The Omotenashi Tradition explained by Takuro Okada
The spirit of Japanese Hospitality
April 25th, 2023
Omotenashi comes from sado, the Japanese tea ceremony, and consists of looking wholeheartedly after your guests. This practice truly shows the Japanese mindset of hospitality centering around care rather than expectation. It is this idea that best embodies the spirit of the Japanese.
Due to the deep-rooted culture in Japan, Omotenashi is still used to this day. It expresses the attachment to people, gods and nature and is like a religion for Japanese people.
Omotenashi is a kind of greeting, but also means being a good host, paying attention to your neighbors and coworkers or even just compassion. Omotenashi is everywhere in Japan.
On 25th of April, 2023 in the Japanese-German Center of Berlin, Saargemünder Stra.2. Takuro Okada has explained to his audience what the word “serve” means for Japanese people. The aim was to discuss the feelings experienced when a Japanese does something for someone else.
