Yōkoso! Hawai‘i Brands, With Yen on Their Side, Seek Opportunities in Japan

While Japanese tourists and businesses feel a currency pinch that makes Hawaiʻi prohibitively expensive, the flip side of the coin makes Japan attractive for companies in the state to extend their reach across the ocean. Hawaii Business Magazine talked with local companies about the challenges and opportunities of reaching customers in Japan.

Hawaiʻi and Japan have long had deep cultural and economic ties. Japanese arriving in Hawaiʻi find many cultural influences in the Islands, which counts about 17% of its population as ethnic Japanese, a number that is significantly higher when including those with mixed ethnicity. Japanese first started coming in the early 19th century and were heavily involved in the Islands’ sugar industry. For decades, Japan has been the top foreign source of tourists to the Islands, interrupted in recent years by Covid and the sliding value of the yen currency against the U.S. dollar. According to state and federal data, Hawaiʻi businesses generate $61 million annually in direct merchandise exports to Japan, but their total financial footprint is overwhelmingly driven by Japanese visitor spending in Hawaiʻi, which historically reaches up to $2.3 billion.

Despite a 15.6% year-on-year uptick in Japanese visitors and spending in May, according to the Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), visitor numbers remain well below pre-pandemic levels. But that lopsided exchange rate, with the yen near 45-year lows, has created opportunities for Hawaiʻi-based companies in Japan. For many Hawaiʻi businesses, Japan remains a place to build relationships, reach new customers and offer Japanese consumers a closer connection to Hawaiʻi.

We caught up with several Hawaiʻi companies that are reaching across the sea via trade fairs or even brick-and-mortar shops in Japan, to learn more about their experiences.

Angels by the Sea Hawaii

Nina Thai, owner and designer of Angels by the Sea, at the 2026 Hankyu Hawaiʻi Fair in Umeda, Osaka. Photo courtesy of Angels by the Sea

Nina Thai, owner and designer of Honolulu-based fashion brand Angels by the Sea Hawaii, launched her company in 2010 with a simple stated goal: to create beautiful resort wear for women to feel happy, confident and comfortable. After opening her first retail location in Waikīkī, Thai set out to share the aloha spirit with people from around the world.

As the business grew, she noticed that many of her customers were visiting from Japan. Intrigued by their connection to Hawaiʻi and enthusiastic response to her designs, Thai began exploring opportunities in the Japanese market through pop-up events.

“I saw how much they love Hawaiʻi and how much they respect the culture,” Thai says. “It made me want to create a rainbow bridge between Hawaiʻi and Japan.”

With the help of DBEDT, Thai has participated in the Tokyo International Gift Show as part of the Made in Hawaiʻi Pavilion alongside other Hawaiʻi businesses. Widely regarded as Japan’s largest trade show for gifts, household goods and lifestyle products, the event draws more than 200,000 buyers each year, providing Angels by the Sea Hawaii with valuable exposure.

In 2016, Thai was invited to participate in the Hankyu Hawaiʻi Fair, an annual week-long event at Hankyu Umeda in Osaka. Held at the luxury retailer’s flagship store, the fair attracts more than 130,000 shoppers each year. She has returned every year since, viewing each trip as an opportunity to deepen relationships with customers while steadily growing the brand’s presence in Japan. Over time, she learned that Japanese consumers are especially drawn to exclusive, limited-edition merchandise. That insight led to a number of collaborations, including collections with Japan’s Hanshin Tigers baseball team and Halekulani Okinawa.

“The Japanese market is really loyal when they understand your brand,” Thai says. “The biggest brand is Hawaiʻi. They love Hawaiʻi so much, they’re buying the connection, not just a dress.”

Thai remembers a Hankyu Hawaiʻi Fair shortly after the pandemic, where a mother and daughter visited the pop-up together despite both dealing with their own health challenges. The daughter shared that her mother had largely stayed at home in the years following the pandemic and only decided to come out after hearing that Thai and Angels by the Sea Hawaii would be there.

“I was speechless,” Thai says. “That’s the moment I realized it’s my mission to share the spirit of the Islands through fashion and build lasting relationships.”

Thai is not alone in finding success through Hawaiʻi-focused events in Japan. With support from DBEDT, a number of local businesses have used trade shows and Hawaiʻi fairs to introduce their brands to Japanese consumers and strengthen ties in the market.

