The capital is pondering ways to attract and train volunteers to offer "omotenashi," or Japanese hospitality.

 For the Tokyo Games, two types of volunteer work are planned. One category is for jobs at venues, including guiding spectators at event facilities and front desk jobs, while the other involves guiding visitors to airports, major train stations and sightseeing spots.

 The Tokyo government and the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games plan to require volunteers to give at least 10 days to work guiding people inside venues and five days to assistance outside venues, officials said.

 The recruiting of volunteers will start from around summer 2018, followed by application screenings and interviews.

 "We want to boost the public's appetite for volunteering" through a dedicated website and symposiums, a metropolitan government official said.

 But according to a survey, many people say they will not have time to join volunteer activities.

 The Tokyo government has therefore started efforts to encourage companies to adopt volunteer holiday programs so that employees can participate.

 According to a survey conducted by the labor ministry in 2013, only 2.8 pct of Japanese companies had such programs in place.

 The Tokyo government has started offering 200,000 yen to companies that adopt the subsidy program in fiscal 2017, expecting 500 companies to sign up in the initial year.

 Some people are already active as tourism volunteers, after the Tokyo government started recruiting and registering volunteers in preparation for the 2002 FIFA World Cup soccer finals hosted by Japan and South Korea. (Jiji Press)