A record-breaking 356,500 Japanese honeymooners visited Hawaii in 1999, up 16 percent from the previous year, according to figures released by the state's Department of Business, Economy and Development.
The 1999 figure topped the previous record of about 347,700 in 1997, a spokesman for the department said.
Data indicate that the number of Japanese taking honeymoons in the state has risen steadily over the past five years, with the exception of 1998, when it slipped to 307,600 because of the weak economy, according to Eugene Tian, the department's spokesman.
"We feel confidence in Japan and that there will be an increase in the total number of Japanese visitors, and therefore, more honeymooners," Tian said in a telephone interview.
In 1999, more than 1,825,000 Japanese visited Hawaii, compared with some 2,004,000 who visited in 1998.