A New Approach to Resilient Hospitality Management : Lessons and Insights From Kyoto, Japan

This book includes lessons and insights from the hospitality management approach of Japanese sustainable organizations, as well as philosophical underpinnings and numerous business practice examples. The "Japanese manner" of providing customer service and hospitality is well-known around the globe. Traditionally, Japanese organizations have specific but implicit standards for how to approach customers and other multi-stakeholders, exhibiting respect and omnipresence. Japanese hospitality is complicated, nuanced, and changing in tandem with Japanese culture. The book presents sustainable and resilient management of society, organizations, and businesses. Kyoto, in particular, is regarded as Japan's cultural capital, and it is home to not only numerous architectures classified collectively by UNESCO, but also to distinctive Japanese hospitality, customs, philosophy, and ethics. The book is a useful resource for academics and business practitioners interested in the hospitality management, service management, and human resource management. The lessons and insights in this book will also throw light on the future course of the post-pandemic era with modern technologies and their transformation. Preface 5 Acknowledgement 7 Contents 8 About the Authors 11 Abbreviations and Technical Terms 13 List of Figures 15 List of Tables 18 1 Understanding the Philosophy of Japanese Hospitality 19 1.1 Background 19 1.2 The Japanese Sense of Beauty—A Process from Imperfection to Perfection 21 1.2.1 The Origins of the Japanese Sense of Beauty 21 1.2.2 Elements that Characterize Japanese Values of Beauty 22 1.2.3 Asymmetry 24 1.2.4 Simplicity 26 1.2.5 Making Use of “Ma” (Space) 29 1.2.6 Respect for the Passage of Time 31 1.3 Authentic Borderline—What Should Change and What Should not Change 34 1.4 Japanese Hospitality “Omotenashi”—Its Origin, History, Philosophy and Expression 42 1.4.1 Origin and History of Japanese Hospitality “Omotenashi” 42 1.4.2 The Concept of Hospitality and Its Expression 44 1.5 Sustainability of “Ikebana”—A Japanese Traditional Culture Epitomizing Japanese Hospitality 48 1.5.1 Japanese Sense of Beauty Derived from Harmony with Nature 48 1.5.2 Long-Term Trustworthy Relationships with Local Communities 49 1.5.3 Regional Characteristics of Kyoto 52 1.5.4 The Hospitality Mind 53 References 56 2 Structural Mechanism for Resilience in the Management of Intangible Assets 57 2.1 Dynamic Balancing Against Crisis, Disaster, and Environmental Change 57 2.1.1 Dynamic Balancing in Sustainable Activities 57 2.2 Assemblance of Shinise—One of the Highest Density Regions of “Shops of Long Standing” in the World 58 2.2.1 What is a Long-Standing Company in Japan? 58 2.2.2 “Shinise” Located in Kyoto and Osaka 59 2.3 Juxtaposition—A Resilient Structure for Sustainability 62 2.4 Metamodel—A Mechanism for Adapting Environmental Change 66 2.4.1 Kata (Model) and Metamodel (Model for Model) 66 2.4.2 Shu–Ha–Ri 68 2.4.3 The Case of Ikebana 69 2.4.4 Relation to the Authentic Borderline 70 2.5 Brand Development Through Storytelling 71 2.6 Long-Term Trustworthy Relationship Among Multi-Stakeholders 73 2.6.1 Stakeholder Theory and the History of Sanpo-yoshi 73 2.6.2 How to Build Long-Term Relationships with Customers 76 2.6.3 Leadership with a Hospitality Mindset 79 2.7 Case: Hiiragiya—A Traditional Ryokan (Japanese-Style Inn) in Kyoto 80 2.7.1 History of Hiiragiya 80 2.7.2 The Hiiragiya’s Sense of Beauty and Hospitality 81 2.7.3 Hiiragiya’s Resilient Hospitality Management 85 2.7.4 Hiiragiya After the Pandemic 86 2.8 Case: Hosoo—More than Fabric and Textile 87 2.8.1 History of Hosoo and Nishijin Textile 87 2.8.2 Strive for Innovation 91 2.8.3 Prospects for the Future 93 2.9 Case: Eirakuya—A Deign Innovation for Tenugui (Plain Weave Cotton Cloth) 95 2.9.1 The History of Eirakuya 95 2.9.2 Crisis of Eirakuya’s Survival 98 2.9.3 Ihee Hosotsuji, the 14th Successor 98 2.9.4 Addressing the Current Crisis Facing Eirakuya 101 2.9.5 Eirakuya’s Resilient Hospitality Management 102 2.10 Case: Sasaki Shuzo—The Only Long-Established Sake Brewer in Downtown Kyoto 104 2.10.1 History of Sasaki Shuzo 104 2.10.2 Resilient Hospitality Management at Sasaki Shuzo 106 2.10.3 Responding to a Post-Pandemic and Investing in the Future 109 References 110 3 Sustainable Society Following the Advancement of Technology 111 3.1 Issues on Sustainability and Scalability 111 3.1.1 Hospitality and Omotenashi Revisited 111 3.1.2 Sustainability and Scalability 112 3.1.3 Popularization of High-Quality Services 113 3.2 Symbiosis and Mutualism 115 3.2.1 Symbiosis in Business 115 3.2.2 The Four Models of Symbiotic Relationship in Business 115 3.2.3 Business Mutualism 118 3.2.4 GO ON Project in Kyoto 119 3.3 Sustainable Transitions with Digital Technologies 120 3.3.1 Digital Technology Adoption and Business Re-Engineering 121 3.3.2 Digital Technology and Hospitality Industry 125 3.3.3 Advanced Technology as an Enabler to Provide Highly Delicate Services 127 3.3.4 Toward Sustainable Future 130 3.4 A Sustainable Form of Culture that Can Be Found in Ikebana 132 3.5 Toward an Autonomous Distributed Society with a Hospitality Mindset 134 3.5.1 Characteristics of Resilience in Kyoto 134 3.5.2 Progress in Resilience Through Digital Technology 136 3.5.3 Kyoto as Resilient City 141 3.5.4 Future Direction of Resilient Hospitality Management 141 References 146 Afterword 147 Bibliography 149