Spa Resort Hawaiians
Encyclopedia
, located in the city of Iwaki
, Fukushima Prefecture
, is a resort
and theme park in Japan
. It opened on January 15, 1966 as the Joban Hawaiian Center, becoming the first in the country.
The resort was an outgrowth of the mining industry. The Joban Mine had become the Japan's largest mine in 1944, and business continued booming through the 1950s. As Japan's economy shifted from being powered by coal
to oil
in the 1960s, though, the owners realized that its useful life was limited. Yutaka Nakamura, the vice president, was determined to extend the mine's life somehow, and hit upon the idea of using the area's hot springs, an inconvenience to the mines, to open a resort. He selected a Hawaii
an theme.
One of the Resort's most well-known features is its dance troupe. Rather than inviting an outside troupe to perform, the company decided to create its own, and initially trained 18 employees' daughters. In the very close-knit mining community, entire families would work at the Resort. Nakamura intentionally kept the hotel small at the beginning, so the local ryokan would benefit from the increased business, and purchased as much as possible from local suppliers.
Its popularity reached its peak in 1970–71, as attendance passed 1.55 million visitors per year.
In 1989, Joban Hawaiian Center received the Deming Application Prize
, becoming the first leisure-industry company to win this quality control
award. In 1990, it changed its name to Spa Resort Hawaiians, reflecting an increased focus on the spa facilities.
In 2004, it was the tenth most popular theme park in Japan, with 1.5 million visitors.
The 2006 film Hula Girl
was based on the story of the founding of the resort.
Iwaki, Fukushima
is a city located in the southern part of the Hamadōri coastal region of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.A designated "core city", Iwaki is also one of the growing number of hiragana cities. Its area is 1,231.35 km², making it the 10th largest city in Japan...
, Fukushima Prefecture
Fukushima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region on the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Fukushima.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Fukushima prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
, is a resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
and theme park in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It opened on January 15, 1966 as the Joban Hawaiian Center, becoming the first in the country.
The resort was an outgrowth of the mining industry. The Joban Mine had become the Japan's largest mine in 1944, and business continued booming through the 1950s. As Japan's economy shifted from being powered by coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
to oil
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
in the 1960s, though, the owners realized that its useful life was limited. Yutaka Nakamura, the vice president, was determined to extend the mine's life somehow, and hit upon the idea of using the area's hot springs, an inconvenience to the mines, to open a resort. He selected a Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an theme.
One of the Resort's most well-known features is its dance troupe. Rather than inviting an outside troupe to perform, the company decided to create its own, and initially trained 18 employees' daughters. In the very close-knit mining community, entire families would work at the Resort. Nakamura intentionally kept the hotel small at the beginning, so the local ryokan would benefit from the increased business, and purchased as much as possible from local suppliers.
Its popularity reached its peak in 1970–71, as attendance passed 1.55 million visitors per year.
In 1989, Joban Hawaiian Center received the Deming Application Prize
Deming Prize
The Deming prize, established in December 1950 in honor of W. Edwards Deming, was originally designed to reward Japanese companies for major advances in quality improvement...
, becoming the first leisure-industry company to win this quality control
Quality control
Quality control, or QC for short, is a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in production. This approach places an emphasis on three aspects:...
award. In 1990, it changed its name to Spa Resort Hawaiians, reflecting an increased focus on the spa facilities.
In 2004, it was the tenth most popular theme park in Japan, with 1.5 million visitors.
The 2006 film Hula Girl
Hula Girls
is an award-winning Japanese film, directed by Sang-il Lee and co-written by Lee and Daisuke Habara, and first released across Japanese theaters on September 23, 2006...
was based on the story of the founding of the resort.