Kana Otoha, a young Japanese woman, found herself questioning her own abilities when she received an invitation to join the international executive committee of Relais & Châteaux, a prestigious global association of luxury hotels and restaurants. This invitation marked a significant milestone, making her the youngest and first Japanese member to be invited. The invitation came at a time when Kana was juggling the demands of motherhood, having recently given birth to her third child. The prospect of balancing family life with the demands of frequent international travel seemed daunting. However, with the support of her husband and a belief in the organization’s mission to foster growth through diverse perspectives, Kana accepted the challenge.
Kana’s journey began in 1981 when her father, Kazuki, opened a restaurant in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, with a vision to transform the local community through the art of fine dining. After completing her education in the United States, Kana returned to Japan and joined her family’s business, taking charge of the event department. Despite the demands of a demanding career and a growing family, Kana found solace in the transformative power of food and hospitality. “Restaurants offer a dream, a way to make people happy,” she emphasizes, “I never want to give people a negative impression, so I never apologize for my busy schedule.”
This dedication to both family and work is rooted in her own upbringing. Having witnessed her parents’ tireless efforts to create a thriving restaurant business, Kana understands the importance of family unity and work-life balance. Though her father never explicitly asked her to take over the family business, she and her siblings felt compelled to continue their parents’ legacy, inspired by their dedication and joy in pursuing their passions. This dedication is reflected in Kana’s decision to bring her then eight-year-old son to the Relais & Châteaux annual general meeting in Denmark. “The warm reception from members around the world, their willingness to interact with my son, truly touched me,” she shares.
As a leader in the hospitality industry, Kana recognizes the shifting landscape of customer expectations. “We’ve moved from an era of customer-centricity, where employees often sacrificed personal time to meet demands, to a new era of transparency and understanding,” she explains. “It’s crucial to be able to explain our business decisions and practices to our customers and gain their understanding.” This belief in open communication and mutual understanding drives Kana’s approach to business leadership and her commitment to building a sustainable future for the industry.
Through her journey with Relais & Châteaux, Kana has learned a valuable lesson: “If there’s something you truly want to do, you need to have a strong will and think strategically about what it takes to make it happen.” Echoing her father’s vision to cultivate a vibrant culinary culture in Utsunomiya, Kana understands that achieving such dreams requires a multi-generational commitment. “Looking back, I realize that my father’s strategy involved skillfully engaging his children in the family business. Now, I aim to inspire the next generation by demonstrating my own enjoyment in my work, creating a restaurant culture that they will want to inherit and carry forward into the future.”
