To be fair, this isn't the only Hawaii promotional video targeting the Japanese audience. The other video portrays a typical Japanese family doing the typical tourist things. However, I wanted to talk about this video because it seemed out of place. Would love to know what other people think 🤙
The ad is cringe because last time I went to Honolulu, I saw a Japanese family getting frustrated because they could not find a single spot to sit at the Waikiki beach. One Japanese lady near me found a small spot, but soon some non-Asian tourist decided to take over her spot in a rude inconsiderate manner, and the Japanese woman became annoyed, and then she and her two kids left the spot within 5 minutes. This is the reality of at least Honolulu area compared to the fancy advertisement.
lol loved this video! As someone from Hawaii who's lived for a long time in Japan and helps with cross-border marketing-related projects, I think you nailed it. The brand image of Hawaii in Japan is very strong and I think it's what's carrying Japanese tourism in Hawaii now rather than the reality. Solo female Japanese travelers to Hawaii are pretty rare (unless studying, doing a homestay, part of some kind of group, etc.) and ones visiting to do the activities shown in this video are virtually non-existent. Even the Polynesian Cultural Center would be primarily targeting niche repeaters. There is the idea of Hawaii being a "power spot" and an escape from the stresses of everyday life, and the idealistic version could be what's being shown here to speak to some aspirational feeling, but it doesn't reflect any kind of reality. The weak yen and rising prices in Hawaii play a factor in Japanese choosing to visit Hawaii, of course. Many Japanese tourists to Hawaii are advised to bring food with them so they can eat in their hotel rooms and avoid the high prices and confusing new tipping culture as much as possible. I know for a fact that many actually do this. The other big factor is, like you said, the Hawaii visitor experience. It's not all bad, of course, but there's a general sense that many are just going through the motions of their job. Many Japanese tourists will accept that they're abroad and "that's just how it is there", but when it's that expensive and when there's a feeling of things being unclean or dangerous, other travel destinations will be considered, and that's what's happening. My Japanese wife's parents used to visit Hawaii basically every year - they happened to decide on islands in Okinawa twice this year. My Japanese colleague reached out to me about a very famous hotel in Waikiki to see if it's still good because more recent Japanese reviews are saying it's unclean and service was bad. I'm concerned that that's the type of word-of-mouth that's increasing. Hawaii has a ton of potential and benefits from its strong image in Japan, but it does have to do better and I hope it does soon.
Thanks for the great perspective. Being in Japan, I'm sure you'd have a lot more to say from that side of the Pacific. It's too bad that some visitors are actually bringing their own rice. I can't imagine being told to do that if we were going to Japan. I do hope that Hawaii finds ways to increase the value of what we can offer. This doesn't mean building new attractions, but simply improving the visitor experience by making them feel like they are valued. Again, word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool. Just ask any local who visited Japan recently and they'll tell you 🤙
@ Absolutely, enhancing what Hawaii already has over building new attractions is the way to go. haha yeah, the number of locals who’ve gone to Japan recently… and multiple times too!
In my opinion, the weakest thing of living in or visiting Hawaii is the unavailability and dirtiness of our public restrooms. Compared to Japan, it was like heaven and hell.
So true.. it’s the worst. These visitors paid thousands to come to Hawaii and have this experience. Dirty restrooms at beaches and treatment, why no one wants to come to Hawaii unless you have ohana???
Japanese culture tends to have a public cleanliness image, which the people have. As for Hawaii being of public restrooms, well, it's a public restroom and if the users are pretty lazy, inconsiderate, filthy, that's what happens, which ends up being the workers to clean up the restrooms after the lazy, inconsiderate users leave it. There are homeless, locals and visitors that might use the public restrooms. I'm sure if one visits restrooms across the nation/world, one might end up finding a public restroom as unavailable and dirty as Hawaii. In the days when there was a long shipping strike in Hawaii, everything was in high demand, people were terrible that packets of sugar in restaurants/fast food were left on counters/tables. Napkins were issued by servers and not freely taken, as people stole them from the restaurants. Public toilets didn't have toilet paper from the stalls. In my youth, I worked at the supermarket and customers used the restrooms, plugging up the toilets. People stole toilet paper. These are customers, not the staff, but as the bag boy, we had to clean up the restrooms.
Maybe by promoting cultural programs they are also promoting businesses more likely to be native Hawaiian owned. Win/win. Hawaiians have high rates of poverty, low rates of land and home ownership, high rates of unemployment, etc. This is in their own homelands. Lots of those tourist dollars aren't being seen by Native Hawaiians hands and never have been. I know a Hawaiian group that is starting a company based on cultural practices on the Big Island. People can learn about the culture in an authentic setting, not some tourist trap.
Sounds about right. The massive tourism based companies here have massive marketing campaigns directed at Japan, and I think that the state is trying to do exactly what you are describing
That's a good point. I'm sure the cultural programs need assistance with marketing and getting the word out since the advertising is dominated by the more commercial experiences.
I work at a farm, we would occasionally get groups of Japanese visitors, but they are usually associated with the university or international schools participating in cultural exchange. Never solo traveller's That being said, I have done WWOOFing in Japan, and there are young solo Japanese who travel for farming domestically. There's potential to try to promote that kind of tourism here, but the language barrier would be a huge challenge.
I think I do a lot of international traveling since retiring, and I like to go with tour groups (such as Air & Sea) because they take care of EVERYTHING from transportation and accommodations to necessary paperwork such as VISAs and any other required documents. They have a Hawaii guide to take you to and from, and once you arrive, a local/native tour guide stays with you and teaches you about the places you are seeing. Very educational! Is it mostly touristy places? Sure! But if it's someplace where it's likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, then YES, you must visit touristy spots while there! You're not going to go to Okinawa without walking Kokusai Street or visiting the Churaumi Aquarium's 3-story glass aquarium. You're not going to Thailand without visiting the Grand Palace or floating through a river market. You're not going to Africa without going on a safari through the Serengeti and living out of a tent. Or France (Eiffel Tower, Louvre), India (Taj Mahal), Peru (Machu Picchu), China (Great Wall, Imperial Palace). Of course these destinations offer many other "must-sees," but you have to hit the major ones first! Same is true for US destinations like Seattle, LA, LV, Orlando, and Washington, DC (I'll let you guys fill in your "must-sees.") I just know personally, if I'm going to Japan, I don't plan on planting rice, unless it's part of the tour. Time is limited. I know if we had a tour where the group has a choice for the next 3 hours of planting rice or visiting the local fish market with sushi and other restaurants and shops, guess which option we'd take? So if a Japanese person visits Hawaii, has spent his whole life saving for this once-in-a-lifetime trip and he only has a few days, he's going to hit the touristy spots before doing anything else. If he has a day to spare, then MAYBE plant some taro, but if it comes down to that or going to the North Shore to see waves and eat garlic shrimp, he's not getting muddy! Perhaps younger folks would be more inclined to do the things in the video, but the problem there is that most of them do not have the money to travel yet. I do see younger Japanese from time to time, and they generally do not do the "traditional" group tour/tour bus travel thing. I see them in their rented Camaros and Mustangs but ironically, much of "their own thing" is shopping at Waikele, Ala Moana, Chinatown or farmer's markets, where their ojiichan and obaachan are headed on their tour bus or trolley anyway. I don't see any rentals or tour buses unloading folks at taro patches. But having said all of that, the major issue for Japanese at the moment is the dollar to yen ratio that is NOT in their favor. It's just too expensive to visit Hawaii right now, and it doesn't help that tourist businesses here are trying to gouge visitors. It's great for US to visit them, and that's why so many might be going to Japan for the first time. In fact, it's great for Americans to visit almost anywhere else right now. You can get a full meal in SE Asia (except maybe Singapore) for less than $2.00 USD. South America and Africa for less than $4, and while Japan might not be that cheap, there's NO TIPPING! But until that dollar to yen ratio starts turning to Japanese favor, they are going elsewhere.
Great discussion and thanks for the thoughtful comment. I do think that the convenience of a group tour is what many Japanese visitors enjoy. And while some go off on their own, I think they'd rather just see the tourist sites and that's probably enough. And if given the choice between Shinjuku or planting rice, I'm in Shinjuku 100% of the time. 😄
I am one of those Oahu residents who has just had their first trip to Japan. I was able to have a comfortable and enjoyable stay for about $100 dollars per day. That is why I will be going back to Japan again rather than having weekend visits to Maui or the Big Island from now on.
I met up with my parents from Japan in O’ahu in June. They’re so, soooo worried about the cost and asked if they should even bring microwavable rice! The trip was, proudly I say, my treat…hence I told them don’t worry whatsoever. But apparently their friends who love Hawaii suggested it. There are tons of TH-cam videos made by Japanese to share how to make their Hawaii trip cheap…even where free water fountains are. There’s no doubt their weak exchange rate and stagnation of economy are impacting visitors. Their income hasn’t changed much in the past 20 years. Or worse. It’s very sad. The promotion video does have beautiful pictures. I laughed when you expressed your concern about her belongings when she’s floating alone though! That’s real. I’ve seen some tours on Hilo side of Big Island to introduce Hawaiian culture for Japanese a while back. Like making poi. But it’s BI. Usually the first timers don’t pick there…likely because transportation can be an issue without a rental car.
