Why traveling to Okinawa is difficult for Muslims?
Okinawa is one of the most difficult destinations for Muslims to travel to, because pork and Awamori, an Okinawan style Shochu alcohol, are deeply rooted in the prefecture. No matter where we go, there is always a braised pork on top of their specialty noddle called Soki Soba, or the local’s No.1 sweet Chinsuko or Sata Andaghi are fried in the oil from pork.
The very first hotel which started its preparation to welcome Muslim tourists is Hotel Yugafuin Okinawa (ホテルゆがふいんおきなわ). The hotel is located in Nago and has 121 rooms, and it is the only Halal certified Hotel in Okinawa.
Standard double room
The knowledge and experience in welcoming Muslim tourists are superb, and the hotel is taking a leading role in promoting tourism in Okinawa.
We have visited the hotel and interviewed Mr. Akio Ishii, the CEO of the hotel with 3 other people who are in charge of customer service.
Interesting facts of their Halal story.
Q
Why did you start serving Muslim customers?
A
Our hotel is working based on a concept called Universal Service, to provide an additional service for the people who are in need, such as elderly or challenged person.
It was around 2010 when we first thought we have to prepare for Muslims, because we had a large group of tourists from overseas. To be ready to satisfy all the customers who have special dietary preference met the concept of our company, which became our strong motivation to work on learning food diversity.
Q
There are not so many facilities certified as Halal, we guess it costed you a lot.
A
When we first introduced the service, we had some difficulties.
Three things we found the most difficult to prepare were seasonings, kitchen facility and prayer rooms.
We guess many people will imagine that preparing halal meat is the most difficult part, but the truth is that there are quite a few imported Halal-certified meats available. Our hotel is serving Japanese cuisine in our restaurant, so we found it more difficult to prepare halal Japanese seasonings.
This is because Japanese seasonings are expected to be consumed only within Japan, so they are not made as Halal.
We also had to prepare an oven that cooks only Halal food, which was the most expensive item for us. We also found it difficult to prepare prayer room in the public space, so we have prepared each single room to be used as a prayer room.
Qibra and mat are available.
Even after being certified as a Halal hotel, we still accept regular inspection from the authority. We are sure that we are the hotel that Muslims can stay without any concerns.
Q
It is quite rare to find a hotel that has a “Halal-only” kitchen in Japan. Do you find any difficulty in preparing food?
A
We ensure that all Halal kitchen tools are labeled and not to be mixed up with other tools, this was possible because we have set this rule when we started. However, what was more difficult was to educate all the staffs and to ensure that we all share the same knowledge.
We believe we have to keep on making effort for this.
Q
About how many Muslim customers did you welcome?
A
We are the city hotel with more than 100 rooms, so we have welcomed relatively a large group of customers, especially Malaysians. No matter if the customer is staying at our hotel or not, the restaurant serves Halal meals.
The restaurant is now used as a hub of the tourism, where Muslim customers can enjoy their meal.
Q
What would you like to do as a hotel that promotes Halal and diversity in food?
A
It is true that we have so many luxurious world-class resort hotels in Okinawa, however, it is unfortunate to say that we are falling behind with customer service for Muslims.
This is because Japanese people are sometimes obsessed with perfectionism, and they are afraid of making mistakes. This is not always bad, but in order to promote tourism, it needs to be solved.
Q
Do you have any message for Muslim customers?
A
We guess great gourmet and the warm communication with the local people are the most vital part of your vacation.
Okinawa has so many beautiful sceneries. Northern Okinawa where our hotel is located would relax your mind in a tranquil ambiance. We believe that our strength is that we can offer a place where Muslims can relax with a great gourmet.
All of us are waiting for you, and we hope that all the customers can be rejuvenated in our hotel.
