99 How a Kyoto Hotel Survived Japan's Entry Ban: Winston Chu, Co-Founder of Wayfarer Hotels)

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Winston Chu, CEO & co-founder of Wayfarer, talks about his interest in Japan and how About Winston Chu Winston Chu is the CEO & co-founder of Wayfarer. Wayfarer currently operates three hotels in Kyoto with plans to expand other cities, including Osaka and Tokyo. Topics Discussed How Winston got interested in Japan and anime About watching anime and playing video games from Japan About traveling to Japan Why people become interested in Japan About Wayfarer Hotels About what distinguishes Wayfarer Hotels The story behind Wayfarer Hotels About Japanese hotels About Japan's archaic hotel infrastructure About the high turnover rate in Japan's hotel industry The impace of COVID on the travel industry About moving to Japan during the coronavirus pandemic About starting a hotel in Japan as the COVID19 pandemic began What it was like living and working in a hotel in Kyoto during the pandemic Ways to make running a hotel more efficiently Japan reopening its borders to foreing travelers About the city of Kyoto About learning Japanese And much more! Support on Patreon & Ko-fi If you enjoy Japan Station and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. For a minimum pledge of $1 a month you'll get early access to all JapanKyo podcasts, bonus content, and more. And for $3 a month, you'll get access to Japanese Plus Alpha, a podcast produced by me (Tony Vega) that focuses on the Japanese language and all of its fascinating quirks. Also, all pledges get a shout-out on the show and my undying gratitude. Thank you in advance! Support Japan Station on Patreon You can also do a one time donation via Ko-fi. Support us on Ko-fi Links, Videos, Etc. To learn more about Wayfarer or to book a room, visit Wayfarer's website via the link below. Wayfarer Hotels Don't forget to check out the latest episode of Ichimon Japan. What’s the difference: East vs West Japan? (Kanto vs Kansai) | Ichimon Japan 64 Follow Japankyo on Social Media Facebook (@JapankyoNews) Twitter (@JapankyoNews) Instagram (@JapanKyoNews) Full Show Notes Get the full version of show notes at https://www.japankyo.com/category/podcasts/japanstation/