My encounter with Haimurubushi and the deciding factor for joining

At vocational school my aim was to be a wedding planner. I was interested in working in hotel weddings, so I took an internship. That experience stoked my interest in becoming a hotel worker. Rather than restrict myself to a single field such as weddings, I reasoned, I could gain a wide range of skills, including restaurant work, housekeeping and more.

In my job search, as I perused the help-wanted ads at school, my eyes were drawn to an ad from Haimurubushi. I saw pictures of the beautiful ocean, deeper greens than I’d ever seen before, and night skies blazing with millions of stars, and thought, “Wouldn’t it be amazing to work in a place like that!” When I talked it over with my family, my parents encouraged me to go for it. The more I looked into Haimurubushi, the more its attractions won me over. Kohamajima was a special place, not a tourism hot spot like Ishigakijima, so I realized I could gain once-in-a-lifetime experiences here that I could never find anywhere else. I made up my mind to join Haimurubushi.

Duties and sense of purpose

After joining the Hotel and finishing my new-employee training, I was assigned to The Grill, one of the Hotel’s restaurants. These days I generally start work at 2 PM, getting ready to open, setting tables, confirming guests’ allergy information and so on. It’s a job made up of lots of fine details. There’s a lot to remember: Explaining the restaurant’s cuisine to guests, the foodstuffs of Yaeyama, cooking techniques, wine, and much more. I’m studying every day, gaining deeper and deeper knowledge.
My sense of purpose in working at the restaurant comes from communication with guests. At first I wasn’t confident that I’d be able to talk to them, but I was relieved to find that most of the people who visit Kohamajima put great stock in connecting with people. As I learned more about what our guests needed, recognizing needs that others hadn’t noticed, I broadened the scope of my discussions with guests. When I saw the smiles of satisfaction on guests’ faces as a result of my efforts, I felt enormous joy and sense of accomplishment.

The lifestyle on Kohamajima and how I spend my days off

Life on Kohamajima is far from the noise of the big city. I can take time to reflect here. On my days off, I often deliberately make no plans at all. I leave my house before dawn to walk along the quiet roads. Basking in the glow of the rising sun is truly satisfying—it rekindles my appreciation for the charms of Kohamajima. At night, I just let time slip by, gazing up at the countless stars that fill the sky. It’s the greatest feeling in the world. Living close to the beauty of nature like this is an irreplaceable treasure to me.

At Haimurubushi I feel myself growing as a person.

I had never been very good at talking to people when I meet them for the first time. But here at Haimurubushi, I chat with guests every day. I talk easily with a genuine smile—I surprise even myself at the positive person I’ve become. I’m sure the warm, welcoming atmosphere here at Haimurubushi is a big factor in that change. The desire to do whatever it takes to make guests feel genuinely happy has taken root within me and caused me to grow as a person.

The appeal of Haimurubushi

The most appealing aspect of Haimurubushi is the atmosphere of open communication. Every staff member’s opinion is respected. We’re all committed to delighting our guests, so anyone can offer a suggestion. We’ll all discuss the idea, and if it sounds good, we’ll implement it together. We communicate actively, with guests and with each other as staff. We discuss our work-related concerns with others of the same cohort and spend our days off together. We have fun working together and being mutually supportive.

My future goals

Going forward, I want to try applying the skills I acquired in restaurant work to duties on the front desk. The front desk supports guests’ entire stay, so I get to work with guests on a deeper level. A front-desk clerk is similar to a hotel concierge, providing information that makes guests’ holidays more richly memorable. Through my life on Kohamajima and my work, I want to grow as a hotel professional and as a person relating to others.

Message to Applicants

Guests’ expectations for Haimurubushi are high, so you could never say that working here is easy. But working under a sky filled with stars, going to work with the sunrise beaming on your face, building warm and friendly relations with guests—these are irreplaceable experiences you can only find here. You’ll be amazed at how they grow you as a person.

Haimurubushi is the kind of workplace where staff members take action on their own initiative and discuss ideas openly with each other, all with the goal of bringing heartfelt delight to each guest. Nestled in the beauty of nature, we support each other as friends, yet we each treasure our own time for reflection as well.

