Hawaiian Airlines launched year-round daily service today between Honolulu and Fukuoka, Japan.

Fukuoka is the third destination in Japan and the fourth in Asia that Hawaiian has launched in the past 17 months. It was preceded by nonstop service to Tokyo (November 2010), Seoul (January 2011) and Osaka (July 2011).

Delta Air Lines began nonstop service last December between Honolulu and Fukuoka, but operates the flights only on a seasonal basis.

Hawaiian’s flight aboard a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft carried 172 passengers, including former Hawaii Gov. George Ariyoshi, who spearheaded the formation of a sister-state relationship between Hawaii and Fukuoka in 1981.