Private lodging market slow to take off in Japan

Cumbersome local ordinances hinder those with rooms to spare

20181217 minpaku

Jeerawat, center, visiting from Thailand with his wife and daughter, talks with Yui Yamaguchi, left, on Dec. 11 at Yamaguchi's home in Tokyo, which she rents out to travelers. 

HIROKI OBAYASHI, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Half a year after Japan's minpaku ("private lodging") law took effect, the market has failed to catch on as expected despite growing numbers of overseas tourists.

Minpaku, as short-term lodging services such as Airbnb are known in Japan, arrange stays in condominiums and other private residences, mostly for foreign travelers. The new minpaku law took effect on June 15.

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