According to the Okinawa Prefecture Tourism Promotion Division, 12,540 couples from outside the prefecture will be married in Okinawa in 2022, an increase of 36.1% over the previous year. Although the negative effects of the epidemic remain, demand for weddings has rebounded compared to 2020, when demand dropped significantly.
The wedding statistics are based on a survey conducted by the prefectural government of companies that hold “resort weddings” in Okinawa. The survey was sent to 66 companies and received 56 valid responses. The statistics include various types of weddings, including ceremonies held in churches and events centered on photographing newlyweds.
No overseas couples held weddings in 2022, but domestic clients increased by about 3,500 couples. The number of marriages also increased year-over-year in each of the first three months of the year.
In 2000, fewer than 1,000 couples had resort weddings in Okinawa, but that number rose rapidly over the next two decades as facilities and promotions improved. in 2019, just before the pandemic broke out, about 15,000 couples from the Japanese region and 2,000 couples from foreign countries came to Okinawa for wedding-related events.
According to the prefectural government, the most popular month for weddings in Okinawa is November, followed by April and October. Of couples visiting from elsewhere in Japan, 62 percent are there for a wedding, while 38 percent are there for a photo opportunity at one of the prefecture’s attractions, such as the beach or castle ruins.
The average number of people attending a wedding in 2022 will be 12.7. The average stay of couples attending weddings in Okinawa is 3.4 days, while their guests stay an average of 2.5 days. At least 124,000 people traveled to Okinawa for resort weddings that year, generating an estimated economic windfall of 22.3 billion yen.
