Provided are a glass panel unit and a method for manufacturing the glass panel unit, both of which are designed to overcome the problem of poor handleability of known glass panel units with no through holes. A glass panel unit includes a first panel, a second panel, a seal, and a boundary wall. The seal has a frame shape and hermetically bonds respective peripheral edge portions of the first panel and the second panel. The boundary wall partitions an internal space into a first space as a hermetically sealed evacuated space and a second space spatially separated from the first space. The first panel has a first through hole provided through a portion, corresponding to the second space, of the first panel. The second panel has a second through hole provided through a portion, corresponding to the second space and facing the first through hole, of the second panel.