Why Do Japanese People Love Hawaii? My First Trip After 30

My mother has been telling me for as long as I can remember that I’ve been to Hawaii before. She was pregnant with me at the time.

Hawaii comes up in conversation surprisingly often in Japan, and when it does, my mother sometimes brings up that trip. She says those were good days. I always tell her the same thing: I don’t remember any of it.

I’m sorry, but I don’t think it counts. I don’t remember the beach, I didn’t eat any pancakes, and I certainly didn’t get to decide where we went. This trip, now that I’m over 30, will be my first—as far as I’m concerned.

I can’t remember when I first learned about Hawaii. The idea was already there for as long as I can remember: a place Japanese people love, and the classic overseas vacation for my parents’ generation.

I think of Japanese celebrities going there, too. One who comes to mind is Kazushige Nagashima, a former baseball player and television personality associated with holidays in Hawaii. Spending New Year’s there is part of the image, too. The islands have always seemed both far away and strangely familiar.

I wonder if that image is changing. People talk about taipa and cospa in Japan—getting the most out of your time and money. I can imagine someone choosing Bali or Phuket for a tropical trip and thinking about the cost and time it takes to get there. I don’t know whether younger people actually prefer those places to Hawaii, or whether the appeal of Hawaii will fade with another generation.

For me, though, the dream is still there. When I think of Okinawa, I picture something softer and more laid-back. Hawaii, in my imagination, is America on vacation: big, cheerful, full of aloha and larger than life. I haven’t been yet, so I’m curious which parts of that picture will survive the trip.

A place people have dreamed about for a long time

Japan’s connection with Hawaii goes back much further than the age of package holidays. Japanese immigrants went there to work in the 19th century, and the islands became known in Japan through family ties, travel, music and popular culture.

When overseas leisure travel was liberalized in Japan in 1964, going to Hawaii was still a major expense. The Japan Association of Travel Agents describes a nine-day Hawaii tour that cost ¥364,000 that year—about 19 times the monthly starting salary of a university-educated national government employee. It really was a dream trip for many people.

Today, people still go back again and again. According to Hawaii’s tourism statistics, about 70% of visitors from Japan in December 2025 had been to the islands before. That doesn’t tell us why each person returned, of course. But it makes me curious about what they found there—and whether I’ll understand when I get home.

Familiar, even before you arrive

Part of Hawaii’s appeal may be that it feels approachable. Japanese is used in some tourist areas, and many people from Japan visit. When you’re traveling abroad, especially with a child, being able to find information in your own language can make the unfamiliar feel a little less daunting.

That doesn’t mean nothing can go wrong. Medical care in the United States can be expensive if someone gets sick or injured, and that’s something I think about traveling with my family. We’ll make sure we have good travel insurance before we go.

Still, the feeling of being able to relax matters. I wonder how much of Hawaii’s appeal is the mix of being somewhere different while feeling comfortable enough to enjoy it.

What I’m looking forward to

When I picture Hawaii, I think of a beautiful ocean, warm weather, friendly people, aloha, and doing very little for a while.

I also think of meat. Lots of meat.

Then there’s loco moco, poke bowls and pancakes. You can find them in Japan too, but I’m looking forward to trying them in Hawaii. And beyond the food, there are a few things I’d love to make time for: watching the sunrise, drinking coffee, visiting a cacao farm, trying chocolate, going for a run and spending time in nature.

What I’m looking forward to most is running along the water’s edge with my family, trying not to get our feet wet, then rolling around on the sand. I want to forget about work and let my brain melt a little.

My daughter likes the sea and says she’s looking forward to it. I don’t think she quite understands where we’re going yet, but she’s already going around saying “Hawaii, Hawaii.” We’ll be there for a week, and we’ve also booked a tour. I want to see all kinds of places while we’re there.

There never seemed to be quite the right time to go before. When my daughter was younger, a flight like this didn’t feel possible. Now she’s three, and I’m hoping she’ll be able to sit quietly for the journey. Hopefully. I’m still a little worried about how she’ll handle such a long flight.

Why we’re going

There isn’t a complicated story behind this trip. Hawaii had always been somewhere I vaguely wanted to go, but with the weak yen, the pandemic and a young child, I was happy enough to relax somewhere in Japan. Then, somehow, we ended up deciding to go as a family. We wanted to go, so we’re going. That’s all.

I hope we come home with wonderful memories: no injuries, everyone healthy and happy, plenty to eat and plenty of sleep.

For now, everything I know about it comes from what I’ve heard, seen or imagined. Soon I’ll get to see it for myself. I’ll share what we find after the trip—and whether I come home wanting to go back.