31 hotels and 'ryokan' in Japan certified as climate-friendly SDG locations

Japan Today -- May 16

A total of 31 hotels and ryokan traditional inns across Japan have been certified as locations striving to achieve U.N. sustainable development goals amid a growing global trend for environment-friendly travel.

The recognition of the 31 locations, given as of the end of April by a Japanese organization, comes as more facilities aim to attract inbound travelers and revitalize the tourism industry badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Tokyo-based organization oversees the evaluation of accommodation facilities. Under its "Sakura Quality" scheme, an establishment is judged using criteria that include decarbonization and cutting down on waste.

The group said it has received requests for evaluations from about 200 facilities and hopes to certify around 2,000 establishments in the future. ...continue reading