Accommodation in Short

Fundamentally different from Europe, Asian people have been going to Japan. They are not refugees, but travelers. With unprecedented popularity of travel to Japan, one serious problem is scarcity of accommodation facilities. Hotels in Japan have mostly been filled with foreign travelers and room price is showing rocket high. Some people started hotel business, taking advantage of empty rooms in urban area. Government of Japan reluctantly embarked on deregulation on hotel business.

Encouraged by increase of income brought by rapid economic growth in Asia, the number of travelers to Japan has been getting greater these years. They prefer to see old temples in Kyoto, visit cutting edge technology in carmakers around Nagoya and enjoy shopping along the streets in Ginza, Tokyo. It is impossible for a small island country to accept growing number of travelers from populous Asian countries like China, South Korea or Thailand.

Supposedly to appeal Japan’s effort for deregulation, which had been seen by the world as a key to success of Abenomics, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered the Ministries to consider establishing exceptional area free from ordinary regulation to accept foreign travelers. Hotel Business Law requires hotels to obtain license and prohibit private business of accommodation. Abe administration is going to make guideline to ease those regulations by next June.

Ota District in Tokyo is the top runner of the deregulation. For Tokyo Olympic 2020, Ota government passed a local law to accept foreign travelers in private houses or rooms in apartment houses. The national government will support Ota with deregulation on facilities for a staying of seven nights or more in private houses. New standard in Ota District will be applied at the beginning of next year.

Western Japan is more interested in business opportunity. Following Ota, Osaka Prefecture decided to introduce the same system. However, the most popular city for travelers, Kyoto, is not enthusiastic for the deregulation. To maintain amenity of travelers, Governor of Kyoto, Keiji Yamada, announced that he would carefully consider safety of travelers and maintenance of environment.

There are cases that foreign travelers staying in private houses caused trouble with neighborhood. Internet brokers for booking rooms in private houses are not regulated by Japanese law. One thing clear is even with those private business, rooms in Japan will be in short at the time of Olympic 2020. Fundamental measures are immediately needed.