Japanese Hotels don't want foreigners (1 Viewer)

[Aryanbeauty]

Japan: No room at inn for foreigners

Many Japanese inns and hotels say they don't have facilities for foreigners
70 percent of surveyed group say they don't want foreign visitors in the future
More than 60 percent of Japan's inns and hotels had foreign guests last year

TOKYO (AP) -- Most Japanese inns and hotels that didn't have foreign guests last year don't want any in the future, according to a government survey released Thursday.

Capsule hotels, like this one, are popular with foreigners in Japan.

While the majority of such establishments do accept foreigners, the survey showed the country's more traditional inns are not as hospitable, even as the government mounts a major campaign to draw more tourists from abroad.
Japan's countryside is dotted with thousands of small, old-fashioned lodgings called "ryokans." Many are family run and offer only traditional Japanese food and board, such as raw seafood delicacies, simple straw-mat floors and communal hot spring baths.
Some such establishments have barred foreign guests in the past, leading to lawsuits and government fines for discrimination.

The survey carried out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs shows that 72 percent of establishments that didn't have foreign customers in the past year don't want any, and the majority are ryokans and hotels with fewer than 30 rooms. Such businesses said they are unable to support foreign languages and that their facilities are not suited to foreigners.

While more than 60 percent of the country's inns and hotels hosted foreign guests last year, the results indicate it may be hard to expand this number.
Tokyo spends about $35 million per year on its "Visit Japan Campaign," which aims to draw 10 million foreigners to the country for trips and business in the year 2010, up from 8.35 million last year.

Campaign spokesman Ryo Ito said in general Japanese inns have been accepting of foreigners, noting that some now take foreign currencies and have staff that can speak multiple languages. He said the dire state of the global economy was more of a concern.
"The business environment has become very harsh," he said.
The government survey was done by mail earlier this year, and 7,068 establishments responded

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/10/09/japan.inn.room.foreigners.ap/index.html :uhhuh:

 

[blue_chameleon]

Unless things have dramatically changed since I was there last year, all the decent places to stay are very accepting of foreigners. Why wouldn't they be? We inject their economy with money.

Over the 5 cities I visited, I didn't come across any hotel owners that were rude or unaccepting. Quite the opposite really.

Maybe I just went at...a good time? :/

 

[Kwayera]

Just because the inn hosts and hotel owners are accomodating, that doesn't mean that they a) want you there or b) like tourists. In fact, it's their culture to be accomodating, even if they don't really want to.

 

[Donski]

this fuckery is bullshit.

 

[em_516]

Unless things have dramatically changed since I was there last year, all the decent places to stay are very accepting of foreigners. Why wouldn't they be? We inject their economy with money.

Over the 5 cities I visited, I didn't come across any hotel owners that were rude or unaccepting. Quite the opposite really.

Maybe I just went at...a good time? :/

Maybe you just didn't go to the more traditional places. I doubt accommodation in cities would refuse foreigners.

 

[blue_chameleon]

Maybe you just didn't go to the more traditional places. I doubt accommodation in cities would refuse foreigners.

Wh..................who, who said you could post in here?

Out you go, go on.

 

[Supaman92]

Yeah i remember the staff members and owners of hotels being very helpful and welcoming in Japan. In fact, the Japanese people are some the nicest people i have ever met - even in the more traditional places.

 

[JaredR]

James hopes this takes into account Israelis who are not really foreigners but rather animals.

 

[Stephen Colbert]

So the Japanese don't want us? I suggest a preemptive strike on all of their motels.

 

[em_516]

Wh..................who, who said you could post in here?

Out you go, go on.

Oh ouch. I like news..and stuff..