That's too bad that people are being told to bring rice. I guess it's gotten so expensive. I can't imagine if we had to bring Costco rice to Japan. I haven't seen those TH-cam videos about how to travel to Hawaii cheap, but that's too bad that they have to even show those things.
The ad is perfect especially if a traveler is looking to join the Peace Corp LOL. You nailed it - safety and cleanliness for Japan is second to none and this goes a long way as far as visitor experience is concerned and tough to beat. Bottom line, Hawaií like California is simply expensive (even for locals let alone foreigners!) and value is probably no longer there when competing with Asian countries as top tourist destinations. Lots of catching up if Hawaií and/or Cali is looking to reclaim the top spot. Just returned from two-week vacay from JPN, and I agree with you that most of the tourists I saw or encountered were mostly from Asian countries with some that are also from Europe enjoying JPN. Been to Hawaií for vacays more than a few times, and had nothing but positive experience each time. Still believe Hawaii has a lot to offer, and perhaps just really need to re-calibrate to figure out how to regain its footing as you said. 😎🤙
I grew up in Kaneohe in the early 70s and have lived in Japan for 24 years, and I have to say that this ad is...interesting. For most Japanese people Hawaii is about SHOPPING and hitting some of the places highlighted on the REGULAR travel shows about Hawaii on Japanese TV every week. The travel shows focus on restaurants, souvenir shops and occasionally a boat tour or something. You are correct, NO ONE in Japan wants to go to Hawaii to work on a taro farm.
Thoughtful analysis, thank you. Seems like the Japanese tourism video is aspirational. Most tourists won't be digging so deeply into the local culture. But the video shows potential tourists what's possible, and what is specific to Hawai'i. I notice they show a lot of open space, without crowds. You're right, it's important to make Hawai'i a good place to visit AND live; word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool.
Just got back from a week's trip to Tokyo and Kyoto. It was a wonderful trip like what everyone else have said. First, I agree with you, the ad does not make sense at all. The ad is for someone who wants to come to Hawaii for an extended stay rather than for a week's vacation. Hawaii has become too expensive like the hotels charging all kinds of taxes and resort and other fees that the original price goes up by 50% or more. Then you now have the expected tip of 25% and gratuity tip for the hotel hospitality workers.The Big Island used to be affordable but now it has become like Oahu. Earlier this year I spent a month on the Big Island and it has become a little too expensive. In Hawaii I worry about my stuff being stolen on the beach and/or in my rental car. In Japan, I had no such worries.
All great points. And yes, it's nice that personal belongings are safe in Japan. I can leave things on the table or chair and not have to worry when I walk away.
I just spent a month in Japan. I used to go to Hawaii regularly, but honestly, it’s not cheap for anyone except the West Coast to fly to Hawaii. Hawaii has a lot to offer, and I would suggest anyone who has not visited to go. The Japanese all live on islands, some very large and some small, so island life is not exactly anything new for them.
While some point to Japan’s stagnant economy and weak yen as reasons for the decline in Japanese tourists to Hawaii, there’s a deeper shift in perception. Hawaii’s prices have surged, yet quality and service improvements haven’t kept pace, making it feel like a less compelling choice for many Japanese travelers. In contrast, destinations within Japan, like Okinawa, Miyako-jima, Niseko, Kyoto, and many less well known destinations, have greatly elevated their luxury offerings. These spots now provide outstanding quality and service, making Japanese travelers feel they’re getting much more for their money at home. As a result, Japan’s high-end tourism has become an appealing alternative to Hawaii, delivering a sense of value and satisfaction that resonates strongly. This trend isn’t just about currency but about Hawaii’s lost competitive edge in the eyes of discerning Japanese tourists. I still love Hawaii though…
Well said. With increasing prices, we should be asking ourselves if the Hawaii experience has improved, even if those increases in prices are due to inflation. I can't say since I'm not a tourist, but my guess is probably not.
100% improve visitor experience; let’s use some of that TAT (visitor tax) to improve things for visitors but it’s great for us too. Keep the trails accessible, have police at the spots where cars are being broken into, and we need to change the narrative that we actually want visitors. I’m sad that we drove out so many tourists for Kailua as my favorite restaurants are closing and getting more expensive with the lack of volume. And I agree, what the heck was that ad about.
All that extra charges and fees and taxes like the new TAT, and the 20% tips has made Hawaii has become too expensive to visit. I was on the Big Island for a month earlier this year and two weeks ago, I came back from a week's trip to Japan where prices were straight forward.
@@TropicalGardenGuyyeah but Vegas was built specifically for tourism. There was literal dust there before. Complaining about the destruction of a people's island paradise vs adult Disney Land in the desert is not a comparison.
Hawaii is beautiful, but then, Japan is too, and Japan is clean, safe, and way more affordable. Something a lot of people doesn’t know is that in Japan travel agents are advising tourists to bring microwaveable rice, noodles, and other can foods because the high prices in restaurants here in the island, so they save for only one or two restaurant experience in their trip. Waianae and Haleiwa having the most beautiful beaches and scenic views is sadly taken over by crime and homeless than even us try to avoid going there. And Waikiki is so overpopulated and the beach is taken away by erosion during high tide. Kailua is a parking nightmare, Koolina and turtle Bay Area is so overpriced. And locals have become so rude and loud is very uncomfortable, adding the terrible behavior from many people from mainland, our culture as an American has turned ugly. Beautiful Hawaii is a tourist trap. Is sad because I know how beautiful this state really is. I being here in Oahu for 15 years and travel to Maui, Kauai, and big island multiple times. Gosh Maui is expensive! In Hawaii Corruption and unaffordable living doesn’t allow locals enjoy fully of the beauty of this islands. I think the add is trying to promote a peaceful atmosphere, but in reality when a tourist is trying to relax all they can hear is loud cars, people shouting and cursing, and the chanting of the Hilton strike. Smells the weed locals smoke openly in public, and deal with the scary homeless. I remember when I just moved to Hawaii from FL and I was so enjoying the cultural diversity and politeness from the locals which was very different from the aggressive behavior from FL. Now days I feel the people has become as rude as mainland ppl. And safety is going down hill. But then, I also think after pandemic, people in the entire country has turned more aggressive and less caring for others and the environment.
I also heard that Japanese visitors are being told to bring their own rice and food since it's so expensive. If someone told us to do that, we probably wouldn't bother going. 😅
The odd part of this video is who are they trying to reach? As you mentioned manual labor and agriculture, many of Japan's younger generation are moving away from those areas, as they've chosen NOT to pursue that type of lifestyle. As the female in this video is often in solitude, many of Japan's younger generation is opting to move to the crowds of the city. If Hawaii wants to market to Japan, I would market for them to have couples adventures, friends, romantic and/or very small groups. Show them enjoying the unique vistas that can only be seen in Hawaii (i.e. Diamond Head, Waimea Falls, Kualoa Ranch, Haleakala, Mauna Kea, Pali Lookout, Kauai's Fern Grotto, etc...). Like you mentioned, Hawaii should double their efforts to keep the island clean. And the State and C&C should be cutting the grass and trees to make them look more presentable. And on my trip to Okinawa and Japan, knowing that we were Americans', at least the waiters and waitresses could say 'thank you' and 'come again' in American English...that was a nice touch.
That's a great idea to portray small groups, instead of solo travelers. It makes the trip more social and I think that's more a reflection of what we see in real life.
@@HelloFromHawaii On the flips ide of this example, if someone had taken a photo of the first time I saw Mt. Fuji from the air, that would've been priceless. If we get emotional shots of Japanese tourist experiencing Hawaii 'together', that may attract more to come see our islands. After they traverse the Koko Head stairs, and their expression when they reach the top and see the view; to see their exhilaration as they experience the joyful gust of winds at the Pali Lookout; etc...we need to sell these unique experiences.
If at 8:32 she is looking out over the observatory or Haleakala at sunrise, I remember that it was cold when we were there. And like her, I had tears in my eyes at the beauty. I have enjoyed ((Pre-Covid) farm to table eco/culinary tours, visiting the Okinawa communities in Hawaii, as well as Hawaiian and Samoan festivals. Challenges are most definitely the Yen exchange rate and unfortunately both Japan and Hawaii needing to recover economically. I agree, unfortunately Hawaii dos not feel as safe, clean or friendly as it used to be. Word of mouth (especially for a lot of Asian folk) is powerful. Can you provide a link to the original ad that you mentioned? Thanks for a thoughtful and insightful video!
You are so correct in your analysis. The direction of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement or maybe HTA is very idealistic. They are trying to sway visitors were they may not want to go. If there was a demand, businesses would emerge to meet the demand. The target market for this commercial is maybe less than 5 percent. Waste money. What triggers visitors is low airfares and value for their stay.
It would be great if Hawaii developed other industries, like local ag. I thought we would do that during the pandemic, but it seems like those advances have stalled.
