Japan has included Hawaii on a shortlist of destinations for international travel corridors.
The Aloha State is one of a dozen countries and regions the Japan government has identified to restart international travel, after the Japan PM Shinzo Abe announced the Japan-Hawaii Safe Travel Program.
If it gets the go-ahead visitors to Hawaii would need pre-departure proof of a negative PCR test result.
A negative test would enable travelers to avoid the current 14-day quarantine.
No decision has been made yet and no timeline has been announced.
No other US states are included.
"Providing safe travel for both residents and visitors is vital to strengthening our state’s economic health and long-term recovery," said Hawaii Governor David Ige in a statement.
"Protecting the public’s health will always be our first priority and the foundation for which any economic recovery program is built upon."
Other countries on the list include China, South Korea, Taiwan, and several in Europe.
"We are getting closer to the point where travel between Japan and Hawaii can be restarted, while staying focused on protecting people’s health. When that occurs, it will be a big step forward to reviving a segment that is important to the overall economic health of Hawaii," said House Speaker Scott Saiki, chair of the Japan Hawaii Legislators Friendship Association.
Japan is a major inbound market for Hawaii.
