Sustainability of Japan’s Accommodation Sector

This chapter discusses the sustainability and its management in the accommodation sector in Japan. The sector consists of diverse types of accommodation, namely Western-style hotels, Japanised Western-style hotels, Japanese-style inns, budget accommodation, outdoor accommodation and holiday rentals (minpaku). Overall, all of them are aware of the significance of sustainability of and sustainable management at their accommodation businesses. Consequently, they have been working on various activities to enhance or maintain the economic, socio-cultural and environmental sustainability of their businesses and surrounding environments. Nevertheless, there would be a gap in the level of their activities between the accommodation businesses owned and managed by an established large enterprise and those owned and run by a small company, family or ordinary person due to the difference in their financial and human resources. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the economic sustainability of accommodation businesses, especially those heavily relied on inbound tourists. The socio-cultural sustainability of certain accommodation facilities has been maintained by being recognised and conserved as cultural heritage. Some accommodation businesses enhanced the socio-cultural sustainability of their surrounding communities by accepting COVID-19 patients or sufferers of natural disasters. The environmental sustainability of accommodation businesses and surrounding environments have been retained or strengthened through their activities for CSR, SDGs and/or 3Rs.