Nagoya abuzz with preparations to welcome Asian Games visitors
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Nagoya’s Osu shopping district is abuzz with plans to give a warm welcome to visitors in the run-up to the Asian Games.
PHOTO: AFP
- Nagoya's Osu shopping district prepares special events like a cosplay parade and mochi pounding to welcome visitors during the Asian Games from Sept 19 to Oct 4.
- Local authorities expect visitor numbers to rise to 120,000-140,000 daily and have decorated the area with flags and photo spots.
- Nagoya recruited 1,200 supporters and trains hotel staff to assist foreign visitors and people with disabilities for better service during the games.
AI generated
NAGOYA – With the Asian Games less than a month away, businesses and local authorities in Nagoya are stepping up preparations to welcome spectators from Japan and abroad, ranging from special events such as a cosplay parade at a shopping arcade to the training of hotel staff to better serve guests.
Located in the heart of the capital of Aichi prefecture, the Osu shopping district is abuzz with plans to give a warm welcome to visitors in the run-up to the Games from Sept 19 to Oct 4.
Offering people the experience of pounding mochi – Japanese rice cake – and a cosplay parade are in the works, organisers say.
The district, known for restaurants serving international cuisine, maid cafes and vintage clothing shops, is home to more than 1,000 businesses and draws an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 visitors a day on weekends and holidays.
“We want to step up our efforts even further to welcome visitors from overseas,” said Shoji Hotta, 67, head of the shopping district’s association.
The association plans to decorate its covered arcade with the flags of countries and regions participating in the Games, and set up a photo spot modelled on a medal podium.
It expects daily visitor numbers to rise to between 120,000 and 140,000 during the Games.
Nagoya is also working to improve the environment through a project launched in July to improve water quality of the Horikawa River in the city centre.
The central Japan city has also recruited about 1,200 supporters to provide tourist information and other assistance during the global sporting event.
Since last September, the Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel, which is directly connected to JR Nagoya Station, has been holding training sessions twice a month to help employees assist foreign visitors and people with disabilities.
“The training has made me more confident about stepping in to help guests,” said Ryo Tanaka, 26, who handles the reception desk and other guest services.
“I want to make sure each guest is supported well.” KYODO NEWS