@HelloFromHawaii its stupid for the money to let us be fed for cheap. Its way better for the money if white people come. They can buy all of the land and not even live in the really big purchases. That way inflation can continue and more dirty locals can be pushed out for nice caucasian people. I know the deal.
That is one glitzy marketing spiel. I don't have a marketing background, but it seems like they might be trying to appeal to the 'safety' concerns that the Japanese tourists may have about large U.S. cities in general. I can't think of any other reason why this strange short movie would attract Japanese tourists to visit Hawaii. My friend just returned from a 2-1/2 week trip to Japan. She gushed about how clean, friendly and safe it was everywhere they visited. She was so excited about planning a return trip.
It's great to hear that your friend had a great time in Japan. Yes, I always feel those same things your friend felt (clean, friendly, safe). I do wonder if that's what Japanese visitors think of Hawaii when they go back home.
As you said I think that this is the Hawaii image that the state wants to push onto the tourists. More fitting to the stigma around tourists, like no respect for the land or culture, etc. I think they are also trying to balance out the ads because I'm not too sure if you know, but just like the state, shopping centers, hotels, tours etc put out their own Japanese-tourist directed ads that are focusing on the urbanization and some even the "island playground" type of stuff. Ala Moana and Waikele Premium Outlets have a massive marketing deal with Japan tourism authority where they put out tons of ads about shopping and such with those. Mariott and other big hotel companies also have massive campaigns directly for the Japanese tourist market. It seems like the state is trying to off put those ads by doing the opposite
Thanks for bringing up the other Hawaii ads that are also out there. Maybe this ad is a stark contrast to what the Japanese market typically sees and so it differentiates itself in that sense?
@@HelloFromHawaii I think so, perhaps they are trying to diversify the reasons for coming to Hawaii by putting ideas into the minds of tourists of what experiences Hawaii offers
Hi Chris, can you do a ranking video about your favorite aloha shirts? It always seems in your videos that you are very depressed about the current situation in Hawaii and very anchored in the past. I visit Hawaii in September for the first time in my life. It was a childhood dream for me and after 30 years it came true in 2024. I really loved it and it was better than expected. Greetings from Bavaria. Oliver
I go to Hawaii every year and never get tired of it. I just go there and do nothing but enjoying the local food around the island . Don’t really care for other activities that I’ve already done in my previous visits. Will be going to Korea and Japan next Summer and back to Hawaii again in October.
I AM American I lived on Big Island and Kauai it’s has Plate Lunch it’s Ono Hawaiian has beautiful Bike paths and Walking Trails , Water Falls ! I LOVE FOOD Trucks and Locals were so Friendly! THATS what makes Hawaii Great Aloha!
Seeing the Japanese woman all by herself in all these wonderful places reminded me of that music video Shelter by Porter Robinson. A Japanese girl all by herself living in a beautiful virtual reality. The music video has over 83 million views and it made me tear up. I don't think that's what they were going for. I completely agree with you, why didn't they show a Japanese family or a group of friends having fun in Hawaii?
To be fair, there is another promo video that shows a Japanese family enjoying the typical things. It's just that this video stood out to me because it's so different from what I'd expect a Japanese visitor to do while here.
@@HelloFromHawaii Good to hear that they at least have videos of Japanese people doing what they would most likely be doing here. This one still reminds me of the Shelter music video.
The problem is that while some parts are beautiful, the state/county/residents are pricing themselves out of business by the increasing dependency of tourism, the attitudes of people about tourism. It is the drowning person scenario and rescuer. It's a dangerous situation, as the economy depends now, so much on the cash cow that the first person trying to help, practically drowns, as the downer clings onto the rescuer panicking out drowning both. The visitor industry is one aspect of promoting, but if the businesses, workers, people don't do their jobs about making it desirable, affordable, welcoming, it does little. Tourists go to Japan knowing the prices that tour companies and prices are within their grasp of affordability. They get a welcoming/receptive treatment/service from the people. The reality of productive business is hard work of attracting/maintaining a customer but also keeping operations, costs reasonable to continue to operate. Once it loses business attraction and costs, it's not worth it to the customer or the owners, leaving the workers to figure out where they get employed.
I really appreciate the way you analyze a topic, provide a well thought out critique, and then try to offer recommendations based on your analysis, all in a positive manner. It seems obvious that the Hawaiian Tourism Authority should be catering its marketing to, in this case, the Japanese market according to what their desires are rather than the kind of activities HTA wants them to do. I do believe both of these can be bridged. Perhaps HTA should be investing into Hawaiian businesses to train them how to promote the types of activities they want to emphasize while providing those activities the Japanese desire to do. This is more of a "long game" oriented solution. This is also more of a team approach, too, because it would involve businesses promoting activities that they don't necessarily provide. That kind of promotion can work in both directions. I guess another way to say it is to create partnerships between the typical tourist attractions, restaurants, and souvenir/omiyage stores with cultural and community service purveyors. I hope that makes sense, but I'm confident you're bright enough to understand what I'm getting at.
Mahalo for the comment. To be fair, there was another promotional video with your typical shopping and tourist experience. But this one caught my attention because it seemed so out of place. Maybe they are trying to experiment to see if there is an increase in Japanese interest and participation in more cultural experiences. And I think your long-term solution sounds great. The businesses and marketing need to work together to provide what the target audience wants.
Ahahahahaha 😂😂😂I think a lot of Pacific islands have the same problem with this kind of advertisement even here in French Polynesia we got things like this for so long but now we are trying to change it because of all the clichés these advertisements caused but if there's something that truly annoys me in our advertisements is the fact that the grand is always "Tahiti et ses îles" (Tahiti and its islands) because all of the photos and videos are all about the other islands but none of them show Tahiti as it is today and people will always misunderstand our islands for Tahiti which is not the case✨✨but now the Tourism is trying to change it by focusing more on our authenticity in cultures traditions and diversities since there are 10 native cultures with 15 native languages here❤❤❤❤but now I always laugh at this kind of advertisements😂😂
Mahalo for sharing. You bring up a great point. Advertisements like these can be selective of what they show. Hardly any buildings or cars in this video, but for most visitors, they will be seeing hotels and traffic.
I went because the exchange rate is so good. Hawaii people like Japan and keep going multiple times. Like they don't know that there are so many other places. The other place is Vegas? Do they know that it's not really Venice, Rome, NY, etc.😁
Having just returned from Hawaii yesterday, of course, it depends on the island, but beach, zipline tours, kayaking, biking and shopping would be attractive to eastern tourists.
Japanese visitors to Continental US are increasing YoY, so I don't think it's just about USD/JPY rate. 1.43 million Japanese citizens traveled overseas in August 2024, but only 63,963 visited Hawaii. Top destinations were South Korea, Continental US, Thailand, Singapore Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Spain, Germany, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc.
@@HelloFromHawaii I spent an entire summer at University of Hawaii in the late 1990s for a language program. Hawaii was affordable back then, even for a broke college kid like me. The brutal reality is this. When I was still at college student, visiting places like Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia/Bali, Thailand, Malaysia was still a bit scary/shady in terms of public transportation, food safety, crime, etc. But now Southeast Asia offers really good tourist experiences for the price. The distance from Japan is the same as Hawaii or closer. Hawaii has become like Monaco or Bahamas in terms of price, since it has attracted so many wealthy people from all over the world, which sadly is pricing out locals. But if Hawaii wants to go with the 5-start luxury high-end tourist destination, it'll have to make everything 5-star, from infrastructure, crime/safety, service, airport, hotels, etc. (I saw during the hotel strikes that average room prices are near US$700 per night. That is 2 to 3x more expensive than a nice hotel room in Southeast Asia.)
Maybe the message is for Japanese people to enjoy travelling on their own and not necessarily travel with a family. Maybe the idea is to make them feel encouraged to travel solo and learn about the culture etc and do things different to the norm. I like to think they want to show a new side of all the possibilities that one person can do without the need for going with a group of people and do the usual things. Maybe soul searching, reflection, and exploring is what the message is.
'Sorry, Chris, but I just had to LOL @ 4:49 when the first thing that popped into mind was "Oh, nooo, she's checking out Morgan's Corner!!!" right after you said "maybe you shouldn't go there by yourself."
1-I would have liked to hear what your wife thinks about that video. She is after all, from Japan right?. 2-Hawaii needs to clean up it's act(crime/drugs/homeless/cost of living/opala/etc). Once they come here & see all the bad things happening in Hawaii, they will go home and tell everyone how bad it was, then no one will come. 3-Maybe the HTA needs to ask Japan what would make them come back to Hawaii & then make videos?.
I haven't asked my wife, but I'd be curious what she thought. I showed her the video, but she didn't really comment on it. I do think that next year's marketing campaign should consider what would bring Japanese visitors back, particularly the ones that do traditional touristy things.
Activities in a taro patch? How often does even a local do that? Must look at the target group. I recalled when budget airlines flew to Hawaii, the plane had full of younger travelers. The wealthier travelers flew JAL and ANA.
13:40 Same unfavourable exchange rates, BUT we have sooooo much more affordability in terms of food and hotels, dirt cheap to high life... that i can't seem to find for Hawaii? Are there any??? Cuz im not finding it easy to wanna have a getaway there even as a Singaporean.
Exchange rate with Singapore being similar is not the same as inflation. Swapmeat Pipline flat bread sandwich was $8 in 2021. Currently it’s at $12… Japanese ain’t spending that kind of money when they can get a huge teishoku meal for $11, and not have to tip 25%. And I was at a Hawaii to Japan export meeting last week the Convention Center, and they estimated over 10 million Japanese in a halau. Yeah, my mind was blown too! I agree, it was weird to see the lady in the lo’i, but maybe the youth in Japan are being globalized. Especially in Kyoto!😂
Great point about inflation. In a way, it hits the Japanese population even harder because of the exchange rate. And it's amazing that there are so many learning hula in Japan. We know some people who dance in Japan.
Hawaii’s like Starbucks. The price is always higher, but the products are getting smaller! And I love O’ahu. I think you’re right about this. This was a mainland or European ad, repurposed for Japan. I have to say, I don’t see a lot of single women travelers from any Asian country. Groups of girls, yes. Families. Couples. Groups of guys. Not so many loners, you know? Europeans, yes. Lots of ‘em. And even mainlanders. But not so many Asians. I’m sure there must be some, but not that I’ve seen. Maybe it’s an ad intended for guys who want to meet attractive Japanese women! Thoughtful and well presented, as always. Thanks for sharing!
I agree that perhaps this ad is structured more for a Western audience. While there are some solo travelers from Japan, it would make more sense to travel with others to split the cost of accommodations and possibly transportation.
It is a pretty video but I can't see how it is designed to resonate with the "typical" Japanese visitors, nor is it designed to further the state mission of attracting higher-spending visitors. Showing the kalo fields and beach cleanup sort of hints at the desired more socially-involved traveler, but not even the vaguest hints of learning culture or history (awkwardly reads more like trying to show locals working together/showing aloha). Like everything else HTA is quickly spending money on, it doesn't seem very thought out in the long run.
The way we market Hawaii is totally not right. I realize there are a lot of people who want to encourage service tourism, but let's be honest, maybe 1% of potential tourists will be interested in service tourism. What Hawaii should do is present Hawaii to the world like it was presented in the 1960s. Right now, too many folks are over thinking it. Ads just need to be pictures of pretty people in pretty places relaxing. Also would be smart to advertise more to Canadians an Australians.
I'm sure there are different videos for different parts of the world. I haven't looked into other locations, but since we really need a boost from the Japanese market, I figured this video is important in accomplishing that.
I respect everyone's opinion. I however think the issue really is that the experience of Hawaii is not the same as it was. We hear that the tourist image of Hawaii is not correct. I agree, today it's a haole point of view if your kama'aina in this generation. However is it really all humbug, no? When I see tourism videos where everything is clean and everything is tranquil, today I roll my eyes. But I can't forget that at one time Honolulu and Waikiki was a clean place. That issues like homelessness, drugs, high crime other than theft was a mainland issue. We sometimes need to realize that our world on the islands of the past was really different from the rest of the mainland. Coming from the mainland decades ago it's easy to see life on the islands as a different paradise. Unless you live in S.F or NY the multi-culturalism was unique, local business with different cultural values created different experiences. Everything is brighter and more colorful. I even remember we used to keep our doors unlocked in town and our stuff would still be there. That wasn't too long ago. Can't do that today. I have always believed history is our friend. It can be the measuring stick to guide us in the direction we are heading.
From my personal experiences l would say it is consumerism. I have a few friends tha5 go to discover other cultures but most my friends that go just want photo-ops at the tourist places and buy as much as they can, be it over priced adventure packages that still keep you in the tourist bubble and buy stuff that let's them and their friends know that they went there. So it is consumerism and that is how many places market it.
Great point. It's how many people experience new places when they are tourists. When we go to Japan, we're mostly interested in the food and shopping. We do try to do some cultural things, but it's mostly the food and shopping.
I heard that there were ads to show volunteer opportunity, like plant trees and beach clean ups. I just don't think this appeals to the Japanese market, which traditionally likes to shop and see the sites.
Japanese tourists that I have always seen on Kalākaua in Waikiki were always well dressed, shopping and eating. Oh, and riding da bus (Da Mayor Fasi's limo, dey call it 😅!). Need plenny kala fo ride da bus, and go group tours.
That's typically how I see the Japanese tourists dressed too. They might bring some hiking shoes, or buy them here, but they mostly wear summer clothing that still covers up.
Hawaii is encouraging voluntourism. I think maybe you don’t hear about it as someone who lives in Hawaii. They want to encourage visitors to appreciate the culture. It’s a sustainability principle and so that the culture doesn’t die out.
Hello Chris. Love your Aloha Shirts. Oh...Hawai'i, stop voting blue and your image will improve. I never wanted to visit Japan as a child and until now. I am an execption, but Nippon never interest me. Europe has much more to offer and the history is exceptional. Even Egypt excited me more than wanting to visit Japan or China. Hawai'i is unique, but the focus on places to visit as tourists from Hawai'i I noticed is so limited mostly to Asia. Japan and China in particular. Why? Luxembourg 🇱🇺 is more exciting than Japan and easier to navigate as an American tourist. Mahalo Chris.
Would you take a vacation in a country where the cost of everything is 2x - 3x the price of staying home? Not your first choice, right? Yeah- that's why the Japanese abandoned Hawaii.
@@HelloFromHawaii If Japanese people can eat for $5.23 for two from a takeaway deli (see Sharmeleon's video 'This Japanese Town has KOI FISH in the Streets' 22:52) then it is definitely the prices.
I have distant cousins a 4th cousin a 3rd to distant cousin all from Hawaii I hate when tourists move there or come there for vacation and act like jerks
@@HelloFromHawaii Come on, KFC Japan doesn't know the definition of crispy. I asked Eggs and Things in Sendai to make my bacon crispy. It came back the same as I got it, soft. The diversity of food here is terrible. However, A5 wagyu is da best!
This haole loves Hawaiʻi pidgin. I nevah be mad if you speak da kine in da videos always! Can understand, always. Girls in da Japanese videos so atsui, yeah?
Good try! "Atsui" generally means high temperature hot, as in weather or air/water. Iroppoi or Eroi might be more what you want as the slang "hot," but you might not want to say this to a Japanese girl or risk a slap in the face.
To be fair, this isn't the only Hawaii promotional video targeting the Japanese audience. The other video portrays a typical Japanese family doing the typical tourist things. However, I wanted to talk about this video because it seemed out of place. Would love to know what other people think 🤙
The ad is cringe because last time I went to Honolulu, I saw a Japanese family getting frustrated because they could not find a single spot to sit at the Waikiki beach. One Japanese lady near me found a small spot, but soon some non-Asian tourist decided to take over her spot in a rude inconsiderate manner, and the Japanese woman became annoyed, and then she and her two kids left the spot within 5 minutes. This is the reality of at least Honolulu area compared to the fancy advertisement.
That's too bad about what happened to that Japanese family. I'm sure it's something they'll remember and tell their friends.
lol loved this video! As someone from Hawaii who's lived for a long time in Japan and helps with cross-border marketing-related projects, I think you nailed it.
The brand image of Hawaii in Japan is very strong and I think it's what's carrying Japanese tourism in Hawaii now rather than the reality. Solo female Japanese travelers to Hawaii are pretty rare (unless studying, doing a homestay, part of some kind of group, etc.) and ones visiting to do the activities shown in this video are virtually non-existent. Even the Polynesian Cultural Center would be primarily targeting niche repeaters. There is the idea of Hawaii being a "power spot" and an escape from the stresses of everyday life, and the idealistic version could be what's being shown here to speak to some aspirational feeling, but it doesn't reflect any kind of reality.
The weak yen and rising prices in Hawaii play a factor in Japanese choosing to visit Hawaii, of course. Many Japanese tourists to Hawaii are advised to bring food with them so they can eat in their hotel rooms and avoid the high prices and confusing new tipping culture as much as possible. I know for a fact that many actually do this.
The other big factor is, like you said, the Hawaii visitor experience. It's not all bad, of course, but there's a general sense that many are just going through the motions of their job. Many Japanese tourists will accept that they're abroad and "that's just how it is there", but when it's that expensive and when there's a feeling of things being unclean or dangerous, other travel destinations will be considered, and that's what's happening. My Japanese wife's parents used to visit Hawaii basically every year - they happened to decide on islands in Okinawa twice this year. My Japanese colleague reached out to me about a very famous hotel in Waikiki to see if it's still good because more recent Japanese reviews are saying it's unclean and service was bad. I'm concerned that that's the type of word-of-mouth that's increasing.
Hawaii has a ton of potential and benefits from its strong image in Japan, but it does have to do better and I hope it does soon.
Thanks for the great perspective. Being in Japan, I'm sure you'd have a lot more to say from that side of the Pacific. It's too bad that some visitors are actually bringing their own rice. I can't imagine being told to do that if we were going to Japan.
I do hope that Hawaii finds ways to increase the value of what we can offer. This doesn't mean building new attractions, but simply improving the visitor experience by making them feel like they are valued. Again, word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool. Just ask any local who visited Japan recently and they'll tell you 🤙
@ Absolutely, enhancing what Hawaii already has over building new attractions is the way to go.
haha yeah, the number of locals who’ve gone to Japan recently… and multiple times too!
