TOKYO (HI Now) - Hawaii is making a big splash in Japan right now! HI Now Daily correspondent Nohea Shozen reported live from Shibuya, where the Aloha Tokyo festival is in full swing. Sean Dee, EVP Chief Commercial Officer from Outrigger Resorts and Hotels stopped by to talk about the excitement, including the world’s largest wine festival happening right outside the doors in Ebisu, with a whopping 250,000 people showing up.
So why do Japanese visitors matter so much to Hawaii? Sean Dee broke it down, historically, Japan has sent 1.5 to 1.6 million visitors to Hawaii each year, and the cultural ties run even deeper than the numbers suggest. Did you know 25% of Hawaii’s residents are of Japanese ancestry, and there are actually more hula hālau in Japan than in Hawaii? Outrigger, nearly 80 years strong, has been part of Aloha Tokyo since day one, and the festival has grown so much it’s now expanding back to Yokohama with an additional event.
Over at Blue Note Place in Shibuya, Nohea caught up with Ray Mark, Director of Marketing for Cirque du Soleil’s “ʻAuana” show. Ray couldn’t say enough about Japan’s loyal support of the production, and the night’s performance was set to feature the jaw-dropping “Naupaka act”, a roller skating duo paired with hula dancers that had our correspondent completely amazed.
And here’s the big news, ʻAuanaʻs first single dropped today on all streaming platforms, with a full album coming later this summer! Every song is written and performed live in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, crafted with a Native Hawaiian cultural team to make sure everything was done with heart and respect. Ray put it best: once the music starts and the acrobats hit the stage, the language barrier just disappears. If you haven’t checked out ʻAuana yet, now’s the time!
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