Yoshitaja Hoshino, Japan’s Ambassador to El Salvador, acknowledged a “remarkable improvement” in the country’s security situation during an interview on La Tribu this Tuesday. The enhanced safety has contributed to a surge in tourism, prompting Japan to lower its travel advisory for Salvadoran tourism.

“The security situation has completely improved; it has changed. We must recognize how El Salvador has transformed and improved,” stated Ambassador Hoshino.

According to the Salvadoran Tourism Institute (ISTU), El Salvador welcomed 3.9 million international visitors in 2024. Reflecting the positive changes, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs downgraded its travel alert for the Historic Center of San Salvador in September 2024, moving from Level 2, which advises against non-essential travel, to Level 1.

Despite the progress, Hoshino noted that internet searches in Japan still associate El Salvador with terms like gangs, murders, coffee, Bitcoin, and the “megaprison.” In response, the Japanese Embassy has been actively promoting “positive messages” this year to “update the image of El Salvador.”

“This improvement in security has been remarkable, and the number of tourists has significantly increased. To mark our anniversary, our embassy has continued sending positive messages to refresh El Salvador’s image,” Hoshino added.

The ambassador also highlighted the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and El Salvador this month. Japan stands as the third-largest donor to the Central American nation.

Hoshino, serving his first post as ambassador, has held the position in El Salvador for over a year. The Salvadoran government attributes the decrease in homicides to the state of exception, under which more than 84,260 individuals have been detained.