In my opinion, the weakest thing of living in or visiting Hawaii is the unavailability and dirtiness of our public restrooms. Compared to Japan, it was like heaven and hell.
So true.. it’s the worst. These visitors paid thousands to come to Hawaii and have this experience. Dirty restrooms at beaches and treatment, why no one wants to come to Hawaii unless you have ohana???
This has been going on for years and got away with it. Glad it’s coming to light. You guys got really lazy in your hospitality???
Very true. The Japanese bathrooms were so nice and the doors went down to the floor.
Japanese culture tends to have a public cleanliness image, which the people have. As for Hawaii being of public restrooms, well, it's a public restroom and if the users are pretty lazy, inconsiderate, filthy, that's what happens, which ends up being the workers to clean up the restrooms after the lazy, inconsiderate users leave it. There are homeless, locals and visitors that might use the public restrooms. I'm sure if one visits restrooms across the nation/world, one might end up finding a public restroom as unavailable and dirty as Hawaii. In the days when there was a long shipping strike in Hawaii, everything was in high demand, people were terrible that packets of sugar in restaurants/fast food were left on counters/tables. Napkins were issued by servers and not freely taken, as people stole them from the restaurants. Public toilets didn't have toilet paper from the stalls. In my youth, I worked at the supermarket and customers used the restrooms, plugging up the toilets. People stole toilet paper. These are customers, not the staff, but as the bag boy, we had to clean up the restrooms.
Maybe by promoting cultural programs they are also promoting businesses more likely to be native Hawaiian owned. Win/win. Hawaiians have high rates of poverty, low rates of land and home ownership, high rates of unemployment, etc. This is in their own homelands. Lots of those tourist dollars aren't being seen by Native Hawaiians hands and never have been. I know a Hawaiian group that is starting a company based on cultural practices on the Big Island. People can learn about the culture in an authentic setting, not some tourist trap.
Sounds about right. The massive tourism based companies here have massive marketing campaigns directed at Japan, and I think that the state is trying to do exactly what you are describing
That's a good point. I'm sure the cultural programs need assistance with marketing and getting the word out since the advertising is dominated by the more commercial experiences.
I work at a farm, we would occasionally get groups of Japanese visitors, but they are usually associated with the university or international schools participating in cultural exchange. Never solo traveller's
That being said, I have done WWOOFing in Japan, and there are young solo Japanese who travel for farming domestically. There's potential to try to promote that kind of tourism here, but the language barrier would be a huge challenge.
Thanks for sharing. Good to know that there is a potential for some interest in that type of tourism.
I think I do a lot of international traveling since retiring, and I like to go with tour groups (such as Air & Sea) because they take care of EVERYTHING from transportation and accommodations to necessary paperwork such as VISAs and any other required documents. They have a Hawaii guide to take you to and from, and once you arrive, a local/native tour guide stays with you and teaches you about the places you are seeing. Very educational! Is it mostly touristy places? Sure! But if it's someplace where it's likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, then YES, you must visit touristy spots while there!
You're not going to go to Okinawa without walking Kokusai Street or visiting the Churaumi Aquarium's 3-story glass aquarium. You're not going to Thailand without visiting the Grand Palace or floating through a river market. You're not going to Africa without going on a safari through the Serengeti and living out of a tent. Or France (Eiffel Tower, Louvre), India (Taj Mahal), Peru (Machu Picchu), China (Great Wall, Imperial Palace). Of course these destinations offer many other "must-sees," but you have to hit the major ones first! Same is true for US destinations like Seattle, LA, LV, Orlando, and Washington, DC (I'll let you guys fill in your "must-sees.") I just know personally, if I'm going to Japan, I don't plan on planting rice, unless it's part of the tour. Time is limited. I know if we had a tour where the group has a choice for the next 3 hours of planting rice or visiting the local fish market with sushi and other restaurants and shops, guess which option we'd take?
So if a Japanese person visits Hawaii, has spent his whole life saving for this once-in-a-lifetime trip and he only has a few days, he's going to hit the touristy spots before doing anything else. If he has a day to spare, then MAYBE plant some taro, but if it comes down to that or going to the North Shore to see waves and eat garlic shrimp, he's not getting muddy! Perhaps younger folks would be more inclined to do the things in the video, but the problem there is that most of them do not have the money to travel yet. I do see younger Japanese from time to time, and they generally do not do the "traditional" group tour/tour bus travel thing. I see them in their rented Camaros and Mustangs but ironically, much of "their own thing" is shopping at Waikele, Ala Moana, Chinatown or farmer's markets, where their ojiichan and obaachan are headed on their tour bus or trolley anyway. I don't see any rentals or tour buses unloading folks at taro patches.
But having said all of that, the major issue for Japanese at the moment is the dollar to yen ratio that is NOT in their favor. It's just too expensive to visit Hawaii right now, and it doesn't help that tourist businesses here are trying to gouge visitors. It's great for US to visit them, and that's why so many might be going to Japan for the first time. In fact, it's great for Americans to visit almost anywhere else right now. You can get a full meal in SE Asia (except maybe Singapore) for less than $2.00 USD. South America and Africa for less than $4, and while Japan might not be that cheap, there's NO TIPPING! But until that dollar to yen ratio starts turning to Japanese favor, they are going elsewhere.
Great discussion and thanks for the thoughtful comment. I do think that the convenience of a group tour is what many Japanese visitors enjoy. And while some go off on their own, I think they'd rather just see the tourist sites and that's probably enough. And if given the choice between Shinjuku or planting rice, I'm in Shinjuku 100% of the time. 😄
I am one of those Oahu residents who has just had their first trip to Japan. I was able to have a comfortable and enjoyable stay for about $100 dollars per day. That is why I will be going back to Japan again rather than having weekend visits to Maui or the Big Island from now on.
Yup, you definitely get more bang for the buck!
What a deal! I'm sure your first trip was great. Already planning your next trip for 2025? 😄
I met up with my parents from Japan in O’ahu in June. They’re so, soooo worried about the cost and asked if they should even bring microwavable rice! The trip was, proudly I say, my treat…hence I told them don’t worry whatsoever. But apparently their friends who love Hawaii suggested it.
There are tons of TH-cam videos made by Japanese to share how to make their Hawaii trip cheap…even where free water fountains are. There’s no doubt their weak exchange rate and stagnation of economy are impacting visitors. Their income hasn’t changed much in the past 20 years. Or worse. It’s very sad.
The promotion video does have beautiful pictures. I laughed when you expressed your concern about her belongings when she’s floating alone though! That’s real.
I’ve seen some tours on Hilo side of Big Island to introduce Hawaiian culture for Japanese a while back. Like making poi. But it’s BI. Usually the first timers don’t pick there…likely because transportation can be an issue without a rental car.
That's too bad that people are being told to bring rice. I guess it's gotten so expensive. I can't imagine if we had to bring Costco rice to Japan.
I haven't seen those TH-cam videos about how to travel to Hawaii cheap, but that's too bad that they have to even show those things.
The ad is perfect especially if a traveler is looking to join the Peace Corp LOL. You nailed it - safety and cleanliness for Japan is second to none and this goes a long way as far as visitor experience is concerned and tough to beat. Bottom line, Hawaií like California is simply expensive (even for locals let alone foreigners!) and value is probably no longer there when competing with Asian countries as top tourist destinations. Lots of catching up if Hawaií and/or Cali is looking to reclaim the top spot. Just returned from two-week vacay from JPN, and I agree with you that most of the tourists I saw or encountered were mostly from Asian countries with some that are also from Europe enjoying JPN. Been to Hawaií for vacays more than a few times, and had nothing but positive experience each time. Still believe Hawaii has a lot to offer, and perhaps just really need to re-calibrate to figure out how to regain its footing as you said. 😎🤙
I think you're right - Hawaii has to figure out how to compete in this much more competitive market.
I grew up in Kaneohe in the early 70s and have lived in Japan for 24 years, and I have to say that this ad is...interesting.
For most Japanese people Hawaii is about SHOPPING and hitting some of the places highlighted on the REGULAR travel shows about Hawaii on Japanese TV every week.
The travel shows focus on restaurants, souvenir shops and occasionally a boat tour or something.
You are correct, NO ONE in Japan wants to go to Hawaii to work on a taro farm.
Thoughtful analysis, thank you. Seems like the Japanese tourism video is aspirational. Most tourists won't be digging so deeply into the local culture. But the video shows potential tourists what's possible, and what is specific to Hawai'i. I notice they show a lot of open space, without crowds. You're right, it's important to make Hawai'i a good place to visit AND live; word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool.
Just got back from a week's trip to Tokyo and Kyoto. It was a wonderful trip like what everyone else have said. First, I agree with you, the ad does not make sense at all. The ad is for someone who wants to come to Hawaii for an extended stay rather than for a week's vacation. Hawaii has become too expensive like the hotels charging all kinds of taxes and resort and other fees that the original price goes up by 50% or more. Then you now have the expected tip of 25% and gratuity tip for the hotel hospitality workers.The Big Island used to be affordable but now it has become like Oahu. Earlier this year I spent a month on the Big Island and it has become a little too expensive. In Hawaii I worry about my stuff being stolen on the beach and/or in my rental car. In Japan, I had no such worries.
