Hotels, firms in Osaka preparing for G-20 Summit

May 8, 2019

Osaka--Hotels and companies in Osaka are accelerating preparations to respond to the Group of 20 summit to be held in the western Japan city on June 28-29.

Rihga Royal Hotel Osaka spent some 200 million yen to complete in early June the first renovation of its main lobby and lighting equipment in 12 years.

Some 300 employees to deal with customers are learning English, according to the hotel. The G-20 summit is "a chance to promote Osaka to the world," said a public relations official at the hotel operator.

Hotel New Otani Osaka will finish renovating eight suite rooms on the top floor by the end of this month. A carpet pattern featuring the plum grove in Osaka Castle Park will be introduced.

Imperial Hotel Osaka has sent four young leaders to Imperial Hotel Tokyo to have them receive two months of training at the hotel in the Japanese capital that has many VIP guests.

Businesses in Osaka are considering holding annual shareholders' meetings earlier than usual to avoid disruption from traffic controls related to the G-20 summit.

Kansai Electric Power Co. <9503> will hold a shareholders' meeting on June 21, earlier than the previous year's June 27.

Daiwa House Industry Co. <1925> is set to move up a shareholders' meeting by about a week. The hotel the company uses every year is unavailable during the G-20 summit for security reasons, a public relations official said.

Panasonic Corp. <6752>, which holds a shareholders' meeting at Osaka-Jo Hall in the heart of Osaka, is considering changing the date and location due to possible congestion caused by traffic regulations.

Hitachi Zosen Corp. <7004> will give employees working at its headquarters near the G-20 summit venue time off on June 27-28.

Some 30,000 people from a total of 37 countries and regions as well as international institutions are expected to visit Osaka for the G-20 summit.

Osaka Metro Co. is set to equip major stations with a total of 29 cameras to bolster security. Jiji Press