Koyo Group Holds 'Emotion Craftsman Summit 2026', Reaffirming the Value of 'Emotional Experiences' in the AI Era
On May 12, 2026, the Koyo Group held the 'Emotion Craftsman Summit 2026' in Yamagata Prefecture, attended by approximately 230 employees. Including members from the recently integrated traditional company 'Meiyu', participants reaffirmed the value of 'emotional experiences' in the AI era. Aiming to embody the new MVV and the 'Emotion Craftsman' action guidelines, frontline employees shared specific customer service episodes to deepen their collaborative spirit.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 22, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 22, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 23, 2026 at 12:09 (25h 37m after Collected)
Guided by the philosophy of 'Turning the memory of one trip into a lifelong emotion,' the Koyo Group (Koyo Holdings Co., Ltd., Senior Managing Director: Taichi Sato) operates multi-faceted tourism and town-development businesses in Yamagata Prefecture. These include six accommodation facilities featuring glamping, Tohoku's first ofuro café brand 'ofuro café yusa,' and the pudding specialty store 'Yamagata Pudding.' On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, marking the beginning of the Koyo Group's new fiscal year, the 'Emotion Craftsman Summit 2026' was held at 'Beni no Hana,' the convention hall of Nihon no Yado Koyo. The event brought together approximately 230 employees from across the group, including members from 'Meiyu,' a company that joined the group last year. The summit served as a symbolic day of group integration, where employees of Meiyu, a traditional company with over 120 years of history, engaged with the Koyo Group's MVV alongside all employees for the first time. Colleagues bearing different histories and cultures connected through the shared value of being 'Emotion Craftsmen.'
Presentations and workshops led by frontline employees were conducted to further explore the new MVV (Mission, Vision, Value) established last year and to personalize the value of 'Emotion Craftsman' (the concept that every Koyo Group staff member exists to craft memorable moments in customers' lives with an artisan's touch).
[Video Release] Opening connecting Koyo's history and a digest video conveying the day's enthusiasm
At the beginning of the summit, an 'Opening Movie' was screened to connect the 'present' with the long history spanning from the original 7-room self-catering inn at Koyo's founding to the current expanded Koyo Group. The event started with all employees sharing the significance of inheriting the spirit of hospitality cherished by their predecessors. Towards the end of the gathering, a freshly edited 'Digest Video (Ending Movie)' capturing the passion of the presentations and workshops was shown to conclude the summit.
Opening Movie: https://youtu.be/CS7w47KP13I
Emotion Craftsman Summit 2026 Digest Video (Ending Movie): https://youtu.be/4De8JDDD_6Y
Not just commending exceptional individuals, but a place to philosophize and collaborate as 'Emotion Craftsmen'
Last year, the Koyo Group announced its new MVV, starting with the mission 'Turning the memory of one trip into a lifelong emotion.' This year, the content delved deeper into the phrase 'Emotion Craftsman,' which represents their action guidelines (Values).
The summit aimed to 'experience the passion of "Emotion Craftsmen" welling up from each individual and make it one's own.' It was held not to award a single outstanding person, but as a collaborative space where all employees face unanswerable questions as Emotion Craftsmen and mutually share the answers they derive.
Presentations by frontline employees on 'the process of creating emotion, not just numbers'
On the day, three representative members who truly embody the 'Emotion Craftsman' at the forefront of daily operations took the stage to share their personal episodes.
Ayaka Ebina (Nihon no Yado Koyo, Customer Service Dept.)
She shared an episode regarding a guest traveling in memory of her late husband. To recreate the dining table for the family of three, including the husband, she performed an unscripted gesture of 'placing three glasses,' showing close attention to the guest's heart, which resulted in a heartfelt letter of gratitude. She spoke of the importance of the warmth that cherishes what is important to the guest in front of her just as much.