Ten Tomorrow

Ten Tomorrow founder Summer Shiigi poses with shoppers at the 10th Hawaiʻi Fair at JR Nagoya Takashimaya. Photo courtesy of Ten Tomorrow

Ten Tomorrow, a modern Hawaiʻi resort wear brand, first participated in the Hankyu Hawaiʻi Fair in 2020. Owner and designer Summer Shiigi says the event provides an important connection to a customer base that feels deeply connected to the Islands.

“We’ve met so many wonderful people. It’s something we look forward to every year,” Shiigi says. “While the majority of our customers are based in Hawaiʻi, there’s such a huge community of people in Japan who love Hawaiʻi and may not get to visit as often, so these shows help them stay in touch with our culture.”

This year, Shiigi traveled to Japan to participate in the 10th Hawaiʻi Fair at JR Nagoya Takashimaya in June, which featured more than 50 vendors, and Osaka’s Hankyu Hawaiʻi Fair in July, an event Ten Tomorrow has joined for the past five years. Recognizing the appeal of exclusive merchandise, and the need to stand out among the many Hawaiʻi brands featured at these events, Shiigi debuted her new Wild + Free Collection in Nagoya before launching it anywhere else. The collection features a custom print created in collaboration with Hawaiʻi island graphic designer Traci Yoshiyama.

“Japan reminds me a lot of Hawaiʻi in the sense that they enjoy learning about the brand, owner, philosophy, and when something resonates with them, it builds a loyal customer base,” Shiigi says. “It’s definitely a slow growth pace, but it always feels so meaningful.”

UA Hawaiʻi

Leala Humbert and Blaine Kusler, co-founders of UA Hawaiʻi. Photo courtesy of UA Hawaiʻi

UA Hawaiʻi has found similar success while doing business in Japan over the last several years. Through its participation in the Hankyu Hawaiʻi Fair, the fragrance and body care brand has found that Hawaiʻi-themed events consistently attract an engaged audience.

“The Japanese market is definitely something we’re very interested in growing,” says co-founder Leala Humbert. “We found the most success doing Hawaiʻi fairs and Hawaiʻi pop-ups because people who are interested in Hawaiʻi go to those very regularly.”

While UA Hawaiʻi closed its Osaka location in 2025, the company continues to do business in Japan. This year, it transitioned its Nagoya store with its business partner to feature both Hawaiʻi-made products and locally made goods from Okinawa, a move Humbert says reflects the natural connection many customers see between the two island destinations. Humbert believes Japanese consumers are drawn not only to the products themselves, but also to the stories behind them.

“If you can tell a story about your product that connects to its authenticity and groundedness, it hits a heartstring for them,” she says. “I think that’s probably why they are so interested in Hawaiʻi and products from Hawaiʻi because of this story of authenticity.”

That connection was on display at a recent Hankyu Hawaiʻi Fair, where UA Hawaiʻi introduced its Pakalana fragrance.

“I saw people swarming the booth for it. I hadn’t experienced a launch like that ever with my own products,” Humbert says. “A lot of them were very new to our brand, but they were all so intrigued about this fragrance that I love. My enthusiasm was contagious enough that they were all excited too.”

UA Hawaiʻi’s evolving presence in Japan reflects a broader reality for Hawaiʻi brands: long-term success often depends on adaptation over time and trusted local relationships.

Moké’s Bread & Breakfast

Keola Warren and Chef Moké Warren with two staff members at the restaurant’s Nakameguro location in 2015. Photo courtesy of Moké’s Bread & Breakfast

For Moké’s Bread & Breakfast, that connection came through Sanrio, the Japanese company behind Hello Kitty and friends.

Founded in Kailua in 2004, the brunch spot had already built a following among Japanese visitors to Hawaiʻi, many of whom sought out its signature lilikoi pancakes.

“It was a really interesting experience because Sanrio is such a large company, and they were taking interest in us being a small mom-and-pop,” owner Keola Warren says. “At the time, the big food craze in Japan was pancakes. Tokyo is hyper-trendy, and when things get popular, they get exponentially popular, so it was a great opportunity for us.”

Through a licensing agreement that allowed its Japan partner to use Moké’s recipes, the Hawaiʻi-based restaurant opened its first Japan location in Tokyo’s Nakameguro neighborhood in 2013, followed by a second location in the surf town of Enoshima in 2018. While the Nakameguro restaurant closed in 2021, the Enoshima location continues to welcome customers.

