When it comes to Japan’s more hands-on means of amusement, non-Japanese are not always welcome — the bath-based satisfactions of soapland being especially well known for its racial restrictions. A policy that this maid-themed massage place in particular has taken to heart, making sure that foreigners know in no uncertain terms how unwelcome they are before they’ve even dared walk through the door.

However, somewhat more surprising is the far from favourable feelings towards foreigners expressed by Japan’s tourist industry. As, despite the nation’s continually touted Yokoso! Japan (Welcome!) campaign, a recent survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs has discovered that a lot of hotels and inns are more than content to accommodate only their countrymen:

Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs says over 70 percent of Japanese inns and hotels that didn’t have foreign guests last year don’t want any in the future either. The ministry says that a survey of such businesses showed they feel unable to support foreign languages and that their facilities are not suited to foreigners. The survey released Thursday shows that over 60 percent of Japan’s inns and hotels had foreign guests last year, but the majority of the rest don’t want any.

A set of figures that if nothing else must please ex-Tourism and Transport Minister Nariaki Nakayama, who was forced to resign after — among other things — claiming that Japanese people were “ethnically homogeneous” and “definitely … do not like foreigners.” Although at the same time, with such strong support from certain sections of society, he may well feel that his decision to step down was happen a bit hasty.