Christmas airfare

A friend of mine has been living in Japan for a while, but she's just decided to come back to Hawaii over Christmas and has offered me use of her apartment in Tokyo if I wanted to visit. As it's a random last minute thing, I don't have much money saved. A brief check on Expedia showed me airfare around $1700 out of Honolulu. Are these prices likely to rise or fall? Is Tokyo a big Christmas destination?

I know that when I fly domestically, it's often times cheaper if I fly on a holiday like New Years Eve. Does this apply to International flights to Japan?

Would it be worthwhile to check with a travel agency? I've never used one before but I know we have a few that are geared toward Japan-- KLM I think?

I've been to Japan once for a week in the spring, and I'm hoping to study abroad there next summer. Would it be worth it to do a cheap holiday there? Mostly wandering around but not spending much except food and transportation.

I know these are rather subjective questions, but I thought it'd be nice to get some opinions. It seems a shame to turn down such an offer, especially since college makes Christmas and summer breaks the only practical time to travel. Thank you!

Honestly I've been keeping track of the fares to Japan, and I've seen them only go up up and up...for Christmas, expect the same...While it may be possible to find a last minute fare for cheaper, long gone are the days where you could fly RT to japan for $700-$800

$1700 is a bit steep, have you tried flexible days? You may be able to shave it down to $1500 or so..not too sure about the market in Hawaii!
My advise, try to get it down a little from the 1700, and then buy it! Airlines have been cutting back on flights, filling the planes more, so expect demand to be high!

Thank you for your answer. I went to the JTB travel agency today and the woman informed me that the price of airfare has risen in part due to JALways declaring bankruptcy and cutting flights. but I managed to book a flight for a little over $1200, and am looking forward to spending two weeks in Tokyo over the holidays.