I believe the primary reason is because Cairns is regarded as a safe, or low risk, destination. I understand most Japanese travellers are (quite rightly) risk averse so the safety of the destination is important. read more
Tourism in Australia is an important component of the Australian economy. In the financial year 2014/15, tourism represented 3.0% of Australia's GDP contributing A$47.5 billion to the national economy. Domestic tourism is a significant part of the tourism industry, representing 73% of the total direct tourism GDP. read more