Foreign guests to get new year taste of Japan
Hotels recognizing visitors want cultural experiences, so offer wearing a kimono, doing calligraphy, temple visits
TOKYO — With the new year fast approaching, if you want to have a different-than-usual holiday season, why not look to hotels for an escape from the everyday?
Many Tokyo hotels offer packages tailored to New Year’s festivities. For example, meals include toshikoshi soba (traditional “passing-of-the-year” noodles) on New Year’s Eve and traditional osechi New Year’s feast, while entertainment includes watching a shishimai lion dance, pounding mochi rice cakes and trying your hand at kakizome, the first calligraphy writing of the new year, among others.
Now an increasing number of hotels make concerted efforts to welcome foreign guests so they can enjoy the Japanese-style new year holiday.
The Hotel New Otani Tokyo in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, prepares a new year Package plan from Dec. 31 through Jan. 3, with a threenight stay to explore the nation’s culture. For non-Japanese speakers, some events will have English assistance provided.
The plan starts out with toshikoshi soba on New Year’s Eve, followed by a New Year’s Eve countdown party at your choice of venue for the event.
On the morning of New Year’s Day, after eating the osechi feast at the hotel, it is recommended to make a visit to a temple or shrine to make New Year’s wishes, using the hotel’s free shuttle bus service. The bus goes go to Meiji Shrine, Sensoji temple, Hie Shrine or Toyokawa Inari shrine.
Among various amusing events, Hotel New Otani especially prepares programs that highlight hands-on activities to learn traditional Japanese culture — such as kakizome calligraphy writing and noh lessons for beginners led by a professional noh performer. The lesson in the classic theatrical art performance will be held in English for foreign guests.
“Though some events are held only in Japanese, we believe foreign guests can deepen their understanding of Japanese culture through such hands-on activities,” said Kunihiko Iwasaki, Hotel New Otani public relations manager.
The Shiba Park Hotel in Minato Ward, Tokyo, also said hands-on events really fascinate many foreign visitors as they provide them with memorable experiences.
Exploiting its favourable location just a short walk to Zojoji temple, the hotel offers a service for foreign guests to visit the temple where they will be able to observe a ceremonial burning ritual, explore the temple grounds, take part in the bell ringing ceremony and offer prayers on New Year’s Eve.
“Right after we posted the information about the service on the website and Facebook, some customers gave us a quick response about this event ... We’re pleased that our foreign guests have a great interest in our program,” said Emi Sotome, marketing and public relations director of the hotel.
The hotel said that more than 70 per cent of its guests will be from overseas during the upcoming new year holidays.
The Prince Hotels’ new year plan is characterized by a New Year’s arrangement at its Japanese garden surrounded by The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo, the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa and the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa, all in Minato Ward, Tokyo.
In the 20,000-square-metre garden filled with trees and flowers of the season, a bell ringing ceremony will be held at a bell tower, which is about 360 years old.
“Our guests who bought the new year plan can ring the bell, though all the reservations for ringing the bell were already taken. But any hotel guest can observe the ceremony to enjoy the sound that echoes through the whole garden,” said Yuri Nakaone, an official of the Prince Hotels marketing department.
The Prince Hotels also prepares various events to learn Japanese culture, from creating bonsai to playing go. On a separate occasion, Prince Hotels offers kimono wearing practice, which Nakaone said, is very popular among foreign guests.
“We’d like to increase these kinds of handson events related to Japanese culture as we now have learned that such events attract foreign customers,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Hotel Tokyo in Chiyoda Ward said it has no vacancies for the New Year’s holiday, but visitors can enjoy the New Year’s events in its banquet rooms — which are open to the public as well as hotel guests.
Traditional stalls, street performances, and other traditional games in old days will be on offer over the new year holiday.
Imperial Hotel’s Public Relations Manager Akitaka Minakata said, “I’m sure that foreign visitors will be able to enjoy the events surrounded by an atmosphere of Japanese traditional culture.”