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Wednesday, 24th August 2016
In General Japan News,
Japan's first Muslim hotel opens to the public
A hotel aimed at attracting Muslim visitors has opened at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan.
The accommodation takes the specific needs of the followers of Islam into consideration, providing a prayer room and an entirely halal menu.
Sitting at the bottom of Japan’s most famous mountain at the beauty spot near Lake Kawaguchi, it offers stunning views, as well as a tailored experience.
Traditional dishes have been adapted to ensure that pork is not used, with beef and unfermented seasonings featuring heavily instead.
Prayer mats are also on hand and each of the rooms in the Syariah Hotel Fujisan in the Yamanashi Prefecture town of Fujikawaguchiko has an arrow pointing out the direction of Mecca.
Shigeru Yamashita, president of the hotel operator, told the Japan Times he had renovated the vacant house and made it into a hotel for Muslims, as an increasing number of tourists to the area are coming from Indonesia and Malaysia.
It is not the only hotel in the region offering halal food, but without a mosque, the difficulties of praying for Muslims are now catered for.
Despite the care and attention that has been put into creating the hotel, there are yet to be any bookings made.
Yamashita said that he was looking into the future to see the new hotel become a success, but it will be interesting to see if he has identified a real gap in the market.
Syariah Hotel Fujisan’s proximity to Mount Fuji gives it a good chance, as the volcano is a popular tourist destination.
It can be viewed from on board the shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka, while many visitors also decide to climb the 3,776 metres to the top during their stay.
Related news stories:
Japan targets muslim tourists (25th November 2014)
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Inside Japan Australia office
Inside Japan - Japan office
