OCanadaOurHomeAndNativeLand
02-27-2008, 02:38 PM
Okinawa emerges as enticing wedding site for Hong Kong couples
By Ko Hirano
NAHA —
Wan Kwok Cheung and Wong Ka Yin Katherine took their first steps as man and wife under a scattering of petals outside a beachside wedding chapel in Okinawa Prefecture. The bright sunlight and mild sea breeze made winter seem like only a memory.
"I'm very pleased to have this moment at such a lovely place," Wan said after the Hong Kong couple's wedding ceremony Dec 5 in the village of Yomitan. "I've heard Okinawa is the most beautiful place in Japan, and I felt that it is true."
Wan and Wong were the first customers of Watabe Wedding HK Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan's Watabe Wedding Corp, after it launched in Hong Kong in October, making it the first Japanese wedding services provider to enter the territory where about 50,000 couples tie the knot each year.
Watabe sees high potential demand in Hong Kong for overseas wedding services. Company data show about 60% of couples there wish to hold ceremonies outside the region, but only 3% of these actually do so.
"Couples in Hong Kong want to escape their packed island and have their wedding photos taken in attractive locations such as beautiful beaches in Okinawa and Guam," said Yoshiharu Onaga, president of Watabe Wedding HK. "They can enjoy honeymoons in such locations, too."
Onaga said Watabe also plans to enter Taiwan in the spring as part of its strategy to expand overseas operations.
"We see Hong Kong as a gateway to China," said Onaga, who doubles as head of Watabe's subsidiary in Naha. "Given Okinawa's historical and cultural ties with China, it has the background to accept Han Chinese people. When you see food and architecture in Okinawa, for example, you can find a lot of influence from China."
As of Dec 25, Watabe Wedding HK had signed contracts with 31 couples. Of those, 11 chose Guam for their wedding location, followed by nine for Okinawa, five for Australia, and two each for Kyoto and Hawaii.
For the half year through March, the company expects to serve 80 couples with sales totaling 64 million yen.
The Okinawa prefectural government welcomes Watabe's venture in Hong Kong — and ultimately in mainland China — saying it is necessary to cultivate foreign demand considering the prefecture cannot expect long-term domestic demand given Japan's falling birthrate.
However, more and more Japanese couples from outside Okinawa are also choosing the island as their wedding site.
The full story at http://www.japantoday.com/jp/feature/1326
By Ko Hirano
NAHA —
Wan Kwok Cheung and Wong Ka Yin Katherine took their first steps as man and wife under a scattering of petals outside a beachside wedding chapel in Okinawa Prefecture. The bright sunlight and mild sea breeze made winter seem like only a memory.
"I'm very pleased to have this moment at such a lovely place," Wan said after the Hong Kong couple's wedding ceremony Dec 5 in the village of Yomitan. "I've heard Okinawa is the most beautiful place in Japan, and I felt that it is true."
Wan and Wong were the first customers of Watabe Wedding HK Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan's Watabe Wedding Corp, after it launched in Hong Kong in October, making it the first Japanese wedding services provider to enter the territory where about 50,000 couples tie the knot each year.
Watabe sees high potential demand in Hong Kong for overseas wedding services. Company data show about 60% of couples there wish to hold ceremonies outside the region, but only 3% of these actually do so.
"Couples in Hong Kong want to escape their packed island and have their wedding photos taken in attractive locations such as beautiful beaches in Okinawa and Guam," said Yoshiharu Onaga, president of Watabe Wedding HK. "They can enjoy honeymoons in such locations, too."
Onaga said Watabe also plans to enter Taiwan in the spring as part of its strategy to expand overseas operations.
"We see Hong Kong as a gateway to China," said Onaga, who doubles as head of Watabe's subsidiary in Naha. "Given Okinawa's historical and cultural ties with China, it has the background to accept Han Chinese people. When you see food and architecture in Okinawa, for example, you can find a lot of influence from China."
As of Dec 25, Watabe Wedding HK had signed contracts with 31 couples. Of those, 11 chose Guam for their wedding location, followed by nine for Okinawa, five for Australia, and two each for Kyoto and Hawaii.
For the half year through March, the company expects to serve 80 couples with sales totaling 64 million yen.
The Okinawa prefectural government welcomes Watabe's venture in Hong Kong — and ultimately in mainland China — saying it is necessary to cultivate foreign demand considering the prefecture cannot expect long-term domestic demand given Japan's falling birthrate.
However, more and more Japanese couples from outside Okinawa are also choosing the island as their wedding site.
The full story at http://www.japantoday.com/jp/feature/1326