MANILA, Philippines – The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines is looking forward to a stronger, more robust bilateral relations with the Philippines, particularly in the tourism sector, as it welcomes the inauguration of the new Manila-Chitose route.

In a news release, the Embassy underscored the importance of giving customers options when visiting Japan and the Philippines, and the addition of a new route will give just that.

Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines ENDO Kazuya, who attended the inauguration ceremony of Cebu Pacific’s new Chitose-Manila route, expressed optimism that this can help in raising awareness among the Japanese people about the diverse attractions of the Philippines and will encourage greater tourists visits from both sides.

Cebu Pacific’s new service is in addition to existing entry points in Japan, such as Narita, Kansai, Nagoya, and Fukuoka.

In his remarks, Ambassador Endo expressed that the Japanese government is actively working with the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) to promote tourism and foster deeper cultural exchanges between our two countries.

"The Japanese government will actively cooperate with the Department of Tourism of the Philippines to promote tourism between the two countries and deepen cultural exchanges," Endo remarked.

The Government of Japan will continue to work to increase awareness among Japanese people of the Philippines' diverse charms, encourage tourism to the country, and strengthen bilateral relations to build more meaningful ties between Japan and the Philippines, the Embassy of Japan stated.

Meanwhile, Japan welcomed 818,700 visitors from the Philippines in 2024, with data showing a 31.6 percent growth compared to the 622,293 visitor arrivals from January to December in 2023, JNTO data revealed.