Boasting beautiful beaches and endless sunsets, Hawaii has long been a popular holiday destination for tourists from Japan.
According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, more than 1.5 million Japanese visited the volcanic archipelago last year — more tourists than from anywhere else in the world.
Hawaii has almost everything that Japanese tourists want in a vacation, says Hajime Shimada, a freelance journalist based in Tokyo. The islands offer diving and shopping, cuisine and culture, a distinctive history and a natural environment — attractions that meet the demands of an increasingly diverse group of travelers, regardless of age or gender, he says.
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