After peaking in 2002, Japanese tourist numbers in New Zealand had been decreasing, until they hit their lowest point in 2011, with only seventy thousand visitors. However, after five consecutive years of steady recovery, more than one hundred thousand Japanese visits to New Zealand was marked in a one year period once more (Year-ending October 2017)! This is an increase of 4.4% compared to the previous year.
(Data source: http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/tourism/documents-image-library/key-tourism-statistics.pdf )

Meanwhile, the number of New Zealanders visiting Japan has also been increasing for the last five years, exceeding 56,000 in December 2016 according to data from the Japan National Tourism Organisation.

Embassy of Japan hopes that these numbers continue to increase.