Hello everyone! We are Nanami Okamoto, Sota Tanaka, Mizuki Nio and Kaede Nishioka, new third-year GT students. In this blog, we will write about our experiences of Community Engagement Program (CEP) at Kinosaki Onsen in February 2025.　Our CEP in Kinosaki Onsen involved working at the main building of Nishimuraya ryokan and Nishimuraya Hotel Shogetsu-tei, while also carrying out research activities under the theme‘Promoting Kinosaki and literature to young people’. During our one-month training at Nishimuraya, we were able to experience a wide variety of work and learn deeply about hospitality. We were also able to disseminate information about our research activities. Here are our reflections.

Nanami Okamoto
I learned three things through my internship at Nishimuraya. The first is the importance of　adequate language use and courtesy. At first, I was not so confident, but thanks to the guidance of senior staff, I was able to experience the joy of serving our guests. The second is the ability to react quickly and flexibly to the situation around us. Again, the senior staff taught us the importance of observation and action. Third, I learned the importance of being proactive. By looking for what I could do in a limited amount of time and acting proactively, I was able to develop my ability to think and act independently. From these learnings, I felt that the PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act-Evaluate-Improve) was important. In particular, I learned a lot from senior staff's efficient schedule management and meticulous attention to guests during the planning and execution phase, and the PDCA cycle seems important not only at work, but in all aspects of life. I would like to make use of this experience for my future career search.

Sota Tanaka
I was able to learn mainly two things through my CEP at Kinosaki Onsen Nishimuraya. The first is about hospitality and customer service. I regularly work part-time in the customer service industry. But this time, I have learned about the highest quality of customer service that I have ever experienced. One thing that particularly impressed me was that the way guests feel about you could completely change depending on the height of your eyes and the distance between you and them. When I dealt with a guest from overseas, the guest gave me a compliment by saying ‘Your customer service was very pleasant. See you next year again!’ I was very happy to hear that. The second is about communicating local attractions and information. In doing research on Kinosaki and literature, I had the opportunity to learn a lot about the charms of Kinosaki that I had not known before, and I also learned how difficult it is to disseminate information.

Mizuki Nio
Through my training at Nishimuraya, I realized that there is no right answer to hospitality. For example, we had to be prepared for repeating customers based on their past accommodation record and treat each customer in an appropriate manner. In the operation of TikTok, I was able to gain awareness that creating videos that meet demand and devising the timing of posts can lead to an increase in the number of views. I was also impressed by the fact that my customer service was rated by name in a customer survey. In the midst of trial and error in my first inn operations, my guest service had left a good impression on our guests, which gave me a great deal of confidence. Through this training course, I learned the importance of ‘thinking from the other person's point of view’. I think this is a skill that is required not only in guest service work, but also in the situations of disseminating information. I would like to make use of the learning I gained through my experience at Nishimuraya for my future tourism research and career development.

Kaede Nishioka
Over the past month, I have experienced the operations of Nishimuraya Shogetsu-tei and the main building. It was difficult to get used to the different work content and room styles in both buildings, but I learned a lot. At the Shogetsu-tei, I experienced the role of “helper”, guest room work and front desk. As a helper, I was in charge of serving customers in the breakfast room, cleaning and replenishing supplies, which made me realize how difficult it is to deal with guests. In guestroom duties, I was responsible for lifting bedding, cleaning and preparing dinner, and coordinating the timing of the service was a challenge. At the front desk, I experienced check-in and out service and seeing guests off and learned the importance of paying attention to details. In the main building of the Nishimuraya, I was in charge of front desk and guest room duties. I realized the importance of paying attention to details, such as cleaning the sunken hearth, putting out shoes and carrying luggage. In the guest rooms, I lifted bedding and served tea. All in all, it was a valuable experience, as we learned the depth of hospitality.