The number of Japanese visiting Hawai'i during late December through the new year will likely grow about 1.7 percent from last year, according to a survey published by JTB Corp.

About 61,000 visitors from Japan are expected to arrive in the Islands between Dec. 23 and Jan. 3, making Hawai'i the fourth most popular destination that period among Japanese travelers, according to Japan's biggest travel agency.

South Korea is attracting the most Japanese travelers, followed by Europe and China. Hawai'i has been among the top three destinations before, ranking second during the same period in 2003-2004 and 2000-2001.

The unfavorable sequence of holidays — Jan. 1 falls on a Sunday — may discourage some from traveling. But JTB said demand for travel is strong in more remote destinations.

The number of Japanese overseas travelers during this end-of-year/new year period is estimated to be 624,000, up 0.8 percent from last year.