pril E E dition dition
pril
TABLEOF CONTENTS
Employee Spotlight - pg.3
Honolulu Festival Aloha & Mahalo 30 years of
Cultural Celebration - pg.6
2026 Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Showpg.8
Journal De Band Interview: Our Strategic Response to Middle East Travel Impacts - pg.10
University of Hawaii Career Fair - pg.11
Quickly Travel Supports the Consulate General of Japan at 13 Japan Festival in Minas - pg.12 th
Our Culture in Focus: Highlights from the Minas
Japao Festival - pg.13
Department of the Month: Tourism Platform
Development JTB Hawaii Travel - pg.14
Aviation Backstage and Sustainability: The 9 Edition of the JTB Brighter Earth Project - pg.16 th
JTB USA Honolulu Branch has moved! - pg.18
Sweet Moments at our Valentine’s Office
Celebration - pg. 19
Newsletter Poll Results - pg.20
Excel Quick Tip - pg. 22
Employee Spotlight
Ami Naito
Company: JTB Hawaii Travel
Department: CS Waikiki
Favorite Place I’ve been to:
Hawaii
Favorite Food: Acai Bowls
Place I’d like to go to: Europe
I am looking forward to learning more about the travel industry!
Company: JTB Hawaii Travel
Department: CS Waikiki
Favorite Place I’ve been to: New York
Favorite Food: Sushi
Place I’d like to go to: France & Portugal
I am looking forward to personal growth, new challenges and growing for a better life!
Makoto Yamaguchi Employee Spotlight
Company: JTB USA
Department: GBS BT
Favorite Place I’ve been to:
Honolulu
Favorite Food: Soba
Place I’d like to go to: Machu Picchu
I am looking forward to creating global connections!
Company: JTB USA
Department: DMC Leisure USA
DPS
Favorite Place I’ve been to: Thailand & Indonesia
Favorite Food: Sushi
Place I’d like to go to: Morocco
I am looking forward to expand my travel knowledge, particularly about the United States.
Mihoko Brees Employee Spotlight
Company: JTB Hawaii Travel
Department: Japanese
Answering Service
Favorite Place I’ve been to: Japan
Favorite Food: Sushi
Place I’d like to go to: Iceland
I am looking forward to having travel experiences
On behalf of the Honolulu Festival Foundation, the 30th Honolulu Festival was held March 13–15, 2026, under the subtheme “Aloha & Mahalo – 30 Years of Cultural Celebration,” expressing our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported and contributed to the festival over the past three decades.
Despite severe weather, the festival was carried out with everyone’s safety as our highest priority. While difficult decisions were made—including the cancellation of the Education Program, Grand Parade, and Nagaoka Fireworks—other events at the Hawai‘i Convention Center, Ala Moana Centerstage and the International Market Place stage proceeded as planned. Through it all, the spirit of the festival remained strong.
We sincerely thank everyone for their support and especially all committee members and volunteers for their hard work, long hours, dedication, and flexibility. Their ability to adapt quickly made it possible to create meaningful alternatives, including a special mini-parade and the relocation of the 30th Mahalo Ceremony from Kuhio Beach to the Hawai‘i Convention Center on March 15.
Thanks to their extraordinary efforts, the festival continued to bring people together in the spirit of cultural exchange and aloha. We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this milestone year both safe and memorable.
We look forward to celebrating the 31st Honolulu Festival next year!
Two GMT members came from Tokyo to help the JTB USA booth that was visited by many people including Mr. Yamakita (JTB Group President & CEO), Ms. Takasaki (Chief DEIB Officer), and Mr. Ishida (GMT President).
Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show
The Japan Bound Operations Team participated in the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show, held March 7–8 at the Long Beach Convention Center, as part of our efforts to promote travel from North America to Japan.
Recognized as one of the largest travel expos in North America, this event continues to serve as a key platform for our destination promotion and solutions business.
This year, the JTB USA booth operated by our Japan Bound Operations Team welcomed the Kansai Tourism Bureau, Gifu Prefecture, the Fuji Hakone Izu Council, Tochigi Prefecture, and Tokyo Skytree as co-exhibitors, working together to showcase the many attractions of Japan.
