Yoshie Doi

　Joseph Kailala, Hilton’s regional president for Japan, Korea and Micronesia, said in an interview, “We were looking to have our first luxury brand hotel in Asia in Kyoto, and luxury-minded customers prefer a secluded location away from the hustle and bustle of the city. ROKU was the perfect fit for our requirements when it came to opening our first hotel in Kyoto.

　Aman Kyoto is also located in the quiet suburb of Takagamine and is a popular hotel that attracts visitors from all over the world. Unfortunately, Kyoto is overrun with tourists and there are fewer quiet places to stay unless you go a little further out.

　About 10 years ago, when I took a German and a French person to Arashiyama, I asked them, “Would you like to go to the famous temple nearby, or to a temple on top of a mountain with a panoramic view of Kyoto?” They all chose the top of the mountain, and were delighted when we walked to the top. Kyoto’s historical and cultural landscapes in harmony with nature are unique to the city. I would like to recommend this type of sightseeing that is unique to Kyoto.

　There are many gourmet foods that can only be enjoyed in Kyoto. When we planned and guided a sightseeing course for a foreign minister’s family, they were delighted to visit Izuju, a Kyoto sushi restaurant. Yasaka Shrine enshrines the gods of the mountains and the sea, so they were surprised by the seaweed rolls, which contain seven types of seaweed from the mountains and the sea. People who come to Kyoto from the metropolitan area are also surprised and delighted.

　I am often asked, “Where are the restaurants and ryotei that you can only eat in Kyoto?” There are now many ryotei that have opened in Tokyo, and I get this question a lot. I always answer, “A full course meal of gluten and yuba.” I want the accommodation tax increase to be one that satisfies visitors to Kyoto who are able to ask such questions. There are times when it is difficult to get a reservation even if you want to stay in Kyoto, so an increasing number of people are staying in Nagoya or Shiga and sightseeing in Kyoto.

　Therefore, I would like to propose the creation of a “Welcome Program” tentatively named, since the financial resources would be generated by raising the accommodation tax.

(Continued in the next issue)

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Translated by Masami Otani

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