Wheelchair-accessible hotel rooms still an issue ahead of Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and Olympics
A shortage of wheelchair-accessible hotel rooms remains an issue for Tokyo 2020 organizers, who say they are committed to using the Paralympic Games to make Japan a more inclusive place. As the clock ticks down to the Aug. 25, 2020, opening ceremony for the games, ...
Private equity sees hot opportunity in Japan's traditional onsen inns
For Japan's growing flood of foreign tourists, one of the top internet search terms is onsen, the traditional hot springs where travelers have soaked since the days of the samurai. Now some of the world's oldest businesses are attracting big new money. Private equity funds ...
Japanese government seeks public comment on plan to bring foreign trainees into hotel sector
The government on Thursday started soliciting public comments over its plan to allow foreign nationals who come to Japan under the government-sponsored Technical Intern Training Program to work directly for hotels for up to five years, officials said. Those workers could eventually apply for a ...
Rakuten, Booking.com and Expedia raided by Japan's antitrust watchdog over lodging price policy
Japan's antitrust watchdog on Wednesday raided the offices of Rakuten Inc. and two other online booking operators, alleging they hurt fair trade by requiring accommodation providers to offer their lowest prices on their platforms, according to a source close to the matter. The Fair Trade ...
Japan's travel agencies and hotels look to milk imminent era shift to Reiwa with tours and souvenirs
Travel agencies and hotels are selling commemorative packages to take advantage of the forthcoming change of Imperial era, an opportunity that typically comes only once every several decades. Leading travel agency JTB Corp. is selling a three-day tour that starts on April 30, the final ...
Bumpy ride feared in Japan as new visa types issued to ease labor crunch
Japan will open its doors wider to workers from abroad when the revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act takes effect. However, with it comes a host of other issues.
Foreign workers are on the way, but are Japanese businesses ready?
A new visa program designed to lure more workers to Japan takes effect Monday, and government officials and industry leaders hope two new types will help alleviate the national labor shortage. But whether businesses are prepared to accept them is an entirely different matter. Companies and ...
The smooth way to go skiing with kids
Perhaps one of Japan's most child-friendly hotels, Risonare Yatsugatake is a mecca for young families. The guestrooms are spacious, staff are ever-patient and there are kids' menus in the restaurants.
Hotel groups hail new offensive on Airbnb in Paris over alleged illegal rentals
Hotel groups in Paris on Monday hailed a new legal offensive by city authorities against home-sharing group Airbnb, which is being taken to court over illegal rentals. The French government has gradually tightened controls over the San Francisco-based firm, which critics blame for reducing the ...
University in Osaka aims to hone hotel staff with omotenashi to serve Japan's foreign guests
One of the key factors driving Japan's unprecedented tourism boom is its culture of hospitality — epitomized by the concept of omotenashi, which can be roughly translated as "wholeheartedly looking after guests." Yet perhaps because omotenashi has a long history and can be taken for ...
Smoking rate in Japan has declined by half since beginning of Heisei Era in 1989
The proportion of smokers is dropping in Japan, with the figure in 2018 down by half from the rate of 36 percent when the Heisei Era began in 1989. Japan Tobacco Inc. attributes the decline to increasing health awareness, an aging population, tougher smoking regulations ...
Japan hopes to use the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics as an opportunity to become a more inclusive and accessible society, and in 2018 games organizers made some strides towards making it a reality. When hosting a major sporting event, people usually talk about what kind of ...
