Panasonic to Launch “Minpaku” Biz through Subsidiary

June 26, 2018

Osaka- Panasonic Homes Co. plans to launch "minpaku" private lodging business to meet demand from users including foreign tourists, company officials have said.

The subsidiary of Japanese electronics giant Panasonic Corp. will propose to landowners in Tokyo, Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, and other areas construction of minpaku facilities on their land plots, the officials said.

The homebuilder will ask the landowners to introduce Panasonic-made electric appliances at the lodging facilities for the promotion of the products, they said.

Panasonic Homes, based in the city of Toyonaka in Osaka, hopes to build a total of 10 minpaku and other accommodation facilities in fiscal 2018. The company has already received an order to build one such facility each in Osaka and neighboring Kyoto Prefecture, they said.

The planned minpaku facilities will be operated by two companies with business relations with Panasonic Homes, according to the officials. Fees will likely be set at around 5,000 yen per person per night, they said.

Panasonic Homes decided to fully kick off the minpaku business following an increase in the number of foreign visitors to Japan and the effectuation of a Japanese law on minpaku services earlier this month. Jiji Press