Travel agency H.I.S. Co. is eyeing an ambitious plan to build eight more android-staffed Henn na Hotels in addition to the one it opened in Tokyo's high-end Ginza shopping district on Thursday.
Against the backdrop of a shrinking population and a growing number of foreign tourists, the hotel has found success employing robots as a way to both draw in business and reduce staffing costs.
"Japan does not have enough hotel rooms and we have a shrinking population to staff stores," said Miura Tatsuki, a manager from the public relations division at H.I.S. "We created this hotel in part to respond to societal issues."