All great points. And yes, it's nice that personal belongings are safe in Japan. I can leave things on the table or chair and not have to worry when I walk away.
I just spent a month in Japan. I used to go to Hawaii regularly, but honestly, it’s not cheap for anyone except the West Coast to fly to Hawaii. Hawaii has a lot to offer, and I would suggest anyone who has not visited to go. The Japanese all live on islands, some very large and some small, so island life is not exactly anything new for them.
That must have been a nice month in Japan. Weather isn't too hot and the exchange rate is still good.
While some point to Japan’s stagnant economy and weak yen as reasons for the decline in Japanese tourists to Hawaii, there’s a deeper shift in perception. Hawaii’s prices have surged, yet quality and service improvements haven’t kept pace, making it feel like a less compelling choice for many Japanese travelers. In contrast, destinations within Japan, like Okinawa, Miyako-jima, Niseko, Kyoto, and many less well known destinations, have greatly elevated their luxury offerings. These spots now provide outstanding quality and service, making Japanese travelers feel they’re getting much more for their money at home. As a result, Japan’s high-end tourism has become an appealing alternative to Hawaii, delivering a sense of value and satisfaction that resonates strongly. This trend isn’t just about currency but about Hawaii’s lost competitive edge in the eyes of discerning Japanese tourists. I still love Hawaii though…
Well said. With increasing prices, we should be asking ourselves if the Hawaii experience has improved, even if those increases in prices are due to inflation. I can't say since I'm not a tourist, but my guess is probably not.
100% improve visitor experience; let’s use some of that TAT (visitor tax) to improve things for visitors but it’s great for us too. Keep the trails accessible, have police at the spots where cars are being broken into, and we need to change the narrative that we actually want visitors. I’m sad that we drove out so many tourists for Kailua as my favorite restaurants are closing and getting more expensive with the lack of volume. And I agree, what the heck was that ad about.
All that extra charges and fees and taxes like the new TAT, and the 20% tips has made Hawaii has become too expensive to visit. I was on the Big Island for a month earlier this year and two weeks ago, I came back from a week's trip to Japan where prices were straight forward.
@ 20% tip to be handed food over a counter is the reason I don’t eat out anymore.
@@tomp9447 Same here, I stopped going to places like that.
I believe the TAT is already used for trail maintenance, but hopefully it can be used for other things that are important to locals and visitors.
@@HelloFromHawaii pretty sure all taxes go into the black hole of the general fund.
We need to stop tourists from treating Hawaii like crap
Unfortunately tourists aren't the only one who treat the land badly
Honestly I find that tourists treat our home better than we do.
@@JohnnyAloha69no they don’t
Every tourist destination has issues… Las Vegas is way worse!
@@TropicalGardenGuyyeah but Vegas was built specifically for tourism. There was literal dust there before. Complaining about the destruction of a people's island paradise vs adult Disney Land in the desert is not a comparison.
Hawaii is beautiful, but then, Japan is too, and Japan is clean, safe, and way more affordable.
Something a lot of people doesn’t know is that in Japan travel agents are advising tourists to bring microwaveable rice, noodles, and other can foods because the high prices in restaurants here in the island, so they save for only one or two restaurant experience in their trip.
Waianae and Haleiwa having the most beautiful beaches and scenic views is sadly taken over by crime and homeless than even us try to avoid going there. And Waikiki is so overpopulated and the beach is taken away by erosion during high tide. Kailua is a parking nightmare, Koolina and turtle Bay Area is so overpriced. And locals have become so rude and loud is very uncomfortable, adding the terrible behavior from many people from mainland, our culture as an American has turned ugly. Beautiful Hawaii is a tourist trap.
Is sad because I know how beautiful this state really is. I being here in Oahu for 15 years and travel to Maui, Kauai, and big island multiple times. Gosh Maui is expensive! In Hawaii Corruption and unaffordable living doesn’t allow locals enjoy fully of the beauty of this islands.
I think the add is trying to promote a peaceful atmosphere, but in reality when a tourist is trying to relax all they can hear is loud cars, people shouting and cursing, and the chanting of the Hilton strike. Smells the weed locals smoke openly in public, and deal with the scary homeless.
I remember when I just moved to Hawaii from FL and I was so enjoying the cultural diversity and politeness from the locals which was very different from the aggressive behavior from FL. Now days I feel the people has become as rude as mainland ppl. And safety is going down hill.
But then, I also think after pandemic, people in the entire country has turned more aggressive and less caring for others and the environment.
I also heard that Japanese visitors are being told to bring their own rice and food since it's so expensive. If someone told us to do that, we probably wouldn't bother going. 😅
The odd part of this video is who are they trying to reach? As you mentioned manual labor and agriculture, many of Japan's younger generation are moving away from those areas, as they've chosen NOT to pursue that type of lifestyle. As the female in this video is often in solitude, many of Japan's younger generation is opting to move to the crowds of the city.
If Hawaii wants to market to Japan, I would market for them to have couples adventures, friends, romantic and/or very small groups. Show them enjoying the unique vistas that can only be seen in Hawaii (i.e. Diamond Head, Waimea Falls, Kualoa Ranch, Haleakala, Mauna Kea, Pali Lookout, Kauai's Fern Grotto, etc...).
Like you mentioned, Hawaii should double their efforts to keep the island clean. And the State and C&C should be cutting the grass and trees to make them look more presentable.
And on my trip to Okinawa and Japan, knowing that we were Americans', at least the waiters and waitresses could say 'thank you' and 'come again' in American English...that was a nice touch.
That's a great idea to portray small groups, instead of solo travelers. It makes the trip more social and I think that's more a reflection of what we see in real life.
@@HelloFromHawaii On the flips ide of this example, if someone had taken a photo of the first time I saw Mt. Fuji from the air, that would've been priceless.
If we get emotional shots of Japanese tourist experiencing Hawaii 'together', that may attract more to come see our islands. After they traverse the Koko Head stairs, and their expression when they reach the top and see the view; to see their exhilaration as they experience the joyful gust of winds at the Pali Lookout; etc...we need to sell these unique experiences.
Hawai’i Tourism Board would be smart to hire you on as a consultant.
Thanks. Like I said, the narrative of this video is okay, but I'm not sure it's for the Japanese audience.
If at 8:32 she is looking out over the observatory or Haleakala at sunrise, I remember that it was cold when we were there. And like her, I had tears in my eyes at the beauty. I have enjoyed ((Pre-Covid) farm to table eco/culinary tours, visiting the Okinawa communities in Hawaii, as well as Hawaiian and Samoan festivals. Challenges are most definitely the Yen exchange rate and unfortunately both Japan and Hawaii needing to recover economically. I agree, unfortunately Hawaii dos not feel as safe, clean or friendly as it used to be. Word of mouth (especially for a lot of Asian folk) is powerful. Can you provide a link to the original ad that you mentioned? Thanks for a thoughtful and insightful video!
There should be a link to the video in the video description.
You are so correct in your analysis. The direction of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement or maybe HTA is very idealistic. They are trying to sway visitors were they may not want to go. If there was a demand, businesses would emerge to meet the demand. The target market for this commercial is maybe less than 5 percent. Waste money. What triggers visitors is low airfares and value for their stay.
Yeah, it's hard to imagine a traveler seeing that ad and thinking "That's where I want to go!"
We need to stop giving benefits to tourism and start growing our own stuff
It would be great if Hawaii developed other industries, like local ag. I thought we would do that during the pandemic, but it seems like those advances have stalled.
@HelloFromHawaii its stupid for the money to let us be fed for cheap. Its way better for the money if white people come. They can buy all of the land and not even live in the really big purchases. That way inflation can continue and more dirty locals can be pushed out for nice caucasian people. I know the deal.
That is one glitzy marketing spiel. I don't have a marketing background, but it seems like they might be trying to appeal to the 'safety' concerns that the Japanese tourists may have about large U.S. cities in general. I can't think of any other reason why this strange short movie would attract Japanese tourists to visit Hawaii.
My friend just returned from a 2-1/2 week trip to Japan. She gushed about how clean, friendly and safe it was everywhere they visited. She was so excited about planning a return trip.
It's great to hear that your friend had a great time in Japan. Yes, I always feel those same things your friend felt (clean, friendly, safe). I do wonder if that's what Japanese visitors think of Hawaii when they go back home.
As you said I think that this is the Hawaii image that the state wants to push onto the tourists. More fitting to the stigma around tourists, like no respect for the land or culture, etc. I think they are also trying to balance out the ads because I'm not too sure if you know, but just like the state, shopping centers, hotels, tours etc put out their own Japanese-tourist directed ads that are focusing on the urbanization and some even the "island playground" type of stuff. Ala Moana and Waikele Premium Outlets have a massive marketing deal with Japan tourism authority where they put out tons of ads about shopping and such with those. Mariott and other big hotel companies also have massive campaigns directly for the Japanese tourist market. It seems like the state is trying to off put those ads by doing the opposite
Thanks for bringing up the other Hawaii ads that are also out there. Maybe this ad is a stark contrast to what the Japanese market typically sees and so it differentiates itself in that sense?