During the event, the Kansai Tourism Bureau hosted a seminar for travel advisors, introducing the region’s highlights to 58 local advisors. A samurai and ninja performance group specializing in swordplay (Tate) also energized both the booth and the main stage, drawing strong interest from attendees.
Gifu Prefecture engaged visitors by presenting samurai culture and history through cardboard samurai helmets, while Tochigi Prefecture demonstrated traditional Japanese confectionery, promoting both Japanese culture and the destination’s unique charm.
One of the main attractions over the two days was the sweepstakes for free round-trip airfare to Japan, which received over 500 entries. The event remained lively throughout, providing an excellent opportunity to showcase the appeal of Japan’s regional destinations and to introduce our services to a wide audience.
QUICKLY TRAVEL
JORNAL DA BAND INTERVIEW: OUR STRATEGIC RESPONSE TO MIDDLE EAST TRAVEL IMPACTS
COMMERCIAL & MARKETING
Our Sales and Marketing Director, Gervasio Tanabe, recently spoke to Jornal da Band regarding the impacts of the Middle East conflicts on international travel. He addressed the challenges faced by Brazilians trying to return home and emphasized the critical role of active management during such unforeseen events.
At Quickly Travel, we monitor every journey closely. We act swiftly to re-accommodate passengers through new routes, including European hubs, always seeking the safest and most efficient alternatives for their return. Our commitment is to ensure that, even in complex scenarios, our clients are never alone.
University of Hawaii Career Fair
The HR team in Hawaii and Sammy Li from JTB USA represented the group companies at a Spring 2026 Career Fair at University of Hawaii - Manoa on March 4, 2026.
We got to engage with students, answer questions about our industry, and introduce them to potential career paths with our organization
QUICKLY TRAVEL SUPPORTS THE CONSULATE
GENERAL OF JAPAN AT THE 13TH JAPAN
FESTIVAL IN MINAS
QUICKLY TRAVEL INBOUND & LEISURE
We are proud to announce that Quickly Travel played a key role in the 13th Japan Festival of Minas, held from March 13th to 15th in Belo Horizonte. Our team delivered full strategic planning and operational support for the Consulate General of Japan in Rio de Janeiro, ensuring a strong and professional presence. The event was honored by the attendance of H.E. Mr. Yasushi Noguchi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Brazil, highlighting the festival’s importance in strengthening bilateral relations. The Consulate’s pavilion featured major partners such as JAL and ANA, along with a space dedicated to our specialized tourism services. A key highlight was the promotion of Yamanashi, Belo Horizonte’s sister city in Japan. Visitors enjoyed immersive experiences with guides, materials, and sake tastings, reinforcing Brazil–Japan ties and promoting Japan as a top travel destination.
QUICKLY TRAVEL
Our Culture in Focus: Highlights from the Minas Japão Festival
Recently, we were part of the Minas Japão Festival in Belo Horizonte, celebrating the deep-rooted Japanese traditions and their vibrant influence in Brazil. The event was featured by the Beagá Oito channel, highlighting a special appearance by our colleague, Kenzo Fukushima
In the video, Kenzo emphasizes the importance of sharing Japanese culture as a descendant, describing it as "rich and fascinating." The festival serves as a unique generational bridge: from the nostalgia of anime—which draws in the younger crowd to traditional cuisine and performances
For many attendees, the event is a space for creativity and freedom, acting as a gateway for those looking to dive deeper into Japan’s history and customs.
Leisure
(JTB Hawaii Travel, LLC)
What does your department do?
Team members:
Noboru Chikira
Chiaki
Crowder
Eriko Nishiiye
Kanako Sasaki
Our department is relatively new with our current focus being expansion to the Mainland USA and non-Japan markets using existing transportation tools like HiBus, Mobi, and premium shuttle services to locations such as Haleiwa.
Who are your primary customers?
Our primary target market is Mainland USA visitors.
What are some challenges or opportunities your department is facing right now?
The services we’re offering were originally designed for visitors from Japan, so we need to rethink how to adapt the content for English-speaking audiences and make it more appealing to them. Is simply translating the content from Japanese to English enough? Are services that Japanese visitors desire the same as what Mainlanders will find attractive? Since the target market is very different, there are many things that we need to consider and is a work-in-progress.
