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EveryParampara

Omotenashi

The Japanese ideal of wholehearted hospitality, anticipating a guest's needs.

A pattern drawn for this page, not a picture of Omotenashi.

Also: japanese hospitality

Omotenashi is the Japanese word for hospitality in which the host thinks ahead, giving what the guest needs without being asked and without expecting anything in return. It is rooted in the tea ceremony, where the host prepares the room, the flowers and the sweets with the guest in mind, and in the traditional inn, the ryokan, where staff set out slippers, bedding and meals with great attention. The word is often heard in commerce too. Omotenashi is felt in small details, such as warm towels, a handwritten note or a flower in season, and carries an ideal of ichi-go ichi-e, one time, one meeting.

Region: East Asia

See also

ChanoyuOjigi

Find traditions that mention Omotenashi

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Every week: one tradition from somewhere new, what is being celebrated around the world this week, and one idea explained.