Japanese Hospitality

I always enjoy returning to Japan. The social graces still grease the wheels of civilization here. We enter a restaurant to cries of welcome, "Irashai, irashai mase." and leave to thanks, "Domo arigato gazaimashita."

On the long-haul trains where there are still conductors, they slide open the door of each car, bow to the passengers, check their tickets, slide open the car door on the opposite end, then bow again as they move on to the next car.

Waiters and clerks are invariably polite and respectful, remembering that it is the customers who pay their wages. I'm sure this is a novel concept to many Americans who have grown accustomed to clerks just putting in their time and public employees everywhere who act put upon to fulfill the simple tasks that comprise their jobs.

Tipping is a foreign concept in Japan yet wait staff in any restaurant serve diligently and with a friendly greeting for all. Courtesy is their password as they serve their clientele.

Hotels are another place where courtesy is never forgotten.

Friday morning I took off my Fitbit prior to taking a shower and after breakfast noticed it was missing from my wrist. We looked all over the room to no avail so thought I'd dropped it on the way to or while eating breakfast in the hotel dining room. I retraced my steps there and on the way back to the room stopped at the front desk and reported it missing and gave my room number. I was quite concerned since Glenn (older son) had given it to me last Christmas.

Ikuko and I went shopping in Kawasaki (as mentioned in my last post) and when we returned to the hotel my Fitbit was on the desk with a typewritten note from Housekeeping: "Dear Mr. Harold Rodenberger, Regarding your inquiry, we found it under the bed. Please enjoy your stay with us." and signed by Yumi Hasegawa.

I was so pleased they found it I sent an email to the hotel manager: (Wanted to copy and paste it here but I can't seem to figure out how to do it without covering half of this post so I'll retype.)

Subject: Accolades to Housekeeping

General Manager
Royal Park Hotel
The Haneda

Dear General Manager,

This morning I was afraid I had lost the Fitbit exercise tracker my son had given me as a Christmas present.

I took it off before showering and then missed it after returning from the Tailwind Restaurant. My wife and I checked our room, I retraced my steps to the restaurant and searched the floors along the way. All the searching was to no avail as we couldn't find the Fitbit.

This afternoon when we returned to our room from a shopping trip to Kawaaki I found that your housekeeping staff had found the device and left it long with a nice note.

Please pass my thanks to Ms. Yumi Hasegawa and he staff or finding the precious device my son had given me.

With Sincere Thanks,


//signed//
Harold Rodenberger
Room 619

I thought that would be the end of it but I was wrong. When we checked out on Saturday there was an envelope waiting for me and as we turned from the front desk there was the General Manager, Mr. Tobari, who shook my hand and wished us well.

We just can't get ahead of the Japanese in the courtesy game.

Here's the letter he wrote:

Thank you letter from the manager responding to my thank you letter