TableCheck has entered into a partnership with Hakuba Village Mobility as a Service (Maas) project, “Hakuba Night Demand Taxi (HND), to alleviate over-tourism challenges in Hakuba Village, a popular winter destination for skiing located in the Northern Alps of Nagano Prefecture.

The primary goal of the collaboration is to digitize transportation and restaurant reservations in Hakuba Village. The introduction of "Hakuba Night Demand Taxi," powered by AI-driven on-demand shared taxis, not only improves transportation accessibility but also addresses language barriers and understaffing challenges faced by hospitality operators.

The "HAKUBA Do" platform app features 30 participating restaurants and allows users to make online reservations for both HND transportation and dining without language or time zone barriers. Once a restaurant reservation is confirmed through the app, users seamlessly access transportation services via HND for a convenient visit to their chosen restaurant.

Hakuba Night Demand Taxi: AI-powered transportation service for international tourists

HND, initiated as part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism's co-creation model demonstration project, conducted a successful pilot experiment in 2022. Using AI, the project efficiently transported a substantial number of passengers based on demand, minimizing the number of vehicles required. The service received outstanding satisfaction ratings during the 70-day pilot experiment, with 90% of users giving it the highest rating on a 5-point scale. With over 70% of registered users being foreigners, the service effectively addresses the mobility challenges faced by international visitors. Full-scale service provision is scheduled to commence in December of this year.

Revival of the Japanese restaurant industry and challenges

Compared to pre-COVID levels, restaurant reservations made by international tourists grew threefold as of October 2023*. The inbound restaurant market in Japan is booming like never before, but over-tourism is emerging as a challenge due to delays in countermeasures on the restaurant side. For many restaurants, the language barrier presents a challenge when making reservations, serving customers, and making phone calls.

TableCheck's reservation system supports 18 languages and aims to eliminate language and time zone barriers by introducing online reservations. The collaboration with HND specifically targets addressing the increasing number of inbound visitors in Hakuba Village.

HND and TableCheck collaboration: Transportation service and online reservations in one app

HND aggregates information from TableCheck’s reservation system-integrated restaurants, which includes 30 establishments, to encourage online reservations. When reservations are completed on TableCheck, users are directed to transportation services (HND).

The HND operation is scheduled from December 18, 2023, to February 29, 2024, operating from 17:00 to 23:00 with four vehicles. The fare is set at ¥500 per ride, and reservations can be made via the dedicated app from 9:00 on the day of travel.

HND Operation:

• Number of Vehicles: 4 (3 Hi ace vans, 1 Commuter)

• Fare: ¥500 per ride

• Reservation Method: Reservation-based operation, reservations possible from 9:00 on the day via the dedicated app

A fixed-term unlimited ride plan for residents has also been established:

• Period: During the HND operation period

• Fee: ¥3,000 per person

Collaborative efforts and participating companies

The project includes various entities, such as:

• Hakuba Village

• Alpico Taxi Co., Ltd.

• Alps First Transport Co., Ltd.

• Hakuba Kanko Taxi Co., Ltd.

• Limited Company Hakuba Kotsu

• Alpico Transport Co., Ltd.

• SWAT Mobility Japan Co., Ltd.

• BIPROGY Co., Ltd.

• Public Interest Incorporated Association Nagano

• IT Collaboration Platform

• National University Corporation Shinshu University

• TableCheck Co., Ltd.

About TableCheck

TableCheck is a restaurant tech company that was founded in Japan in 2011. Today it operates in 35 countries and has flagship offices in South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with offices in Tokyo (HQ) and Osaka in Japan. TableCheck has seated 1 billion diners and currently has over 9,000+ clients worldwide, which includes top Hotel F&B clients and award-winning Michelin restaurants.

TableCheck is a platform that connects restaurants worldwide with their customers. Through its mission called "Dining Connected", the company offers primary services such as reservation and customer management systems for restaurants, a restaurant search and reservation portal site for users, and a marketing platform through our EDM software. TableCheck supports 18 languages and provides real-time availability information 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for restaurants and users.

TableCheck also provides a service called TableCheck Channels to attract visitors to Japan by partnering with reputable companies both domestically and internationally. With TableCheck Channels and TableCheck's seamless reservation platform, restaurants can attract more customers from different countries.

PR inquiries

E-mail: tc-pr@tablecheck.com
Contact: Mikako Mochizuki (PR Manager)