[Special Feature] My coworker JIU Ryugujo Spa Hotel Mikazuki

Abe Katsunori (pictured left: 2001 graduate of the Faculty of Humanities) and Pang Thanh Chun (2019 graduate of Faculty of Tourism) are currently working as staff at Ryugujo Spa Hotel Mikazuki, one of the hotels of Hotel Mikazuki Co., Ltd./Hotel Mikazuki Group (headquarters: Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture). We spoke to the two, who work at a hotel full of hospitality and entertainment that can be enjoyed by three generations of parents and children, about their relationships at work and their memories of their university days.

About your current job

Abe-san: Currently, I work in the Human Resources Department at Ryugujo Spa Hotel Mikazuki, where I am mainly responsible for recruiting and managing foreign staff. With Japan's declining birthrate and aging population, we expect more and more foreign nationals to play active roles in the future, so I am focusing on creating an environment where they can work with peace of mind. I also plan social events and club activities within the company, and place importance on fostering teamwork that transcends cultural and language barriers.

Mr. Pang Thanh Chun: I work in the sales department and am mainly responsible for dealing with group customers and tourists from overseas. When I was attending the Awa campus, I had a part-time job at a hotel in Kamogawa City, which made me want to continue working in the tourism industry after graduation, so I joined my current company. Currently, I am also focusing on sales activities both domestically and internationally, so that more people can learn about the attractions of tourism in Chiba.

 

Memories of my student days

Abe-san: Surfing was what inspired me to go to university. I met many friends through clubs on campus, and we still keep in touch, meeting once a year. I also have a memorable experience working part-time at an izakaya near Chiba Togane campus. There were many international professors there, and they would come to my place, so it was an environment where students and teachers were very close. From experiences like that, I realized the importance of connections and communication with people in university life.

Mr. Pang Thanh Chun: During my university days, I studied in a seminar at Faculty of Tourism with international students from various countries, including Vietnam and Poland, and had the opportunity to come into contact with cultural differences and diverse ways of thinking. The fieldwork in tourist destinations was also memorable, and the experience of experiencing firsthand the charm of Japanese culture and regions is very useful in my current job. In addition, the professors I interacted with through classes gave me a lot of advice not only about my studies, but also about job hunting and how to live my future.

 

Interacting with foreign staff and language barriers

Abe-san: After I joined the company, there was an opportunity to start a club within the company. With nearly 500 staff members, I wanted to get to know the faces and names of the people, so I started a club to watch movies. I think it's a great time because we can learn about language and culture through movies.
I also try to speak to foreign employees in their native language. Many of them are originally from Vietnam, so I am studying Vietnamese and when I greet them I communicate in both Japanese and Vietnamese. They have left their home countries and are working while learning Japanese, so I think that by studying Vietnamese myself, I will be able to deepen our relationships.

Mr. Pang Thanh Chun: I serve as something like the vice-director of this in-house club. It has become a place for Japanese and foreign staff to interact, and I feel that it has improved interpersonal relationships in the workplace.
As Abe-san said, when I hear that Japanese staff are studying Vietnamese, it makes me want to study Japanese hard too. I feel like we can communicate each other's thoughts even better.

Job satisfaction and future goals

Abe-san: We would like to continue to create a work environment where our foreign staff can work with peace of mind and expand their opportunities. We also aim to create an environment where employees can learn from each other, and to be an organization that can contribute to the local community as a whole hotel.

Mr. Pang Thanh Chun: We actively provide local tourist information so that guests visiting the hotel will realize that Chiba has so many fascinating places. Chiba Prefecture has a wide range of attractions, including the sea, mountains, nature, and hot springs, but there are still many spots that are not well known. We would like to propose routes that will make overseas guests think, "I want to visit Chiba as well as Tokyo."

 

Message to juniors

Abe-san: I know quite a few JIU classmates who are not from Chiba, but who return to Chiba after working for a few years. This is true of course for the area around Chiba Togane campus, but I think Chiba Prefecture is a very comfortable place. JIU is not too far from Togane to get to Tokyo, and it is surrounded by nature, so I think it is blessed with a very good environment. Because of this comfortable environment, even if you enroll from far away, you will surely meet people and learn things that will make you feel glad that you came. I hope you enjoy your university life to the fullest.

Mr. Pang Thanh Chun: I think the time you spend as a university student is very valuable. I encourage you to participate in internships, part-time jobs, clubs, etc. Of course, there are also opportunities at JIU to meet people and cultures from various countries. By proactively getting involved, learning, and taking on challenges, you will definitely gain experience that will be useful in the future. Don't be afraid of failure, and try as many things as you can.

  

Founded in 1961, the company operates the Hotel Mikazuki Group in Japan (Ryugujo Spa Hotel Mikazuki in Chiba Prefecture and Nikko Kinugawa Spa Hotel Mikazuki in Tochigi Prefecture) based on a "spa and resort" business model. The company aims to create hotels that will be loved by three generations of parents and children. Da Nang-Mikazuki will open in Da Nang, Vietnam, on June 1, 2022. Overseas, the company also operates hotels beloved by customers, based on the concept of being a base for disseminating information on Japanese quality and Japanese culture.

• Ryugujo Spa Hotel Mikazuki