Sakura House, a real estate agency specializing in providing services to foreign residents, and Sakura Hotel & Hostel, an operator of three hotels and a hostel in Tokyo, have seen a definite increase in tourists and residents coming from ASEAN member states.
"Both tourists and students from ASEAN are on the rise. I have heard on many occasions that they first came to Japan for sightseeing, and returned to Japan as they grew more and more interested in the country," a Sakura House official said.
The two companies, under the same group, have employees with very multinational backgrounds, including those who are from — or those who have lived in — ASEAN countries. This means that they can not only offer services in a variety of languages, but most of the hotel and real estate staff are fluent in English.