What do you like most about your department?
I like having the flexibility to try new things as a new department. We’re allowed to freely try what we want as long as it aligns with the department’s main focus of expanding to the nonJapan market. It’s difficult but also fun to be able to take on new challenges and experience new things.
Any additional information you would like to share with JTB employees?
Our department holds many ideals, including our current project of creating a Smart Map, an app that will display real-time GPS data for HiBus. It will also display data and special offers for specific partner stores and tour options, then show the route to get there. We have not determined a way to auto-control the inventory so that needs to be done manually at this time but we hope to automate some of these processes in the future.
AVIATION BACKSTAGE AND SUSTAINABILITY: THE 9TH EDITION OF THE JTB BRIGHTER EARTH PROJECT
On Tuesday, March 10th, we held the 9th edition of the Brighter JTB Earth Project with an exclusive visit to the LATAM Maintenance Center (CML) at Guarulhos Airport.
Around 40 guests, including clients and employees, joined this immersion into aviation's backstage, visiting engine shops and an Airbus A320. During the event, LATAM highlighted its environmental initiatives, which have prevented 6.5 million tons of $CO_2$ emissions since 2010 through green technologies and fleet renewal.
This event was essential to raise awareness and reinforce that our partners are key to our sustainability mission.
We sincerely thank LATAM for the tour, Kraft Bowls for the water in our snack kits, and Bondi for the official transportation.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS EVENT INCREDIBLE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT EDITION!
Tosh Tatezawa, JTB Americas President, visited our new office despite the severe weather in Hawaii at the time of his visit.
Sweet Moments at our Valentine’s Office Celebration
This Valentine’s Day, our office was filled with warmth and sweet aromas as we hosted a heart-shaped waffle event for our team. Freshly made waffles topped with whipped cream brought smiles to everyone who stopped by. The cheerful setup created a relaxed and happy atmosphere, giving employees a chance to take a short break and connect with colleagues.
It was wonderful to see team members sharing laughter and enjoying simple treats together. Moments like these strengthen our workplace culture and remind us that appreciation and positivity matter. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make the celebration a delightful success!
Newsletter Poll
April is National Soy Foods Month! You can enjoy soy in many different forms. What is your favorite soy product?
SHOYU, TAMARI SAUCE NONE
EDAMAME SOY MILK
TOFU
NATTO
Greg Chang (JHT) recommends the Atsuage Tofu at Izakaya DANJI on Beretania St. (Honolulu, HI).
Tofu came in first with 1/3 of the total votes, closely followed by Natto, a fermented soybean product that most people either love or hate.
Julei Segawa (TPT) wanted to make inari sushi but didn’t have cooked rice so she got creative by using sliced tofu. A delicious combination!
Employees share their favorite recipes using soy products:
Tofu Salad from Julei Segawa (TPT)
1.Dice the tofu, onion, green onions, and tomato. Chop the Chinese parsley.
2.Toss the above with the canned tuna.
3.Make the sauce by combining the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and garlic.
4.Pour sauce over the salad and enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 block tofu (drained)
1/2 onion
Green onions
Tomato
Canned tuna
Chinese parsley
Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Garlic (grated)
Doenjang Jjigae (Korean Soybean Paste Stew with Pork and Vegetables) from Codi Park (USA)
Excel Quick Tip Shortcut Your Way to Excel Mastery
Keep Headers Visible with Freeze Panes
When you scroll through a long Excel sheet, it’s easy to lose track of what each column or row means. Excel’s Freeze Panes feature helps by keeping important headers visible at all times.
What Freeze Panes Does
Microsoft explains that Freeze Panes lets you keep selected rows or columns visible while scrolling through the rest of the worksheet. It’s perfect for:
Keeping column headers visible Keeping name or ID columns in place
Viewing reference labels while exploring large datasets
Freeze the first two columns
1.Select the third column.
2.Select View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.
Freeze columns and rows
1.Select the cell below the rows and to the right of the columns you want to keep visible when you scroll.
2.Select View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.
Unfreeze rows or columns
On the View tab > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes.
Thank You!
