2. Creating a comfortable workplace

Good Job Awards in 2024

As part of efforts to enhance job satisfaction, Park Hotel Tokyo has implemented an internal award system called the “Good Job Awards.” Through this initiative, employees can nominate each other for outstanding work that left a strong impression as a “Good Job.” Each year, approximately 120 to 180 cases are nominated, and twice a year, an awards ceremony is held to recognize selected individuals. The initiative was launched with the goal of fostering a culture of praise and has since developed into an element that fosters a sense of purpose and ownership in one’s work. It serves as an important tool to encourage employees to work with pride and fulfillment, helping to achieve the company’s mission and behavioral guidelines. We also recognize employees who have worked with us for 10, 20, and 30 years through our Continuous Service Awards.

Cooking Contest Awards in 2024

We hold a cooking contest aimed at fostering internal communication and boosting motivation. The contest primarily features new employees, with teams composed of employees from various departments, emphasizing not only cooking skills but also cross-department collaboration. The competition evaluates not only the quality of the dishes but also the pairing with beverages, with the harmony between food and beverages being an important aspect of the scoring. We value excellent teamwork and creative ideas that arise from employees with diverse skills working together.

At Park Hotel Tokyo, we provide an environmental where next-generation leaders can participate in monthly internal training sessions and have opportunities to attend external training programs that enhance personal skills and career development. Being a hotel with a focus on art, we also offer unique opportunities for employees to visit museums and art-themed accommodations to further their studies. Since 2021, we have implemented the “Hotel Appeal Acquisition Program” for our employees, establishing a system where employees teach each other, aiming to improve both job satisfaction and guest satisfaction.
To learn about Japan’s spirit of hospitality, employees have the opportunity to experience tea ceremony, and foster a healthy work environment, we conduct mandatory “Compliance and Harassment” program for all employees. Additionally, we emphasize nurturing proactive individuals by introducing a new “Career Design” program in 2023. We also launched a “Learning Assistance” program, which supports employees in obtaining qualifications, certifications, and attending courses, even those unrelated to their daily work duties. These experiences not only enhance awareness and motivation but also aim to improve the overall quality of our employees, both as hotel employees and as professionals in society.

We have a wide range of club activities that allow our employees to broaden the scope of their skills and hobbies. Through club activities such as sports and culture, we support them in eliminating their lack of daily exercise and encouraging them to refresh their minds. By stimulating interaction among the employees, we will create an open and better corporate culture.

In recent years, we have hired foreign staff to support the increasing number of inbound visitors and to give our guests a sense of security when they come to Japan. We are working to create an environment where every staff can play an active role, regardless of nationality, age, or gender, and where we can improve our careers according to our abilities. We also provide Japanese language training to improve customer service skills.

We try to promote an environment where all staff can work comfortably and support a balance between work and childcare. The introduction of this system also leads to the development of a diverse workforce.

In recent years, while the number of applicants for employment in the service industry is said to be lowering, we are actively working to provide beneficial hands-on experience for college and university students to help them find future employment or enter the workforce. Our sister hotel, Shiba Park Hotel, also offers several days of hands-on experience for students from high schools, junior high schools and schools for the disabled.

To improve the efficiency and productivity of operations, a check-in tablet device and a 24-hour foreign currency exchange machine have been installed. Also, information on the art exhibition in the hotel is now available through QR codes. These initiatives have reduced the amount of time guests have to wait, relieved labor shortages and reduced overtime work. Increasing the time to serve guests in person creates job satisfaction.

3. Environmental initiatives

In guest rooms, we are offering THANN with over 95% plant and mineral-based ingredients as an amenity. And in the hotel entrance, guests are greeted with aromas made from 100% natural essential oils extracted from plants. The pleasant scent has a soothing psychological effect, while the plants’ natural neutralizing, deodorizing, antibacterial, and antiviral properties are effective in purifying the air in the hotel. These efforts will lead to our safety and health improvement. In 2024, we transitioned from single-use small bottles to refillable large bottles.

*Approximately half of the items in all guest rooms have been replaced.
Organic bamboo toothbrushes / Bamboo brushes / Bamboo razors / Bamboo cotton swabs / Amenity box (made from bamboo and wood)

As part of our sustainable initiatives, we offer amenities primarily from bamboo. Items such as trays and tissue covers in guest rooms have also been replaced with eco-friendly materials like bamboo and wood. Notably, our organic bamboo toothbrushes contribute to reducing plastic waste. This toothbrush is made using patented technology and contains no chemical agents, ensuring it is safe and environmentally friendly. Bamboo is a sustainable materials that grows in just 3 to 4 years, making it an ideal alternative to plastic. Additionally, our toothpaste comes in paper packaging, supporting an eco-friendly lifestyle that begins with oral care. By using natural bamboo toothbrushes, we provide a unique accommodation experience that balances health and environmental conservation.

