Convenience store and retail chain Seven-Eleven Japan Co in a joint project with travel agency JTB Corp will launch an automated service for minpaku (private temporary rented lodging) that allows guests to check in, collect and leave room keys 24 hours a day at 7-Eleven convenience stores.
The service, called Convenience Front Desk 24 in English (and Front Desk 24 in Japanese), will begin at some 7-Eleven stores in Tokyo on June 15, the company said in a press release. Following a gradual expansion in the near future, the new service aims to boost convenience for inbound tourists to Japan ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the company said.
The new service will be introduced just in time for the new minpaku law, which will lower the current legal restrictions for renting out properties for temporary stay. The new law, which comes into effect on June 15, will, in practice, permit private lodging throughout Japan.
User of the new service at 7-Eleven convenience stores will be able to check in at any given time of the day using a device installed at the convenience stores. After inputting booking numbers and other information on the display, the machine will request to take an ID photo. Once the ID and the booking is confirmed, guests will be able to collect their keys from dedicated lockers.
The device will feature instructions in Japanese, English, Korean, and traditional and simplified Chinese.
Seven-Eleven said it will introduce the service at 50 convenience stores by the end of October and, based on needs and usage analysis, to 1,000 by the end of fiscal 2020.
