, commonly known as APA (Always Pleasant Amenities), is a Japanese hospitality group that operates a chain of hotels in the country. APA Hotels operate in Japan with more than 300 properties.
APA has been noted in Japan for its proximity to the far right, particularly visible through the works considered
revisionist and anti-Semitic that can be found in the brand's rooms, and the links of its founder with far-right figures such as
Steve Bannon
Stephen Kevin Bannon (born November 27, 1953) is an American media executive, political strategist, and former investment banker. He served as the White House's chief strategist for the first seven months of president Donald Trump's first ...
.
Expansion abroad
APA expanded into the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
on November 13, 2015, with the APA Hotel Woodbridge (formerly a
Hilton) in
Iselin, New Jersey. APA acquired the Vancouver-based
Coast Hotels in 2016. There are plans to open more hotels in the U.S. in the future.
Controversy
APA Group distributes political propaganda written by its president,
Toshio Motoya, a strong supporter of revisionist historical views aligned with those of Japan's far-right.
[Japanese hotel chain's books denying Nanjing Massacre spark criticism in China]
''The Mainichi'' (January 18, 2017). For example, in a series of interviews published online from APA Group's magazine ''Apple Town'', Motoya referred to
Japanese aggression, the
Nanjing Massacre
The Nanjing Massacre, or the Rape of Nanjing (formerly Chinese postal romanization, romanized as ''Nanking'') was the mass murder of Chinese civilians, noncombatants, and surrendered prisoners of war by the Imperial Japanese Army in Nanji ...
, and the
sex slavery
Sexual slavery and sexual exploitation is an attachment of any ownership right over one or more people with the intent of coercing or otherwise forcing them to engage in sexual activities. This includes forced labor that results in sexual ...
of
comfort women
Comfort women were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces in occupied countries and territories before and during World War II. The term ''comfort women'' is a translation of the Japanese , a euphemism ...
as "fabricated stories created to dishonor Japan" he claimed that having spoken to many important figures in the 81 countries he has visited and to many ambassadors to Japan that "not a single person believes in things such as the Nanking Massacre or comfort women story..." Such views are known to create negative feelings in neighboring countries such as China and South Korea. These publications are widely distributed in APA Hotels. In addition, Motoya disclosed in his books that he plans to give maximum support to the Abe administration to rebuke China and Korea on these historical issues. Some Chinese tourist organizations are boycotting the chain.
[
The Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman ]Hua Chunying
Hua Chunying ( zh, s=华春莹; born 24 April 1970) is a Chinese diplomat who has been serving as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China since 2024. She most notably served as spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
After graduating ...
stated that the China National Tourism Administration has requested to all Chinese companies and websites to not conduct business with APA, and for people to not go to their hotels, she said "China is willing to have friendly interactions with Japan, but will never tolerate flagrant provocations distorting the history and offending the Chinese people."
Safety issues
In 2007, several APA hotels were discovered to have faked their earthquake safety data with some buildings having only 70 percent of the legally required structural strength. This greatly reduced construction costs but put customers at risk as Japan is amongst the world's most earthquake prone countries.Osaka shuts down Apa hotel due to quake-safety flaws
''Japan Times'' (February 15, 2007).
References
External links
*
* M. Schreiber
Defiant Apa paints a target on its back ''The Japan Times'' (February 11, 2017)
* M. Penn
APA Hotel Amenities Not Always Pleasant Shingetsu News Agency (November 24, 2021)
1988 establishments in Japan
Hospitality companies of Japan
Hotel chains in Japan
Hotels established in 1988
Japanese brands
Service companies based in Tokyo
Comfort women denial
Nanjing Massacre deniers
Historical negationism in Japan
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