What are the things you value most as an executive?

Our �g2036 Medium- to Long-Term Management Plan�h purports to create an ideal cycle in which, if we can improve service levels while increasing employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction will then increase, which will lead to higher earnings which in turn can be invested in hardware and human resources, thus further increasing employee satisfaction and service levels. Our mission is therefore to meet the expectations of all stakeholders by activating this cycle and keeping it going. In FY2026 we will open a new hotel in Kyoto, and we will also start planning the rebuilding of the Imperial Hotel Tokyo, scheduled to be completed in FY2036, so as to prepare a �gstage�h on which the next generation of hotel workers can greet and welcome guests enthusiastically. In the future, the most important point will be strengthening human resource training while promoting these large-scale projects.

Eiichi Shibusawa, the first president of Imperial Hotel, left us these meaningful words: "serving and ensuring the satisfaction of guests from all over the world is an important job that benefits the nation too," indicating the goal of combining ethics with economics. This spirit is reflected in our corporate philosophy which states: "by providing the best services and products, we contribute to the development of the international community the enrichment of people's lives and the improvement of culture." We will continue to work with the belief that our role in society is not to provide superficial hospitality, but to fundamentally improve service for the sake of our customers; this is the Imperial Hotel's spirit of hospitality.

What are your expectations with regard to the JAPAN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (JMA)?

Japan was ranked first in the 2021 Travel and Tourism Development Index Report made public at the World Economic Forum (Davos Meeting). This is proof that people around the world are strongly attracted to Japan as a travel destination, and if the public and private sectors can work together to improve tourism-related initiatives, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan will surely increase. I hope that, as part of its activities, the JMA will actively disseminate information about the tourism industry, that its efforts will reach a wide range of people and that the number of people who take interest in this industry will increase.