Thai's love for anything Japanese has ensured initial robust bookings for Peach Aviation's first foray from Japan into Southeast Asia, and more specifically Bangkok.
That affinity is underscored by the introduction of flights to lesser-known destinations such as Okinawa, which the Japanese low-cost carrier will begin to serve from Feb 20.
At the official launch of the Bangkok-Okinawa daily flight in Bangkok yesterday, Peach chief executive Shinichi Inoue made a surprise announcement: 50% of all reservations made for the flights have been made by Thais.
That bodes well for Peach's first route to the region, in which the airline aims to capture 75-80% in load factor, along with the possibility of ramping up frequencies.
"Anything new related to Japan is relatively easy to sell in the Thai market these days as ''Nipponophilism' is intensifying. That is the reason for the surprisingly strong interest for travel to Okinawa on Peach,'' an executive of a Thai travel agency, who asked not be named, told the Bangkok Post.
The soaring number of Thai visitors to Japan underscored the sentiment, exceeding 800,000 in the January-November 2016 period, up by over 14% year on-year, according to the latest figures from Japan National Tourism Organization.
Many well-known big Japanese cities such as Tokyo and Osaka have been well-served by several airlines, including the likes of Thai Airways International, Japan Airline and All Nippon Airways and long-haul low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia X.
Mr Inoue said he expected "lifestyle'' Thais, particularly females aged 20-30, to be flyers on Peach's Bangkok-Okinawa route.
"They would be passengers who want to do something like hairdressing, going to nail salons, or have a taste of unique local Okinawan food that promotes longevity,'' he said.
Peach wants to sell kawaii, the quality of cuteness in the context of Japanese culture, to Thais. Kawaii has become a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture, entertainment, clothing, food, toys, personal appearance and mannerisms.