The Restructuring of a Japanese-Style Hotel's Workforce in a Globalized Society

Abstract

 Hot spring tourism areas in Japan gather genderized and marginalized reproductive labor. Restructuring of the workforce has gone hand in hand with globalization in recent years. This article will explore the mobilization of a workforce and reintroduce distinction in the case of one hot spring tourism area. The Japanese-style hotel in this case mobilized migrant workers from Aomori prefecture and temporary female laborers from the local area. Recently, however, the Japanese-style hotel has promoted streamlining, controlling and outsourcing. As a result, regular workers have become better geared for employment. At the same time, female trainees from other Asian countries, young dispatch workers, and female part-time workers from the local area have been mobilized as marginal laborers. On the other hand, elderly migrant workers were excluded from the labor market. This restructuring of the workforce shows distinction of age in addition to keeping the unequal gender ratio. It has relation to characteristics of the service industry which is not only for costs but also for good image, for “Omotenasi” (hospitality), image unlike in the manufacturing industry. Globalization of the reproductive sphere is progressing most in the marginalized female service sector, and competing with other marginal workers.