@@HelloFromHawaii I think so, perhaps they are trying to diversify the reasons for coming to Hawaii by putting ideas into the minds of tourists of what experiences Hawaii offers
Hi Chris,
can you do a ranking video about your favorite aloha shirts?
It always seems in your videos that you are very depressed about the current situation in Hawaii and very anchored in the past.
I visit Hawaii in September for the first time in my life. It was a childhood dream for me and after 30 years it came true in 2024.
I really loved it and it was better than expected.
Greetings from Bavaria.
Oliver
I go to Hawaii every year and never get tired of it. I just go there and do nothing but enjoying the local food around the island . Don’t really care for other activities that I’ve already done in my previous visits. Will be going to Korea and Japan next Summer and back to Hawaii again in October.
Sounds like a nice travel itinerary ahead 🤙
I AM American I lived on Big Island and Kauai it’s has Plate Lunch it’s Ono Hawaiian has beautiful Bike paths and Walking Trails , Water Falls ! I LOVE FOOD Trucks and Locals were so Friendly! THATS what makes Hawaii Great Aloha!
Sounds like you had a good time! 🤙
Seeing the Japanese woman all by herself in all these wonderful places reminded me of that music video Shelter by Porter Robinson. A Japanese girl all by herself living in a beautiful virtual reality. The music video has over 83 million views and it made me tear up. I don't think that's what they were going for. I completely agree with you, why didn't they show a Japanese family or a group of friends having fun in Hawaii?
To be fair, there is another promo video that shows a Japanese family enjoying the typical things. It's just that this video stood out to me because it's so different from what I'd expect a Japanese visitor to do while here.
@@HelloFromHawaii Good to hear that they at least have videos of Japanese people doing what they would most likely be doing here. This one still reminds me of the Shelter music video.
The problem is that while some parts are beautiful, the state/county/residents are pricing themselves out of business by the increasing dependency of tourism, the attitudes of people about tourism. It is the drowning person scenario and rescuer. It's a dangerous situation, as the economy depends now, so much on the cash cow that the first person trying to help, practically drowns, as the downer clings onto the rescuer panicking out drowning both. The visitor industry is one aspect of promoting, but if the businesses, workers, people don't do their jobs about making it desirable, affordable, welcoming, it does little. Tourists go to Japan knowing the prices that tour companies and prices are within their grasp of affordability. They get a welcoming/receptive treatment/service from the people. The reality of productive business is hard work of attracting/maintaining a customer but also keeping operations, costs reasonable to continue to operate. Once it loses business attraction and costs, it's not worth it to the customer or the owners, leaving the workers to figure out where they get employed.
I really appreciate the way you analyze a topic, provide a well thought out critique, and then try to offer recommendations based on your analysis, all in a positive manner. It seems obvious that the Hawaiian Tourism Authority should be catering its marketing to, in this case, the Japanese market according to what their desires are rather than the kind of activities HTA wants them to do. I do believe both of these can be bridged. Perhaps HTA should be investing into Hawaiian businesses to train them how to promote the types of activities they want to emphasize while providing those activities the Japanese desire to do. This is more of a "long game" oriented solution. This is also more of a team approach, too, because it would involve businesses promoting activities that they don't necessarily provide. That kind of promotion can work in both directions. I guess another way to say it is to create partnerships between the typical tourist attractions, restaurants, and souvenir/omiyage stores with cultural and community service purveyors. I hope that makes sense, but I'm confident you're bright enough to understand what I'm getting at.
Mahalo for the comment. To be fair, there was another promotional video with your typical shopping and tourist experience. But this one caught my attention because it seemed so out of place. Maybe they are trying to experiment to see if there is an increase in Japanese interest and participation in more cultural experiences.
And I think your long-term solution sounds great. The businesses and marketing need to work together to provide what the target audience wants.
Ahahahahaha 😂😂😂I think a lot of Pacific islands have the same problem with this kind of advertisement even here in French Polynesia we got things like this for so long but now we are trying to change it because of all the clichés these advertisements caused but if there's something that truly annoys me in our advertisements is the fact that the grand is always "Tahiti et ses îles" (Tahiti and its islands) because all of the photos and videos are all about the other islands but none of them show Tahiti as it is today and people will always misunderstand our islands for Tahiti which is not the case✨✨but now the Tourism is trying to change it by focusing more on our authenticity in cultures traditions and diversities since there are 10 native cultures with 15 native languages here❤❤❤❤but now I always laugh at this kind of advertisements😂😂
Mahalo for sharing. You bring up a great point. Advertisements like these can be selective of what they show. Hardly any buildings or cars in this video, but for most visitors, they will be seeing hotels and traffic.
Throwing in a plug for 808 Cleanups. I’m from the mainland but when I visit Hawaii I like to do the cleanups as a small way to contribute back
🤙
Restrooms are the worse for years. I’m so called local. Since the seventies.. so dirty
Especially when compared to the bathrooms in Japan.
I went because the exchange rate is so good.
Hawaii people like Japan and keep going multiple times. Like they don't know that there are so many other places. The other place is Vegas? Do they know that it's not really Venice, Rome, NY, etc.😁
It’s like reversed! Japanese used to keep going back to Hawaii. Like annual family trips (for rich people).
Lol. Everyone I know who has gone to Japan says they can't wait to go back. I would love for people to say that about Hawaii.
@@HelloFromHawaii They might just say that about Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, Portugal, etc... 😁
@@CortamaGray-z3w The exchange rate makes it hard for the Japanese to leave Japan, especially to the US. Everything is 50% more expensive.
Having just returned from Hawaii yesterday, of course, it depends on the island, but beach, zipline tours, kayaking, biking and shopping would be attractive to eastern tourists.
Good to know. Zipline tours sound fun.
Japanese visitors to Continental US are increasing YoY, so I don't think it's just about USD/JPY rate. 1.43 million Japanese citizens traveled overseas in August 2024, but only 63,963 visited Hawaii. Top destinations were South Korea, Continental US, Thailand, Singapore Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Spain, Germany, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc.
And so I think that's why we need to improve the Hawaii experience. Blaming the exchange rate can only account for so much of the lower turnout.
@@HelloFromHawaii I spent an entire summer at University of Hawaii in the late 1990s for a language program. Hawaii was affordable back then, even for a broke college kid like me. The brutal reality is this. When I was still at college student, visiting places like Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia/Bali, Thailand, Malaysia was still a bit scary/shady in terms of public transportation, food safety, crime, etc. But now Southeast Asia offers really good tourist experiences for the price. The distance from Japan is the same as Hawaii or closer.
Hawaii has become like Monaco or Bahamas in terms of price, since it has attracted so many wealthy people from all over the world, which sadly is pricing out locals. But if Hawaii wants to go with the 5-start luxury high-end tourist destination, it'll have to make everything 5-star, from infrastructure, crime/safety, service, airport, hotels, etc. (I saw during the hotel strikes that average room prices are near US$700 per night. That is 2 to 3x more expensive than a nice hotel room in Southeast Asia.)
Maybe the message is for Japanese people to enjoy travelling on their own and not necessarily travel with a family. Maybe the idea is to make them feel encouraged to travel solo and learn about the culture etc and do things different to the norm. I like to think they want to show a new side of all the possibilities that one person can do without the need for going with a group of people and do the usual things. Maybe soul searching, reflection, and exploring is what the message is.
Good point. Maybe they want to project that Hawaii is safe for even solo travelers from Japan.
'Sorry, Chris, but I just had to LOL @ 4:49 when the first thing that popped into mind was "Oh, nooo, she's checking out Morgan's Corner!!!" right after you said "maybe you shouldn't go there by yourself."
😆
I didn't see them enjoying the fire ants.
😆
1-I would have liked to hear what your wife thinks about that video. She is after all, from Japan right?.
2-Hawaii needs to clean up it's act(crime/drugs/homeless/cost of living/opala/etc). Once they come here & see all the bad things happening in Hawaii, they will go home and tell everyone how bad it was, then no one will come.
3-Maybe the HTA needs to ask Japan what would make them come back to Hawaii & then make videos?.
I haven't asked my wife, but I'd be curious what she thought. I showed her the video, but she didn't really comment on it.
I do think that next year's marketing campaign should consider what would bring Japanese visitors back, particularly the ones that do traditional touristy things.
Activities in a taro patch? How often does even a local do that?
Must look at the target group. I recalled when budget airlines flew to Hawaii, the plane had full of younger travelers. The wealthier travelers flew JAL and ANA.
The last time I was in a taro patch was elementary school. 😆
Pono at home, Yolo away from home 😂
Went to the Malama Aina tour at Kualoa Ranch, great informative activity!
Glad you had a good time! 🤙
Where can I get that shirt?
I believe it's from Fighting Eel
13:40 Same unfavourable exchange rates, BUT we have sooooo much more affordability in terms of food and hotels, dirt cheap to high life... that i can't seem to find for Hawaii? Are there any??? Cuz im not finding it easy to wanna have a getaway there even as a Singaporean.
