[Date & Time] Wednesday, February 29, at 13:30~15:30
[Sponsor] Yokosuka-Miura Region Prefectural Administration Center
[Place] Yokosuka City Office
[Participants] around 38, including 3 KSGG members and 1 observer
The speaker, Mr. S, is an owner of a Japanese-style inn in Tokyo and the title of his speech was "The Hospitality to Foreign Tourists that Communities Tackle." He started his speech with what caused him to begin to accept foreigners in 1982 at his Japanese-style inn which opened in Yanaka, Tokyo in 1949. He said as follows: Language, which he had thought the biggest problem, didn't cause any problem when they had a strong mind to be considerate to their guests. They studied each other's culture and practice and got over its difference.
He also said that service is one thing and hospitality is another. Service means that a servant serves a master, while hospitality is thought to be attentive to others under the equal relationship. He added that he is always courteous to his guests thinking he is in a bit lower position. His comment that there is a gap between what we want to show foreigners and what they want to see was very suggestive.
Thanks to Mr. S and his family, about 20 foreigners a day and 7,000 foreigners from over 100 countries a year wish to come to Japan again and leave messages with gratitude and satisfaction when they leave here, which fully convinced and impressed me.