Visiting lecturer: Hospitality Business in Japan – A Conceptual Comparison of “Hospitality” and “Omotenashi”

Education

3.3.

15:15 - 16:15

We are pleased to welcome Lecturer Hattori from Osaka Gakuin University to Haaga-Helia for a special lecture on one of Japan’s most intriguing cultural concepts: omotenashi.

You are warmly invited to join the session:

Hospitality Business in Japan: A Conceptual Comparison of “Hospitality” and “Omotenashi”

Time: Tuesday 3 March 2026 at 3.15-4.15 pm.

Place: Pasila Campus, classroom 1001

The lecture is open to everyone at Haaga-Helia, both students and staff are welcome. Please arrive early as seating is limited to 80 participants.

Discover how omotenashi influences Japan’s hospitality sector and what insights it offers for us. We look forward to seeing you there!

What is Omotenashi?
“Hospitality that’s all about anticipating what someone needs, without expecting anything in return.”
Omotenashi (おもてなし) is often described as “wholehearted hospitality”. It reflects a quiet, sincere, and deeply considerate way of treating others—something woven naturally into everyday life in Japan.
If more people around the world adopted this mindset, our communities would undoubtedly become warmer and more compassionate.