This study empirically examines the role of “Omotenashi” hospitality and experiential consumption in enhancing satisfaction among foreign visitors to Tokyo. In 2023, as Japan recovered from the pandemic and the depreciation of the yen, inbound tourism rebounded, and experiential consumption showed signs of growth. Statistical methods such as co-occurrence networks and structural equation modeling were used on data from a travel website and a questionnaire survey. It reveals the significance of hospitality and friendly service in driving tourism recovery and meeting Japan's visitor goals, though maintaining service quality remains challenging amid labor shortages.

The forward-reserve picking (FRP) system is a warehouse layout designed to enhance the efficiency of product picking operations by dividing the space into two areas: a forward area for picking ordered items, and a reserve area for storing items to replenish the forward area. This study considers methods to improve the performance of the FRP system by comparing its effectiveness with that of the traditional picking (TRP) system, in which picking operations are carried out across an entire warehouse. The comparison is executed based on the walking distance of pickers. The results show that the FRP system does not always outperform the TRP system when only a simple division between forward and reserve areas is introduced. To enhance the performance of the FRP system, additional measures are required to make picker movement more efficient within the warehouse. These include aligning the storage positions of items between the forward and reserve areas, and implementing class-based storage strategies in the forward area.