sets on display at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, November 18, 1953. NHK began broadcasting that February, followed by the launch of Nippon Television in August. Next year, 2026, marks the 100th anniversary of the advent of the Showa era (1926-89). At present, almost one in three Japanese were born during or after the Heisei era, which lasted from 1989 to 2019, and are unfamiliar with what things were like during Showa. But why not ask your grandparents, parents, and other relatives about what it was like back then in the Showa period? We would like to see people who lived through those turbulent times pass on their experiences to younger generations. The Osaka Expo bustling with crowds on its opening day on March 15, 1970. The Showa era was marked by hardships from the start, with the Showa Depression beginning in 1927 and the Great Depression following two years later. The Japanese economy did recover fairly quickly and began to experience economic growth in the prewar Showa period. But this growth was stymied by economic blocs created by the United States, Great Britain, and other Western countries, which established high tariff walls around their colonies. Japan also became mired down in military conflicts, including the Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War. A kamishibai (paper theater) scene from the early Showa period. Stories like "Golden Bat" (one of Japan's first superhero characters) were popular. The Japanese people fought with all their might under the banner of "self-preservation and self-defense and the liberation of Asia from Western colonialism." But the nation ended up losing 3.1 million people before its ultimate defeat in August 1945. The government found itself at an impasse as to whether Japan should accept the terms of unconditional surrender demanded by the Allied Powers in the Potsdam Declaration. It was a dramatic decision by the Showa Emperor that broke the deadlock and settled the matter. Japan then had to suffer occupation by a foreign power for the first time in its long history, with full sovereignty being restored in April 1952. Dedicating itself to pursuing a path of peace, Japan achieved a period of rapid growth lauded as an "economic miracle." Indeed, by 1968 the nation's gross national product reached ¥51 trillion JPY (around $355 billion USD), making it the second-largest Western economic power. And in 1975 Japan became the only Asian member of the summit of the richest industrialized nations (at the time referred to as "the G6"). There have been various assessments of the wars and economic growth experienced during the Showa era. However, the role they played in the elimination of racial discrimination around the world has surely been underappreciated. Ueno Station crowded with large numbers of junior high school graduates arriving from rural areas on mass employment trains. Scenes like this continued into the 1960s. Emperor Showa always shared the joys and sorrows of his subjects. In the immediate postwar years from 1946 to 1954, the emperor toured the nation to personally encourage the public. Emperor Showa was enthusiastically welcomed by the common people throughout Japan while these imperial visits served to bind the nation closer together. During a postwar tour, Emperor Showa visits Shonai Village in Fukuoka Prefecture (now Iizuka City). The woman beside him appears to be searching for him, possibly expecting him to be in military uniform. May 1949. Our national character of being able to weather crises, thanks to the people being united under the Emperor and the Imperial Family, was very apparent during the Showa era, and it continues to this day. The government is planning to hold a ceremony to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of the Showa era in 2026. We hope preparations for this event will proceed in such a way that this ceremony will serve to commemorate the benevolence and other virtues of Emperor Showa, express gratitude to our ancestors, and strengthen unity within Japan. ( Read the editorial in Japanese . ) Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
The Mainichi
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
Fukuoka music festival marking century since start of Showa era takes visitors back in time
FUKUOKA -- A music festival held in this southwestern Japan city on Showa Day on April 29 took visitors back in time with a series of classic songs from the Showa era (1926-1989). The "Showa 100 Year Bayside Song Festival" was hosted by the Bayside Place Hakata entertainment complex in Fukuoka's Hakata Ward on a specially prepared outdoor stage in front of visitors who reveled in the nostalgia. Performers included the big band Dan Ishida & Newbricco, based at the Acros Fukuoka concert hall, and others with numbers including Megumi Asaoka's "Watashi no Kare wa Hidarikiki," Masako Mori's "Sensei," and Agnes Chan's "Sogen no Kagayaki," which drew enthusiastic applause from the audience. Toshio Fujinaga, 55, a civil servant visiting from Kitakyushu, remarked, "All the songs are ones that are still great to listen to. During the Showa era, everyone gave it their all." His wife Shinomi, 54, added, "I love Seiko Matsuda and still go to her concerts." Showa-era goods and records were also sold at the venue and a DJ event was held by the retro "kayokyoku" karaoke bar "Spotlight," enveloping the area in Showa memories.
