Japanese prime minister gets pitch from Cayetano
By David Butts
Advertiser Staff Writer
TOKYO — Gov. Ben Cayetano said his meeting today with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was a positive step for winning back Japanese tourists to Hawai'i.
Associated Press
Cayetano said the 10-minute meeting at the prime minister's official residence concluded with Koizumi saying, "I love Hawai'i."
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi shows Gov. Ben Cayetano a photo of Koizumi meeting President Bush at the White House in September. Cayetano is in Japan heading a delegation of state business leaders and two former governors to promote tourism to Hawai'i.
"I don't think you can ask for any better," Cayetano said. The meeting was covered heavily by the Japanese press.
Earlier, the governor met with Japanese Transportation Minister Chikage Oogi, who said she believes travel to Hawai'i is very safe.
Cayetano also met with Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka and former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.
"Every official said they love Hawai'i," Cayetano.
Cayetano has said that if the meeting persuaded Koizumi to encourage the Japanese people to travel to Hawai'i, the state's mission to the country will be a success.
Japanese arrivals in Hawai'i have been cut in half since the Sept. 11 U.S. terrorist attacks, robbing the state of about $4 million a day in spending.
The Hawai'i contingent of nearly two dozen — including two former governors, two mayors, executives from seven hotel chains, officials from the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, the heads of the Islands' top two banks, and officials with the two local airlines — has been meeting with travel agents and others in Japan to deliver their message that it's safe to travel to Hawaii and Japanese tourists are still welcome in the state.
The shutdown of all flights in the United States for a few days after the attacks had a tremendous impact on many Japanese, who now fear they may be stranded if they happen to be in Hawai'i if the anti-terrorist campaign escalates or other attacks occur. Some Japanese also may feel it would be insensitive to be frolicking on a beach when Americans are grieving.
Others note that the Japanese preference for group tours and their ethos of accepting responsibility when things go wrong have combined to create another barrier: Tour organizers fear they would have to take responsibility, even resign from their companies, if their group is hurt or stuck while overseas.
Meanwhile, the economy in Japan poses another hurdle. It has been in sad shape for more than a decade and was turning worse even before Sept. 11. Now it is almost certainly in recession.
