The hula dancers chanted of beautiful Hawai'i, but their halau came all the way from Japan to perform in Honolulu as part of the sixth annual Hula Ho'olauna Aloha hula festival.

Mika Akutagawa traveled here with 30 of her approximately 300 students who belong to Na Liko O Ka Lehua Kea in Tokyo. She has worked full-time as a kumu (in Hawaiian) or sensei (in Japanese) for the past decade.

Festival organizers said 39 halau traveled from Japan for this year's event, a positive sign for a visitor industry alarmed by a sharp decline in visitors from that country. The latest state monthly arrival figures from May again showed a 10.3 percent drop in Japanese visitors even during a record month for visitor arrivals statewide.

Through an interpreter, Akutagawa said about half of the group traveling with her this trip have come before to dance, and the others are new to the experience.

She said they savor the chance to perform outdoors — Sunday under the coconut palms in the plaza of the Royal Hawaiian hotel and Saturday at Ala Moana Center stage.

Their selections included: "Kipu Kai," "Waikoloa," "Pua Mikinolia" and "Mahalo E Hilo Hanakahi." She said her group decided to perform only in the exhibitions rather than also taking part in the competition.

While hula has been popular in Japan for decades, it's grown in numbers tremendously in recent years. Akutagawa said Island performers — including Keali'i Reichel and Ho'okena — have brought in a younger fan base.

Renowned kumu hula Kawaikapuokalani Hewett served as adviser to this year's event, working with primary sponsor Jalpak. He said a recent estimate put the number of hula dancers in Japan at more than 500,000.

Having traveled to Japan for decades, Hewett has seen the appreciation of hula and Hawaiian music grow in people there. "Their love is very intense; their dedication is very intense."

Standing barefoot on the grass with the stage behind him, Hewett smiled at the positive energy from the Japanese visitors.

While sharing skills, performing and the competition draws some participants, he said it's clear that the friends and relationships forged through the visits are what keep them coming back: "People coming together as one."

Sunday's public event featured a dance exhibition by local halau as well as the dance competition among many of the visiting Japanese halau.

The event was created in 2002, sponsors said, with only 78 participants to help bridge the two island cultures through dance and friendship. It has attracted more than 400 in recent years.

The festival concluded last night with an aloha hula party at the Hawai'i Convention Center for the participants from Japan and their hosts.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.