GUIDE
How do you enter Osaka's lodging market now? New minpaku applications stopped in June 2026 — the realistic route is the hotel business licence. Costs run a guide ¥1.5–2.8M per tsubo of guest room, with three laws (hotel, building, fire) cleared in parallel.
New minpaku applications stopped in June 2026; existing licences stay valid and transferable, so licensed properties are gaining scarcity value. New entrants realistically go via the hotel business licence — five minutes from a station, on inbound-tourism ground.
Beyond the Hotel Business Act licence, the building must satisfy the Building Standard Act (zoning, use change, evacuation) and the Fire Service Act (auto fire alarm, exit lighting). For conversions, the use-change permit and the inspection certificate decide feasibility.
A guide of ¥1.5–2.8M per tsubo of guest room. Versus housing, five factors drive cost and schedule: plumbing/equipment density, soundproofing, evacuation routes, licensing (Hotel Business Act & fire code) and BCP.
What to verify at early design when converting a building to a hotel — or building one — and the risks.
| Check item | What to confirm | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Zoning | Is inn/hotel use permitted? | If not: cannot operate / major redesign |
| Building confirmation | Change-of-use (>200㎡) filing needed? | Longer timeline |
| Fire equipment | Alarms, guide lights, sprinklers | Added cost |
| Escape routes | Two-way escape, corridor width, smoke exhaust | Renovation is difficult |
| Inspection certificate | Does the existing building have one? | Change-of-use stalls without it |
| Hotel-business permit | Front desk, room area, sanitation code | Permit denied if the building fails requirements |
Obtaining the permit is the owner/administrative-scrivener’s process. We design and build so the structure meets the requirements.
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