OSAKA, Japan – Japan continues to draw tourists from the Philippines after relaxing its visa policy, with some even concluding that the East Asian country has become “the new Hong Kong” for Filipinos.

Also adding to Japan’s popularity among Filipino tourists is the increasing number of flights between the two countries as well as the availability of different types of accommodation.

Today, travelers to Japan on a budget can opt to stay in hostels, guesthouses, capsule hotels or rental homes, while those who have more money to burn can book a luxury hotel.

This growing market of Filipino visitors is exactly what the Japanese real estate group Xymax wants to tap. Partnering with Gokongwei-led property developer Robinsons Land, Xymax has introduced a new hotel chain called Karaksa Hotels, which caters mainly to Filipinos and other Southeast Asian tourists.

In her presentation for ABS-CBN News and selected members of the media at Xymax’s office in Osaka, Karen Barretto of the company’s overseas business department noted that the growth in Southeast Asian tourists in Japan has surpassed that of Chinese visitors, citing February 2016 figures from the Japan National Tourism Organization.

She said the first two Karaksa Hotels in Osaka and Kyoto have taken into account the preferences of Southeast Asians – particularly Filipinos – taking a page from Robinsons Land’s budget hotel chain, Go Hotels.

But unlike Go Hotels, the Karaksa Hotels brand is somewhere between economy and high-end. It does not have a swimming pool but it has complete room facilities, including a bathroom that is roomy by Japanese standards.

PINOY TOUCHES

Upon the invitation of Xymax and Robinsons Land, we stayed in Karaksa Hotel Osaka Shinsaibashi which is walking distance to Dotonbori, one of the city’s principal tourist destinations.

The hotel rooms were noticeably different from the usual Japanese template. For one, the beds are elevated so guests can slide their luggage underneath and have more walking space.

Speaking of space, cabinets were removed from the layout and replaced by wall-mounted hooks. Filipinos usually complain about the centrally controlled air conditioning when they stay in Japan, so Karaksa Hotels opted to have an air conditioner installed in each room.

Electrical outlets are aplenty – there are two on the headboard alone – with Barretto saying that they have considered how Filipinos bring a lot of gadgets whenever they travel. The Wi-Fi signal here is pretty strong, too.

Each room has a television with both Japanese and foreign channels, including ABS-CBN’s The Filipino Channel. During our visit, the hotel has one Filipino staff at the reception desk.

On top of these, Karaksa Hotels has its own bus service and tour packages to provide guests a complete experience of the city.

Despite these Filipino touches, Karaksa Hotels still has Japanese elements such as the well-loved high-tech toilet, which comes with bidet, seat heating and deodorizing functions.

Expect to see the familiar sanitized room slippers and freshly cleaned sleepwear, as well as top-notch toiletries – Shiseido, anyone?

Another standard feature in Karaksa Hotels is the leisure space, which is equipped with vending machines, capsule toy machines and massage chairs. Just across it is a dining area where guests can have a buffet breakfast consisting of Japanese and other Asian dishes.

Karaksa Hotels is expected to continue its expansion in the coming years, with another branch in Osaka set to open in 2017. A hotel in Sapporo in the northern island of Hokkaido slated for a 2018 launch.

The brand is also targeting to open a hotel in Tokyo in 2019, just in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics.