Osbert Hotels Ltd.

As a result, the Chikusenso also went out of business. Mr. Payson Cha, chairman of Mingly Corporation has long been enchanted with the Chikusenso’s splendid hot springs and traditional Japanese aesthetics. As he puts it, "I had stayed at the Chikusenso once or twice a season every year since the early 1990s." When he heard about the bankruptcy, he did not hesitate to purchase the inn, acquiring it in May 2007. Although renovations were suspended due to the global financial crisis, Mr. Cha continued to push for the project. "I have never deviated from my conviction that Chikusenso is a wonderful property and once there was a glimmer of hope that the market was improving we surged ahead with the project," he explains.

The major new feature, however, was the addition of a spa facility commonly attached to high-end resort hotels in other countries. Spa Botanica, which has entered Japan for the first time, is a luxurious, award-winning spa. This spa is Chikusenso’s top attraction, designed to appeal to a high-class clientele who seek the ultimate in relaxation.

By applying world-class hotel operation and services experience, while at the same time recognizing the value of Japanese aesthetics, culture and tradition, Osbert Hotels Ltd. has successfully transformed the Chikusenso into a contemporary, high-end hot-spring resort.

Following the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the number of overseas visitors to Japan slumped in 2009, but the figure bounced back strongly in 2010, helped in part by the easing of visa requirements for Chinese tourists in July 2010.

When asked for his recommendations on how to attract more foreign tourists to Japan, Mr. Cha pointed out that "it is necessary to provide door-to-door baggage delivery services so that tourists won’t have to struggle with large pieces of luggage while they are moving from the airport to their destination. It is also necessary to provide traffic signs in English."

Amid calls for the revitalization of regional economies, investment by foreign companies in the Japanese tourist industry is expected to not only attract more foreign tourists to the country but to also have a positive effect on employment. Most new employees at the Chikusenso Mt. Zao Onsen Resort & Spa, for example, were recruited from local high schools, technical schools and universities.