Japan¡¯s self-professed ¡°omotenashi¡± (spirit of selfless hospitality) is often misinterpreted to force predetermined services on foreign visitors, says one longtime observer.
Cultural services expert David Atkinson, 49, says the nation¡¯s confidence in what it offers the world is misplaced: Many foreigners who visit leave unfulfilled.
Atkinson runs Konishi Decorative Arts and Crafts Co., a Tokyo-based team of heritage restoration professionals who help to conserve the nation¡¯s cultural properties. The company itself has around 300 years of history.
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