Tokyo To Hong Kong: Japanese Tourism Surges As Panda Attractions And Kawaii Culture Thrive

Published on September 29, 2025

Japanese visitors return to Hong Kong successful throngs, pinch a 32.2% maturation successful visits successful nan first half of 2025 compared to nan aforesaid play successful 2024. Between January and July, 395,375 Japanese visitors travelled to nan city, which indicates a robust betterment successful tourism. Although these numbers are still 46% little than 2018, pre-pandemic figures, nan summation successful arrivals represents a affirmative improvement towards Hong Kong’s extremity of recovering its tourism market, particularly from Japan.

Japanese visitors are apt to beryllium arsenic a consequence of nan Hong Kong Tourism Board’s (HKTB) focused trading and promotion efforts to reestablish connections pinch overseas Japan, which was a spot reluctant during nan play pursuing nan pandemic. The maturation successful Japanese tourists, sloppy of nan weaker Japanese yen and lingering world recreation uncertainties, indicates a beardown trading to nan Japanese.

The Enchantment of Kawaii Culture and Nostalgia and Its Hold Over Hong Kong

Among nan astir critically acclaimed attractions pulling successful Japanese visitors to Hong Kong is nan ‘kawaii’ subculture and nostalgia that nan metropolis resonates with. The affection delineating nan offerings of Hong Kong, bamboo pandas for instance, evokes fondness among Japanese tourists. Ocean Park Hong Kong is of increasing renown for enabling panda viewing – a critically acclaimed emblem of ‘China’ which narratively echoes pinch galore Japanese.

a. Kawaii civilization successful Hong Kong is astir resonantly epitomised successful nan characteristic ‘Labubu’. The persistent expertise of Hong Kong to forefront ‘kawaii’ characters, for illustration nan galore ‘kawaii’ characters plastered regionally successful and astir Hong Kong shopping districts and different condensed municipality arrays, perpetuates nan position of Hong Kong arsenic a safe haven for nostalgia ‘kawaii’ enthusiasts.

Hong Kong, isolated from shopping and sightseeing, for nan Japanese, is profoundly a centre for taste intersection wherever nan urbanity decorates and draws a clinquant bound astir nan timelessness of temples and engaged lifestyles pinch surrounding glowing metropolis horizons.

Efforts Made by Hong Kong to Draw Tourism Traffic from Japan

The Japanese visitors bespeak that location were basal efforts to retrieve and create caller markets connected nan portion of nan Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). In an interview, Marii Hayashi, nan Assistant Manager for Public Relations astatine nan HKTB Tokyo office, explained that Japan is and difficult to penetrate, particularly aft nan pandemic. Many Japanese still person uncertainties astir going overseas and person pivoted to home travel.

HKTB trading campaigns and promotional tours to promote Japanese citizens to recreation abroad, and to reminisce astir exotic trips, particularly astir nan state Labubu, person boosted visitors from nan country. Besides, HKTB’s attraction connected Japanese recreation agents and nan Japanese marketplace has fused them pinch plaster-like marketing.

The Japanese visitors besides relates to different world recreation phenomena. In general, nan world recreation marketplace is still recovering from nan effect of nan COVID-19 pandemic. Japan has made an effort to support progressive successful nan comparability of Hong Kong by tourists. The Japanese Outbound visitors person been accordant successful visiting world destinations for illustration Hong Kong, Thailand, and South Korea.

Although nan anemic yen and recreation reluctance are challenges, Hong Kong’s expertise to present its tailor-made recreation services to Japanese visitors has importantly accrued arrivals. Japanese visitors looking for a cosmopolitan metropolis and rich | heritage, on pinch a attraction connected eating and shopping, should look nary further than Hong Kong.

The Impact of Japanese Tourism connected Hong Kong’s Economy

The accrued number of Japanese visitors importantly contributes to Hong Kong’s economy. Japanese travellers to Hong Kong during nan tourer play straight effect nan system of Hong Kong. Japan is 1 of nan starring root countries for Hong Kong tourism, and pinch nan accelerated summation successful Japanese travellers, nan system is group to turn further.

The section system is besides group to use from nan 200,000 Chinese and Indian visitors expected to get daily. Tourists from Japan are gaining nan astir use arsenic Japanese-focused hotels are gaining much occupancy. To adhd to nan request of nan Japanese tourists, location is an summation successful nan request for circuit guides, section transportation, and different services from nan Japanese tourists.

In addition, nan HKTB is still stressing responsible recreation habits while balancing proviso and request successful nan leisure and civilization abstraction because sustainable tourism remains halfway to Hong Kong’s strategy successful managing maturation versus sustainability.