Muslim Friendly Tourism:
Developing and Marketing MFT Products and Services
In the OIC Member Countries
79
request.201 In Kyoto, the Granvia Hotel displays that it has food certified as Halal by Malaysia
Halal Corporation Co. and has Halal condiments. The Hotel uses separate utensils for its
Muslim guests to avoid cross contamination. The hotel offers prayer mats and Qibla direction
in rooms upon request as well as offering their banquet room for group prayers.202
 Muslim-friendly Restaurants
In an effort to make Muslim travelers able to enjoy Japanese cuisine while still following their
religious beliefs, a rising number of restaurants have altered their dishes to be Halal.
Hanasakaji-san, a restaurant in Shibuya serving authentic Japanese cuisine, introduced Halal
shabu-shabu which contains thinly sliced beef instead of the dish’s normal pork. Other dishes
such as Ramen and curry, which are popular Japanese menu items among foreign tourists that
normally use pork extract, are also being altered to become Halal certified. 203
Taito City in Tokyo, supported by government initiatives to become more Muslim friendly,
now has 17 restaurants with Halal certification. This is a marked improvement from having
only Indian restaurants serving Halal food in the past. Sushi Ken, makes its own seasoning in-
house to ensure it is using all Halal components. At another grilled meat restaurant, the
owners not only changed their ingredients to obtain Halal certification but they have even
installed a whole new kitchen to be able to serve Halal meat. 204
 Muslim-friendly Entertainment and Shopping Venues
Japanese karaoke bars traditionally serve food and alcoholic beverages with no Halal food.
However, in a bid to appeal to Muslims, some of these establishments have started to
accommodate Muslim needs. Karaoke Honpo Maneki Neko in Tokyo began offering Halal food
options as well as providing a prayer room for Muslims to make karaoke establishments
friendlier to Muslim tourists. 205
One of the popular department stores in Tokyo, Takashimaya, opened a prayer room in
response to the growing number of Southeast Asian shoppers visiting the mall and inquiring
about the availability of prayer areas. The department store prayer room has a facility for
Muslim ablution and shows the Qibla direction. 206
 Muslim-friendly Travel Agencies
Miyako International Tourist Co. tailored their services to accommodate Muslim visitors.
They have Muslim guides and they design their tours to accommodate Muslim needs with
respect to Halal food and praying. They also organize Islamic heritage tours that include
visiting mosques and the Islamic sites in Japan. 207
Travelience developed a custom package consisting of a one-day Tokyo Tour for Muslims
after noticing that the Muslims who join their regular tours wouldn't eat any of the food
served to them. Subsequently, the company began to investigate what kind of food could be
201 "Tokyo Area Muslim Friendly Hotels." Japan Muslim Guide. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.
202 “A Commitment to Being a Muslim Friendly Hotel.” Hotel Granvia Kyoto. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.
203 Takemura. "Increasing Muslim Tourists to Japan."
204 Ishida. "Japan's Restaurants Look to Cater to the Halal Food Industry."
205 Takemura. "Increasing Muslim Tourists to Japan."
206 Nuga, Haruka. "Japan Tries to Tap Growing Muslim Tourist Market." Japan Times . 12 Nov. 2014. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.
207 “Welcome to Japan.” Halal Tour. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.