Maiko Kuroda isn't new to challenges. She was a housewife when her father's hotel chain was embroiled in scandal, forcing her to return to the business almost a decade ago. Having boosted profit tenfold, she's now eyeing markets in Europe and North America.
Enter Donald Trump and other protectionist politicians whose ideas are taking hold amid a backlash against globalization. The specter of rising protectionism may threaten the company's goal of one day operating 10.45 million rooms around the world.
For now, Toyoko Inn Co. is pushing ahead with plans to open hotels in Germany and France this year, and is seeking permission for a more than 1,000-room property in New York's Queens, said company President Kuroda in an interview at the company's Tokyo headquarters. The company, which puts its success down to female management in male-dominated Japan, is now left pondering Trump.