Do you want to try your hand at something new? Would you like to change yourself? If so, I urge you to take the plunge into the world of Haimurubushi. You might discover a you that you never imagined existed, or the joy you’ve been looking for.

Self-introduction and career before joining Haimurubushi

I’m a Tokyo boy born and raised. I attended a vocational school for cooking and majored in Japanese cuisine. After I graduated, I worked for five years at a Japanese restaurant in Tokyo, gaining a thorough grounding in the basics of Japanese food.

I became aware of Haimurubushi when I was in my mid-20s. Later, when I was thinking about what I wanted to do in the future, the thought of joining Haimurubushi took my interest. Partly it was because I admire the culture and food of Okinawa, but I also had a strong desire to work in a hotel kitchen, which would be completely different from working in a restaurant. At the time, I was considering a number of hotels. But when I stayed at Haimurubushi, I was deeply impressed by the food I ate and the warm hospitality the staff extended to guests. I came to an intuitive decision that “This is the one.”

Current work and daily routine

Currently my work focuses on overall kitchen management. I manage our cuisine, test new menu items, and perform final checks of the food we serve to guests, among other duties.

On a typical day, I report to work at 11 AM. I confirm the staff shifts, sample the lunch offerings, and stock up for the evening. After that I hold a meeting in the lunch venue before taking a one-hour break. I often cook my own food at this time. This is my chance for a mental break, so I catch up on social media and, more recently, study to become a salt sommelier. I used to work the lunch and evening shifts with a long break in between, but recently I’ve upgraded to a straight shift with a one-hour break, to use my time more effectively.

Attractions of working at Haimurubushi and sense of purpose

What I find most attractive about working at Haimurubushi is doing things I love in service of others. My passion is cooking, and it’s a big plus for me that I can study a wide range of culinary genres, cutting across Japanese, Western, Okinawan, Italian and other styles. I can turn my ideas into real menu offerings, and we encourage even freshly graduated staff to participate by proposing menu items from an early stage.

What gives me a sense of purpose is the direct reactions I receive from guests. We have repeat guests who look forward to enjoying my cooking every year. Others send me letters. The sight of guests’ happy expressions and their words of appreciation really make my day.

A supportive work atmosphere and culture

There’s no tension in the workplace at Haimurubushi. Everyone is warm and supportive. Our supervisors take active roles on the front lines, making communication easy and encouraging the open exchange of views.

The great relations I enjoy with my co-workers and the people in the region also make Haimurubushi an attractive place to work. We have warm relationships with farmers, fishermen and others in the community, so I feel really blessed with the people around me. In fact, this environment has given me a new objective: to contribute to the vitality of this region through our use of Okinawa foodstuffs. On my days off, I like to visit farmers and go touring on my bicycle, enjoying the natural beauty of Ishigakijima to the hilt.

The lifestyle on Kohamajima and how I spend my days off

My life here on Kohamajima is completely different from when I lived in Tokyo. The people are so warm-hearted, if something upsets me at work, they check to make sure I’m all right. I really feel that everyone around me is a big help to me. It’s nothing like the unsociable way people behave in Tokyo—everyone treats me with kindness.

I’m seldom at home on my days off. I visit farmers or go fishing or cycling, enjoying the beauty of nature. I especially enjoy taking some time alone around the northern end of the island. This is another luxurious use of my time that the island makes possible for me.

Career path and goals

Haimurubushi gives me flexibility in choosing my career path. Personally, I have a strong desire to keep playing an active role on the front lines of hotel work. In the future, my dream is to put the things I’ve learned to work at a restaurant of my own. After the COVID-19 pandemic, I broadened my field of vision to include catering as well as being a restaurateur. I want to offer cuisine with deep roots in the region and respect for foodstuffs.

Message to Applicants

My work at Haimurubushi is not just about preparing food. For me it’s also about growing as a person by getting in touch with the rich natural environment and culture of Okinawa and the warmth of its people. Skill and knowledge are important, but we at Haimurubushi especially value the pure feelings of love for good food and desire to delight guests. If that sort of career sounds interesting to you, I urge you to come to Haimurubushi at least once.

If you like cooking and like Okinawa, this is a job that consists of doing things you like. I’m looking forward to working with you in this work environment.