Omotenashi is a management philosophy
We've seen that 'omotenashi' (welcoming guests in Japanese) transcends basic service by addressing needs customers haven't even recognised themselves, according to Kayo, the Omotenashi Ambassador. Now, we turn to her to explore: What core driver motivates this extraordinary level of mindfulness?
Advice from Omotenashi Ambassador Kayo Part 2
Let's dive deeper into the challenging reality of Omotenashi: what happens when exceeding expectations requires tough love, not just excellent service?
Kayo Tokumaru: That said, I don't believe there is a single “right answer”. We’re still learning and adapting, but as omotenashi professionals, our goal is to overcome these challenges and help clients achieve their objectives.
The challenge is that even when we provide the right advice, the other person may not be ready to hear it, and may not fully understand or feel satisfied. I often think of customers as ‘princesses’ or ‘kings’. An omotenashi professional strives to fulfil their wishes.
This article is the follow-up to Part 1: Japanese Mindset: How Omotenashi Transforms Business Strategy (see below)
Yumiko Horie
Y: You mentioned that customers are ‘kings’. In Japan, we often say that ‘the customer is god’. I think this has both strengths and weaknesses. What do you think? The strength lies in treating customers like gods through omotenashi, which enables us to impress them. However, the weakness is that we might become too deferential to customers.
KT: As I mentioned earlier, for me, omotenashi is about exceeding expectations. This impresses customers, leads to satisfaction and, over time, builds lasting value. Incidentally, when I handled complaints at JAL, I learned the importance of empathy – listening first often resolves dissatisfaction. It's also part of my personality – I genuinely enjoy putting effort into helping others.
Omotenashi applies to all relationships – with business partners, colleagues, family and friends
Y: That's altruistic.
KT: Perhaps. In that sense, I see omotenashi as applying not only to customers, but to all relationships – for example, with business partners, colleagues, family and friends. That is my understanding of omotenashi.
Y: In Japanese, omotenashi usually refers to guests, but you also apply it to your team. What does it mean in that context?
KT: It may be easier to understand if I use sports as an analogy. In sports, each team member performs at their best to achieve good results – winning, for example. One of the things a leader should do to achieve this is create an environment in which everyone can work in a positive frame of mind and do their best. I believe this is the kind of omotenashi we offer to our team members.
This mindset extends beyond work to relationships with family and friends. In other words, I believe omotenashi is essential in all industries, not just hospitality. As an omotenashi ambassador, I hope to share this approach with anyone involved in business.
Psychological safety and mindset in the workplace – Omotenashi for a team
Y: Generally, omotenashi seems to focus more on outsiders rather than colleagues, especially in Japan.
KT: Yes. The key difference between omotenashi for customers and for team members lies in the fact that the latter are colleagues who overcome challenges together.
Y: As a leader at AND ASSIST, you also place great importance on omotenashi for your team, right?
KT: Absolutely. While the omotenashi we provide to our clients and to our team is not exactly the same, we place great importance on building connections with our team members, whom we call ‘assistants’ at our company.
We prioritise creating a better working environment for our assistants, who interact with our clients on the front line, and supporting them to maximise their potential. We aim to foster psychological safety by regularly discussing each assistant’s circumstances so that they can work with peace of mind. For everyone who shares AND ASSIST's philosophy and works with us, mental and physical health is the most important thing.
Seeing assistants use their abilities to serve clients, receive gratitude, and feel rewarded is deeply moving – it enriches their lives and strengthens the whole team.
I also remember my own first year as a new graduate. Training felt strict, and I sometimes questioned my decision to join. Back then, I blamed myself for not being good enough. Looking back, I realise that wasn't necessarily the case, which makes me value our staff even more.
Y: Psychological safety in the workplace is so important! Our generation (those born in the Showa era) was raised to believe that enduring hardships was inevitable.
KT: Being strict alone is not an effective way to improve performance. So, when an assistant shares honest concerns about working style or work-life balance, it’s a sign of trust, and I’m grateful for that.
Even when faced with challenging requests from clients, having multiple team members focus on the issue allows us to find swift and effective solutions.
Y: So, the omotenashi you show your team is linked to leadership?
KT: Exactly. Leaders embody omotenashi by using their abilities for the benefit of others. That means taking responsibility for your actions rather than blaming others. This is a core part of our management philosophy, which we aim to share as ambassadors.
(Continue to Part 3)
