Today’s Question
On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Why do Japanese people love Hawaii so much?
Topics Discussed
- Why Hawaii is such a popular travel destination among Japanese travelers
- How many Japanese people came to Hawaii in 2019
- How the amount of Japanese travelers to Hawaii compares to the amount of travelers from other places
- How many Japanese people went to Guam and Okinawa in 2019
- The surge in popularity of Guam among Japanese tourists
- A brief look at the history of Hawaii and how it may have helped make Hawaii so popular among Japanese travelers
- The 1948 song “Akogare no Hawaii Kōro” (“The Hawaii Cruise I Long For,” 憧れのハワイ航路)
- How much it would have cost someone from Japan to purchase a package tour to Hawaii in 1964
- What year the average Japanese salary rose above the cost of a package tour from Japan to Hawaii
- How pancakes from Hawaii became so popular in Japan
- The connection between Hawaiian pizza and Canada
- What loco moco is
- Eggs n’ Things
- The aggressive sales tactics of some vendors in Ala Moana Center and how they target Japanese tourists
- How much money Japanese tourists spend on average while in Hawaii and how this compares to the amount of money spent by those from the mainland U.S.
- How you should “Discover Guam”
- And more!
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Sources, Links, Videos, Etc.
If you would like to listen to the 1948 song “Akogare no Hawaii Kōro,” you can do so via the video below.
Here are some of the main English language articles used as references for this episode.
- Japanese tourists’ longing for Hawaii is still worth banking on
- Japanese “Pancake Boom” Fuels Renewed Relations with Hawaii
- Hawai‘i Visitor Statistics Released for 2019
Here are some of the main Japanese-language sources used as references for this episode.
- なぜ日本人はみんなハワイが好きなのか？ (English: Why do all Japanese people love Hawaii?)
- 【図解】日本人旅行者数、ハワイ・グアム・沖縄の直近10年間をグラフで比較してみた（2019年版）(English: Comparing the past ten years of the total number of travelers to Hawaii, Guam, and Okinawa)
- なぜ日本人は世界で一番｢ハワイ｣が好きなのか (English: Why is Hawaii the favorite place of Japanese people?)
To listen to episode 40 of the Japan Station podcast, use the link below.
Japanese Vocabulary List
Most episodes feature at least one or two interesting Japanese words or phrases. Here’s some of the ones that came up on this episode. All information is from Jim Breen’s WWWJDIC.
- Akogare
- 憧れ : 憧れ(P); 憬れ 【あこがれ】 (n,adj-no) yearning; longing; aspiration; adoration; admiration;
We Want Your Questions
Is there something about Japan that confuses you? Is there something about Japanese culture that you would like to learn more about? Is there something in Japanese history that you would like us to explain? We’re always looking for new questions about Japan to answer, so if you have one, please send it to ichimon@japankyo.com.
Special Thanks
Opening/Closing Theme: Produced by Apol (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Fiverr)
Ichimon Japan cover art: Produced by Erik R.
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Full Show Notes
