OSAKA, Sept 26, 2025 – Penang has its eyes set on Japan’s Kansai Region, as the state continues to pursue Japanese travellers with its “Not The Penang That You Know” tourism campaign. Following a successful stop in Tokyo, the Penang delegation led by State Executive Councillor for Tourism and Creative Economy Wong Hon Wai brought the roadshow to Osaka this week, marking the first major promotional campaign in the city in many years.
Wong stated targeting Osaka, and the wider Kansai market was a strategic next step after Tokyo, noting that the two regions together form the backbone of the world’s fourth-largest economy. “By covering both Greater Tokyo and Kansai, we can achieve deeper penetration into the Japanese market. This will allow us to better reinforce Penang’s recognizability, influence and visibility amongst Japanese visitors,” he said.
The Kansai region of Japan, which has a population of around 20 million people of which 8.8 million are in Osaka Prefecture represents a large and highly lucrative tourism market, Wong added. Though there are currently no direct flights from Osaka to Penang, he noted that there are a number of convenient one-stop connections which make the island state more accessible to Kansai residents.
During the Osaka roadshow, participants were involved in business-to-business sessions with Japanese travel operators, where they built connections and explored business arrangements to create packaged holidays to Penang. The Japan Association of Travel Agents Kansai Secretariat was also in attendance, and Wong presented Penang’s distinctive offerings, from its heritage attractions and beautiful Penang Hill, to its beaches and internationally renowned street food.
Wong similarly attended Peach Aviation’s Osaka headquarters with the Penang Global Tourism delegation to discuss future air connections. The meeting discussed the airline’s expansion in Southeast Asia and the opportunity for direct flights from Osaka to Penang, which could increase Japanese arrivals even more.
He noted the strong cultural and economic ties shared between Penang and Japan. Penang has had a Japanese presence for many years, with around 70 multinationals, the Penang Japanese School, and events like Bon Odori, the Yosakoi Parade and the Penang Aki Matsuri each year. Wong stated, “Japanese tourists will find Penang very welcoming and familiar with an active Japanese community and many Japanese restaurants.”
The presentation also took advantage of the excitement surrounding the 2025 Osaka Expo, set to conclude next month after hosting over 20 million visitors. Wong explained that the success of the expo and the popularity of the Malaysia Pavilion allowed for the perfect way to convert Japanese interest into actual visitation to Penang.
Wong was joined at the Osaka event by Penang Global Tourism CEO Ooi Chok Yan, Tourism Malaysia Tokyo director Syaliza Abd Aziz and key representatives of Penang’s tourism sector to highlight the island’s attractiveness as a must-visit destination for Japanese visitors.