The mineral water in guest rooms is natural mineral water extracted from the nature of the Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita Prefecture, which is soft and easy to drink. Additionally, to eliminate plastic, we use aluminum cans, a material considered to be environmentally friendly.

Use of aluminum material
■Reduction of waste
Aluminum cans are recycled many times instead of being thrown away, reducing waste and decreasing the load on waste landfills (Aluminum can recycling rate: 97.9%).
■Resource conservation
The raw material for new aluminum ingots is a precious natural resource. Japan imports 100% of new aluminum ingots from overseas. The recycling of aluminum cans will be an effective use of limited resources.
■Saving energy
The production of recycled ingots from collected aluminum cans saves 97% of energy compared to making new ones (Only 3% of energy is needed to recycle ingots).

-Organic English Breakfast
-Organic Mint Green

Art of Tea prioritizes natural aromas while minimizing the use of fragrances, and over 95% of its ingredients are certified organic by the USDA. Environmental considerations are also key, with eco-pyramid sachets made from biodegradable materials used for tea bags. This ensures that they naturally decompose after use, minimizing environmental impact. Notably, the Organic Mint Green Tea is Fair Trade certified, ensuring fair trading practices for producers. By offering environmentally friendly high quality tea in guest rooms, Art of Tea creates special moment from a sustainable perspective.

All guest rooms are equipped with water-saving toilets and the shower heads have been replaced with water-saving Hansgrohe ECO smart, which saves 20-30% water (depending on the floor.)

LIMEX is a new material based on limestone. Use as a bag reduces the amount of plastic contained in the product.

+Use of Banana Paper for Hotel Employee Business Cards
We use Fair Trade certified banana paper, an ethical paper, for our employees’ business cards. This initiative, which began in 2011, was born from a commitment to address environmental and social issues, and it is the first Fair Trade certified paper in Japan linked to the 17 SDGs. The production of banana paper incorporates traditional Japanese techniques, specifically “Echizen Washi,” making it an environmentally friendly and socially meaningful ethical paper.
This banana paper was created in collaboration with organic banana farmers in Mfuwe Village, near South Luangwa National Park. It helps protect people, forests, and wildlife while providing value to the environment and society. The banana fibers used are sourced from Zambia, where women in Mfuwe Village manually remove moisture and dry the fibers. Through this initiative, we demonstrate our ethical corporate stance via the business cards, while also generating employment opportunities in Africa and supporting the self-sufficiency of local communities.

+Payment slips, withholding tax forms, the internal newsletter issued four times a year, and the ART brand manual for staff have been replaced to data distribution through the system implementation. This has led to a reduction in errors and workload, and an increase in the certainty and speed with which information is communicated to staff. (Work efficiency has also promoted a change in the way we work, and also enabled staff to achieve a better work balance.)

+Measures to combat global warming
– Reduction in the use of plastic products
– Elimination of the use of plastic straws
To reduce carbon dioxide, one of the problems of global warming, we have eliminated the use of plastic straws and introduced paper straws and sugarcane straws in all of our restaurants.

* Currently changing paper straws to sugarcane straws
Sugarcane straws are made from bagasse (food residue byproduct from the sugarcane refining process) that used to be disposed of as an industrial waste material and PLA (polylactic acid), making them an upcycled product that is biodegradable with 100% natural ingredients.

Up to 80% of the building’s lighting is LED, with the rest using energy-saving fluorescent bulbs. In the future, we will gradually replace all the lighting in the building with LEDs to contribute to the prevention of global warming.

ApeosPort-Ⅵ C RC Series / ApeosPro C650
We have implemented environmentally friendly reconditioned models for the multifunction printers used within our company. This initiative achieves CO₂ reduction throughout the entire product life cycle and enhances employee awareness of environmental issues and commitment to the SDGs.

*What is an Environmentally Friendly Reconditioned Model?

It is a machine that guarantees the quality of new products by disassembling, cleaning, and replacing parts of used products or regenerating parts from used products as needed and reassembling them.

All of the coffee offered in each restaurant uses products certified by the Rainforest Alliance. By proactively using coffee beans certified by the Rainforest Alliance, an international non-profit organization that works to preserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable living, we are helping to protect the global environment and support producers in developing countries.

We have replaced traditional plastic key cards with wooden key cards.

At Park Hotel Tokyo, we have transformed disposable key holders into up-cycled designs. Guests can use these during their stay and, after their visit, they are provided as reusable postcards. The unique feature of this design encourages participation in ethical behavior. Guests can turn their stay’s memories into reusable postcards to send to friends and family, simultaneously contributing to the hotel’s promotion. This initiative balances environmental contribution with enhancing guest experience, playing a significant role in the hotel’s sustainability efforts.

Waste oil from restaurant kitchens and others, including cooking oil, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans, are collected by recycling companies and either recycled or sorted into smaller pieces for disposal.

We ask our guests staying for consecutive nights to help us contribute to the environment by minimizing the use of organic detergents and other cleaning products generated during the cleaning process.