Some Tips For Staying In A Japanese Hotel
When travelling in Japan, it’s a wonderful experience to stay in hotels because they can provide a glimpse into Japanese culture. You can always expect efficient and friendly service and be made to feel welcome, the people of Japan pride themselves on their dedication to decorum and hospitality.
Although today’s modern premises like Namba Osaka hotel rooms are fairly close to a western guest experience, there will be some differences to what you may be used to back home. The Japanese will always be trying their best to please you, so you can do your part by adopting a “when in Rome” attitude as you try to adapt.
The following are a few points to keep in mind when you are staying in a Japanese hotel!
The Language Barrier– It’s possible that you may find only a limited number of English-speaking staff, especially when you venture farther afield from the big cities. If you encounter a language barrier, it is essential that you always remain polite- despite their outward serene and compliant demeanour, the Japanese are a proud people and they will become mortally embarrassed if they aren’t able to help you effectively with their limited English abilities.
If you appear to grow impatient with them it could result in them clamming up and not even attempting to speak English with you at all! It is inherent in their culture to avoid directly saying “no”, which might result in you looking for a straight answer to a question or request and getting a “yes” even if it most likely means “no”!
Shoes & Slippers – In most Japanese hotels, the proper etiquette is to remove your shoes at the front entrance, place them on a rack, then put on a pair of slippers supplied by the hotel. This can be a bit of a challenge if you happen to have a very large shoe size, they might not have slippers on hand to fit your feet! The best thing to do is to simply stick your toes in and slide along as best you can. If you are really having trouble the staff will apologise profusely and tell you to simply wear your socks as you check in and go to your room, which they will then request you hand over to them for washing!
Meanwhile, they will be dispatching a staff member to go purchase some bigger slippers, such is their dedication to customer service! Once you arrive at your room the slippers can be removed. There will also be another pair of in-room slippers that are optional, and a pair of rubber toilet slippers, so be careful not to forget and walk down to reception wearing those! The staff will politely take them from you and replace them with lobby slippers, but they will likely enjoy a chuckle at your expense once you have departed!
Be prepared for the room to be smaller than what you are used to, and sparsely furnished. You can watch TV, but it’s going to be in Japanese! Enjoy your stay!