“You’re down by the beach, there’s surfing, it just fits the vibe,” Warren says. “They have such a passion for Hawaiʻi, the flavors, aesthetics, and lifestyle, so having an outpost where they can visit more frequently is really cool.”

Costs of Setting Up Shops

While Hawaiʻi brands continue to see strong interest and cultural affinity in Japan, maintaining a presence there also comes with challenges, particularly the cost of building and sustaining visibility in-market.

“I can see the slow growth of meeting someone at a show and then they visit our shop in Honolulu, but it’s really hard monetarily,” says Shiigi of Ten Tomorrow. “We are still such a small company, and it’s expensive to do these shows.”

In years past, Shiigi’s business received a Hawaiʻi State Trade Expansion Program (HiSTEP) Company Assistance grant through DBEDT, which helps Hawaiʻi companies expand their exports through participation in trade shows and international market opportunities.

“I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to be in Japan in the first place without this program,” Shiigi adds.

HiSTEP also offers additional support through export readiness training and advising, along with its Go Global! program, which helps Hawaiʻi companies reach overseas markets through both digital platforms and in-person trade and consumer shows.

“We try to make it affordable for small businesses to be part of a large Hawaiʻi Pavilion at different trade shows,” says Jamie Lee, branch chief of DBEDT’s Business Development Branch, noting that participation costs are significantly lower than exhibiting independently. “Over 90% of the companies that participate in HiSTEP are interested in the Japan market, so that’s why we do have a focus there.”

Ties That Bind

Beyond export support programs like HiSTEP, some Hawaiʻi businesses are turning to relationship-based exchange initiatives that can help open doors in Japan. One of those networks is the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce’s (HJCC) Leadership Entrepreneurial Exchange Program (LEEP). The five-month program connects Hawaiʻi and Hiroshima-based business leaders to share insights, learn from one another’s experiences, and build valuable relationships overseas.

Ahead of the five-day exchange in Hiroshima, a cohort of five HJCC members from Hawaiʻi takes part in preparation sessions, including a Japanese etiquette class and a behavioral assessment. The training helps participants navigate Japanese business customs and communication norms, from business card exchange and greetings to meeting protocols and gift-giving, small details that can play an important role in building trust and relationships. Once in Japan, participants are immersed in the businesses of former cohort members and other local companies, many of them long-established family enterprises. Recent visits have included a deep dive into a gyoza business and a tour of one of the country’s largest furikake producers.

“In Japan, you have to gain a certain level of trust before you even start talking about business,” says Steve Teruya, HJCC president and CEO. “It aligns with our culture here as well. In Hawaiʻi, people understand that relationships come first, business second.”

As part of the Hiroshima cohort’s exchange visit to Hawaiʻi, Central Pacific Bank (CPB) hosted a mixer with existing customers, entrepreneurs originally from Japan who have since opened businesses in Hawaiʻi. Participants discussed the realities of operating across both markets, from regulatory differences and hiring challenges to employee shortages and cultural approaches to business. CPB has a long history of doing business with Japan, dating back more than 70 years. In 2023, the bank announced a business alliance with Tokyo Star Bank aimed at strengthening financial services and improving access for companies operating between Hawaiʻi and Japan.

“It’s really difficult for a foreigner to be able to open up an account in Japan, so we want to bridge the gap for small businesses in Hawaiʻi to open up and do business there,” says Laura Komoda, a member of LEEP Cohort #4 and vice president and director of private banking at CPB. “We’re not here just for a transaction, it’s a relationship, and whenever you need help, somebody’s always there.”

For small business owners in Hawaiʻi, those relationships can become just as valuable as the sales generated at a trade show or pop-up event.

“Our goal is always to build genuine connections,” Shiigi of Ten Tomorrow says. “A lot of our Japanese customers first meet us at a Hawaiʻi Fair and then visit our shop on their next trip to Oʻahu. We get to see familiar faces and make new friends each time we’re in Japan.”

“When the relationships are great and customers take that step to try you out and commit to their first purchase, they’re going to be with you for life,” Humbert of UA Hawaiʻi adds. “They’re a very loyal customer, and I feel like the business relationships are like that too.”