That's a good question. I think a lot of prospective visitors are asking themselves the same thing.
Exchange rate with Singapore being similar is not the same as inflation. Swapmeat Pipline flat bread sandwich was $8 in 2021. Currently it’s at $12… Japanese ain’t spending that kind of money when they can get a huge teishoku meal for $11, and not have to tip 25%.
And I was at a Hawaii to Japan export meeting last week the Convention Center, and they estimated over 10 million Japanese in a halau. Yeah, my mind was blown too!
I agree, it was weird to see the lady in the lo’i, but maybe the youth in Japan are being globalized. Especially in Kyoto!😂
Great point about inflation. In a way, it hits the Japanese population even harder because of the exchange rate.
And it's amazing that there are so many learning hula in Japan. We know some people who dance in Japan.
Hawaii’s like Starbucks. The price is always higher, but the products are getting smaller! And I love O’ahu.
I think you’re right about this. This was a mainland or European ad, repurposed for Japan. I have to say, I don’t see a lot of single women travelers from any Asian country. Groups of girls, yes. Families. Couples. Groups of guys. Not so many loners, you know? Europeans, yes. Lots of ‘em. And even mainlanders. But not so many Asians. I’m sure there must be some, but not that I’ve seen.
Maybe it’s an ad intended for guys who want to meet attractive Japanese women!
Thoughtful and well presented, as always. Thanks for sharing!
I see solo Asian travelers at backpacker hostels. Often. Japanese but lately many Filipinas.
@ Ah, of course. I’m staying with family, so I’m never in a hostel.
I agree that perhaps this ad is structured more for a Western audience. While there are some solo travelers from Japan, it would make more sense to travel with others to split the cost of accommodations and possibly transportation.
It is a pretty video but I can't see how it is designed to resonate with the "typical" Japanese visitors, nor is it designed to further the state mission of attracting higher-spending visitors. Showing the kalo fields and beach cleanup sort of hints at the desired more socially-involved traveler, but not even the vaguest hints of learning culture or history (awkwardly reads more like trying to show locals working together/showing aloha).
Like everything else HTA is quickly spending money on, it doesn't seem very thought out in the long run.
Maybe they are trying something new to see if it has any significant impact. That's the only reason I can guess for this video.
The way we market Hawaii is totally not right. I realize there are a lot of people who want to encourage service tourism, but let's be honest, maybe 1% of potential tourists will be interested in service tourism. What Hawaii should do is present Hawaii to the world like it was presented in the 1960s. Right now, too many folks are over thinking it. Ads just need to be pictures of pretty people in pretty places relaxing. Also would be smart to advertise more to Canadians an Australians.
I'm sure there are different videos for different parts of the world. I haven't looked into other locations, but since we really need a boost from the Japanese market, I figured this video is important in accomplishing that.
I respect everyone's opinion. I however think the issue really is that the experience of Hawaii is not the same as it was. We hear that the tourist image of Hawaii is not correct. I agree, today it's a haole point of view if your kama'aina in this generation. However is it really all humbug, no? When I see tourism videos where everything is clean and everything is tranquil, today I roll my eyes. But I can't forget that at one time Honolulu and Waikiki was a clean place. That issues like homelessness, drugs, high crime other than theft was a mainland issue. We sometimes need to realize that our world on the islands of the past was really different from the rest of the mainland. Coming from the mainland decades ago it's easy to see life on the islands as a different paradise. Unless you live in S.F or NY the multi-culturalism was unique, local business with different cultural values created different experiences. Everything is brighter and more colorful. I even remember we used to keep our doors unlocked in town and our stuff would still be there. That wasn't too long ago. Can't do that today.
I have always believed history is our friend. It can be the measuring stick to guide us in the direction we are heading.
From my personal experiences l would say it is consumerism. I have a few friends tha5 go to discover other cultures but most my friends that go just want photo-ops at the tourist places and buy as much as they can, be it over priced adventure packages that still keep you in the tourist bubble and buy stuff that let's them and their friends know that they went there. So it is consumerism and that is how many places market it.
Great point. It's how many people experience new places when they are tourists. When we go to Japan, we're mostly interested in the food and shopping. We do try to do some cultural things, but it's mostly the food and shopping.
I'm wondering if that young woman in the ad was even from Japan.
She may be living here. Not sure if they would fly someone in just to film this. There are many Japanese nationals living here.
You don't get it because the ad is not designed for you.
I understand that the ad isn't for me. My question is who is it for.
The ad campaign seems off to me. What visitor to Hawaii would EVER do these things…working? Walking around in some barren landscape? I don’t know.
I'm sure there are some Japanese visitors who might like this, but I'd like to see data that supports that assumption.
We need the Yen to rebound from COVID before we get our Japanese tourism back. We definitely need them.
I think we also need to make sure that the Hawaii experience improves so that they will feel it is worth it.
@@HelloFromHawaii 100% agree!
Probably because Hawaii has a lot of aja. Japan has had a stagnant economy since the 90s.
Not at all, I’ve never seen a commercial about going to Hawaii to clean up beaches on the mainland of the United States. 11:47
I heard that there were ads to show volunteer opportunity, like plant trees and beach clean ups. I just don't think this appeals to the Japanese market, which traditionally likes to shop and see the sites.
Japanese tourists that I have always seen on Kalākaua in Waikiki were always well dressed, shopping and eating. Oh, and riding da bus (Da Mayor Fasi's limo, dey call it 😅!).
Need plenny kala fo ride da bus, and go group tours.
That's typically how I see the Japanese tourists dressed too. They might bring some hiking shoes, or buy them here, but they mostly wear summer clothing that still covers up.
Hawaii is encouraging voluntourism. I think maybe you don’t hear about it as someone who lives in Hawaii. They want to encourage visitors to appreciate the culture. It’s a sustainability principle and so that the culture doesn’t die out.
You're probably right. I don't hear about it too much as a local. I'd be curious to know if that's a big thing for Japanese visitors.
Hello Chris. Love your Aloha Shirts. Oh...Hawai'i, stop voting blue and your image will improve.
I never wanted to visit Japan as a child and until now. I am an execption, but Nippon never interest me. Europe has much more to offer and the history is exceptional. Even Egypt excited me more than wanting to visit Japan or China. Hawai'i is unique, but the focus on places to visit as tourists from Hawai'i I noticed is so limited mostly to Asia. Japan and China in particular. Why? Luxembourg 🇱🇺 is more exciting than Japan and easier to navigate as an American tourist. Mahalo Chris.
Thanks for bringing up Europe. I haven't been there, but it looks like fun, especially the historical places. Maybe I'll get to go one day.
Would you take a vacation in a country where the cost of everything is 2x - 3x the price of staying home? Not your first choice, right? Yeah- that's why the Japanese abandoned Hawaii.
But I don't think it's all just about economics. I think the Hawaii experience isn't as valued as it once was, ie it's not worth it to them.
Gonna have to lower prices if you want Japanese to come to Hawaii. Get rid of Jones Act.
It's not just the prices, but also improving the visitor experience.
@@HelloFromHawaii If Japanese people can eat for $5.23 for two from a takeaway deli (see Sharmeleon's video 'This Japanese Town has KOI FISH in the Streets' 22:52) then it is definitely the prices.
I have distant cousins a 4th cousin a 3rd to distant cousin all from Hawaii I hate when tourists move there or come there for vacation and act like jerks
Pretty sure most of us don't enjoy jerks.
Pretty sure most of us don't like jerks
It's never great when tourists act disrespectfully, but for the most part, tourists are pretty good.
Nah, I've been in Japan for more than five years. Hawaii has tastier food choices, unless you love ramen.
Really? So many great food choices in Japan. Even the KFC tasted better 😄
@@HelloFromHawaii Come on, KFC Japan doesn't know the definition of crispy. I asked Eggs and Things in Sendai to make my bacon crispy. It came back the same as I got it, soft. The diversity of food here is terrible. However, A5 wagyu is da best!
The want their business but not putting out what is considered normal??? In their country 😮😮
This haole loves Hawaiʻi pidgin. I nevah be mad if you speak da kine in da videos always!
Can understand, always.
Girls in da Japanese videos so atsui, yeah?
Good try! "Atsui" generally means high temperature hot, as in weather or air/water. Iroppoi or Eroi might be more what you want as the slang "hot," but you might not want to say this to a Japanese girl or risk a slap in the face.
@ Atsui also means "hot stuff" referring to one hot looking Wahine!
True story!
lol
@@HelloFromHawaii Try speak da kine in da videos, Chris.
I love Hawai'i Pidgin.
I really could listen it all day.
@@HelloFromHawaii Like Da Missus, Chris. Your Wife.
too broke to afford to go to japan. and hawaii is too expensive. most people rather go to other tropical destinations.
Caribbean?
@@HelloFromHawaii nah braddah, if im lucky to have some extra cash, i just take the family to a vacation to an all you can eat buffet.
I think the reaon Japanese visitors to Haqaii is against the dallor/ down is that the yen is very weak vs. $