Japan’s “hospitality spirit” is fading under the foreign onslaught.
It has often been declared that tourism is bad for the planet, but the far graver issues is that it is bad for the soul.
Any resident of London has seen the way in which the “lovable Cockneys” prey on visiting families. Aggressive and racist cab drivers are nothing new, but even hardened observers were shocked to read the news article about a clean-cut college student asking a Japanese family for the equivalent of 40,000 yen for a 15 minute rickshaw ride along Pall Mall. The beleaguered father paid, too. These incidents are neither edifying for the visitors nor for the locals.
Yet Japan for so long a haven of civility and manners is in danger of going the same way. Reports abound of the development of a two-tier service. One tier is for the Japanese and is polite and efficient. The other is for the tourists, and can be downright brusque.
But things could get even worse, with easy money from tourists eventually also leading to a deterioration of service standards across the board. In other words, even the Japanese will suffer from lower standards.
Tourism is part of the government strategy to revitalize Japan, and has been very – too? – successful. According to Japan Macro Advisors, a consulting firm: “In 2008, the Japanese government set the initial goal to increase foreign visitors to 20 million in 2020. In 2016, having met the 20 million target (four years early), the government revised up its target to 40 million by 2020 and to 60 million by 2030.” Remember the population of Japan is just 127 million.
Such colossal growth will have negative implications initially for foreigners who live long-term in Japan. “When numbers are small, you get treated properly, like a local, although allowances are made. But when there is a huge influx, staff just see you as trouble”, says one German business person who has worked in Japan for 20 years.
Take the cheerful Scandinavian group in the local Doutor coffee shop recently. A couple of kids are larking around. The decibel is higher than usual in Japan. Ordering takes a long time as they poke at the menu, then they fumble around for the right change. Some sympathy or at least patience is required. But no – not from the cafe staffer who pushes one lady away from the counter to free it up for a local customer.
Yet one cannot completely blame the staff. Her stress is evident. Foreigners not knowing how to queue up or how to arrange themselves in tight spaces makes keeping to the well-ordered flow so beloved of her other Japanese customers impossible. And she does not speak English. The foreigners are slow, clumsy, noisy. What’s not to dislike? But they are also alone in a strange land, have money, and a heartful of good intentions.
And in fact, the cafe waitress’ attitude, while unfortunate, is quite smart. At least she knows she needs to keep her core local customers happy, and her service is fully up to Japanese standards.
One foreign luxury jewellry shop owner describes of the perils of neglecting core customers, and chasing the tourist dollar. Last year, he says, the influx of Chinese tourists seemed great for business. They spent heavily. But the real price became clear later, after the influx of Chinese money dried up in 2017.
“Our Japanese customers were upset at they way our staff had neglected them in favour of the Chinese. Now they have taken offence, and are staying away. And the Chinese tourists are gone too!” he says.
Local business owners were usually less short-sighted than the foreigner jewellry shop owner. But even their commitment to quality standards may fade as tourists become an increasingly important revenue driver.
The worst outcome would be if Tokyo becomes like Paris, Rome, Istanbul or London, where very large numbers of tourists lower the bar for quality and service, and customer rip-offs are common.
For this “quick money” mentality to reach Japan would be a tragedy. So far, Japan is an oasis of honest service, no tipping, and high quality. Long may it remain so.
PS Omotenashi is nicely defined by Jeffrey Spivock in the following way: ”Omotenashi, loosely defined as the art of selfless hospitality, is a cornerstone of Japanese culture. To welcome someone into your home or establishment and be able to anticipate their every need is seen as a privilege for the host, and working in a service industry is regarded with the utmost seriousness and respect. There are no menial tasks if the result ensures a great experience for a guest.”
