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Ichiro is one of the main reasons Seattle is the top destination in the world for Japanese tourists. Will that tourism disappear with Ichiro's departure? (AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey)

Seattle likely to lose millions as 'Ichiro Effect' moves to NY

BY Chris Sullivan  on July 25, 2012 @ 4:27 am (Updated: 9:40 am - 7/25/12 )

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Ichiro is one of the main reasons Seattle is the top destination in the world for Japanese tourists. During his best days as a Mariner, which were a few years ago, more than 80,000 Japanese visited the city each year.

That number fell to 64,000 in 2011, but that's still more than double the tourists from China, Seattle's second- highest tourist country.

Tom Norwalk, the president the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau, says the Ichiro Effect is considerable.

"The word I'd use is gigantic," Norwalk said. "His impact on Seattle and our region, from a standpoint of Japanese tourism business, has just been phenomenal."

Restaurants, hotels, and retail shops all recognized the Ichiro Effect and they catered to it. But Ichiro didn't just impact the service industry. His popularity in Japan also meant investment dollars in our region and the rest of the U.S.

Japanese companies started investing in the Mariners and then Major League Baseball after Ichiro proved he could make it in American baseball. With his success, other Japanese players followed. There are now about two dozen playing in the Big Leagues and you can see ads for Japanese companies in ballparks across the country.

Dale Watanabe, the Executive Director of the Japan America Society in Washington, wonders if all those dollars will disappear with Ichiro now in a Yankee uniform.

"I think it's going to be interesting to see what happens," he said. "Does that carry on or does New York get some of those tourists because of that or do people in Japan still choose to come here?"

The Mariners still have two good Japanese players on the team, but Hisashi Iwakuma and Munenori Kawasaki are not Ichiro. They will have a hard time generating the same interest in Japan.

Chris Sullivan, KIRO Radio Reporter
Chris loves the rush of covering breaking news and works hard to try to make sense of it all while telling stories about real people in extraordinary circumstances.
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Comments (13)


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  • CH wrote...
    Ichiro is one of the main reasons Seattle is the top destination in the world for Japanese tourists . . . .
    July 25, 2012 5:58 am
    LOL. They come to ride the Big Wheel.
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    with the big bucks they spent ($600 for an Iciro signed baseball),
    July 25, 2012 6:17 am
    they came here to BE big wheels.

    .

    The good news is that IF he does good in New York, those $600 balls might some day be worth $600.

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  • LostLeader wrote...
    Seattle top destination in the world for Japanese???
    July 25, 2012 7:06 am
    Who checks this crappy reporting facts? 80,000 Japanese tourist to Seattle makes it the top destination? Those Japanese don't travel very much, if Seattle is the top destination. Hawaii alone got 1.2M Japanese tourist in 2010. http://hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/visitor-stats/visitor-research/2010-annual-visitor.pdf Ichiro is only a minor factor in tourism. Don't make more out of it then it really is, which is nothing.
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  • newsguysully wrote...
    LostLeader
    July 25, 2012 7:09 am
    No facts to check. Seattle as a city is the top draw according to the US Dept. of Commerce Office of Travel and Tourism Industries.
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  • LostLeader wrote...
    newsguysully
    July 25, 2012 7:39 am
    Show me the link. I still can't believe Seattle beat out Honolulu.
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    @ newsguysully : so, is Honolulu not considered as a city ???
    July 25, 2012 7:41 am
    I somehow think a few of those 1.2M just might stay at Waikiki.
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  • newsguysully wrote...
    These are the facts we were given
    July 25, 2012 7:46 am
    This is what the national and local people told us.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • LostLeader wrote...
    @newsguysully
    July 25, 2012 9:16 am
    You had get better resources and better proofing staff. http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/2011_States_and_Cities.pdf Seattle is not TOP top draw, top 20 more like it. Time to edit the story.
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  • MagneticPatriot wrote...
    Just another nail... Baseball is all about the money not the game!
    July 25, 2012 7:52 am
    Baseball is all about the money, not the game any more. With Seattle now parting with Ichiro it puts yet another nail in the game for Seattle!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Newton wrote...
    I just can't believe the reporting.
    July 25, 2012 9:18 am
    Ichiro is leaving Seattle "likely" to lose millions. That is the dumbest reporting yet!. What about the Chris Hansen's Arena Scam 200 million dollars of overpriced land scam Billionaires bagging for dollars scam. Stolen 400 million in police retraining Stolen Underground bridge scam going to be over budget by hundreds of Millions. Kindom still owed 450 million on refitting it for sound then scrapped it. Key arena 40 million on fixing it up then Starbucks owner sold the sonic Team. Oh and the rail system that Cities paid with property taxes still are! that has yet to come to thier city like promised. I'm sure thier are much more loses of hundreds millions of dollars its beyond ones imagination. Oh and Ichiro leaves town from a dung pile of a losing team. Yes that money is suddenly felt. What! Planet are these reporters own.
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  • 0623 wrote...
    Lose "millions" from Ichiro's departure
    July 25, 2012 11:30 am
    Sounds to me like time for Seattle Visitor's Bureau to augment a promotion program for non-Japanese prospective visitors. I have had several guests from the U.K. and met visitors from Poland just last week. If every Ballard resident makes at least one pilgrimage to Norway or Sweden, surely the Norwegians and Swedes would find this an attractive place to visit. Quit whining and go for it.
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  • bora wrote...
    It's ok. With current mayor at the office Seattle got used to loosing/wasting money
    July 25, 2012 11:44 am
    Another few millions won't be problem. I kind like name "Ichiro"....Ichiro Ichiro Ichiro Ichiro Ichiro
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  • Mind-o wrote...
    I can see Seattle losing Japanese dollars from this.
    July 25, 2012 12:10 pm
    But if the Mariners start winning, that will draw in even more people to the city. Also, once Ichiro goes to the hall of fame, and a proper tribute is set up at Safeco for him such as a statue or something, that will likely draw some Japanese tourist back, although probably not anywhere near the old number.
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