Sayoko Yokozawa (Nihon no Yado Koyo, Customer Service Dept. Manager)
She introduced an episode where a guest was angry due to an arrangement mistake. By listening deeply to the circumstances and preparing a shadow tray (kagezen) for the guest's late mother, she responded to the guest's feelings with full devotion, resulting in the guest crying large tears of joy.
Kumi Sato (Atsumi Onsen Bankokuya, Proprietress)
While struggling with her role as a proprietress amidst severe reprimands, she found the answer that 'an Emotion Craftsman is someone who listens together to the music playing in the customer's heart,' expressing her determination to stay close to an important page in the customer's life.
After the presentations, a 'Share Time' was provided for participants to exchange their impressions and emotional episodes from their own work. Listeners absorbed the speakers' experiences and converted them into words they could take back to their own workplaces. Warm dialogue spread throughout the venue as a time to deepen individual episodes through 'collaboration.'
Presentations and workshops led by frontline employees were conducted to further explore the new MVV (Mission, Vision, Value) established last year and to personalize the value of 'Emotion Craftsman' (the concept that every Koyo Group staff member exists to craft memorable moments in customers' lives with an artisan's touch).
[Video Release] Opening connecting Koyo's history and a digest video conveying the day's enthusiasm
At the beginning of the summit, an 'Opening Movie' was screened to connect the 'present' with the long history spanning from the original 7-room self-catering inn at Koyo's founding to the current expanded Koyo Group. The event started with all employees sharing the significance of inheriting the spirit of hospitality cherished by their predecessors. Towards the end of the gathering, a freshly edited 'Digest Video (Ending Movie)' capturing the passion of the presentations and workshops was shown to conclude the summit.
Opening Movie: https://youtu.be/CS7w47KP13I
Emotion Craftsman Summit 2026 Digest Video (Ending Movie): https://youtu.be/4De8JDDD_6Y
Not just commending exceptional individuals, but a place to philosophize and collaborate as 'Emotion Craftsmen'
Last year, the Koyo Group announced its new MVV, starting with the mission 'Turning the memory of one trip into a lifelong emotion.' This year, the content delved deeper into the phrase 'Emotion Craftsman,' which represents their action guidelines (Values).
The summit aimed to 'experience the passion of "Emotion Craftsmen" welling up from each individual and make it one's own.' It was held not to award a single outstanding person, but as a collaborative space where all employees face unanswerable questions as Emotion Craftsmen and mutually share the answers they derive.
Presentations by frontline employees on 'the process of creating emotion, not just numbers'
On the day, three representative members who truly embody the 'Emotion Craftsman' at the forefront of daily operations took the stage to share their personal episodes.
Ayaka Ebina (Nihon no Yado Koyo, Customer Service Dept.)
She shared an episode regarding a guest traveling in memory of her late husband. To recreate the dining table for the family of three, including the husband, she performed an unscripted gesture of 'placing three glasses,' showing close attention to the guest's heart, which resulted in a heartfelt letter of gratitude. She spoke of the importance of the warmth that cherishes what is important to the guest in front of her just as much.
Sayoko Yokozawa (Nihon no Yado Koyo, Customer Service Dept. Manager)
She introduced an episode where a guest was angry due to an arrangement mistake. By listening deeply to the circumstances and preparing a shadow tray (kagezen) for the guest's late mother, she responded to the guest's feelings with full devotion, resulting in the guest crying large tears of joy.
Kumi Sato (Atsumi Onsen Bankokuya, Proprietress)
While struggling with her role as a proprietress amidst severe reprimands, she found the answer that 'an Emotion Craftsman is someone who listens together to the music playing in the customer's heart,' expressing her determination to stay close to an important page in the customer's life.
After the presentations, a 'Share Time' was provided for participants to exchange their impressions and emotional episodes from their own work. Listeners absorbed the speakers' experiences and converted them into words they could take back to their own workplaces. Warm dialogue spread throughout the venue as a time to deepen individual episodes through 'collaboration.'
FAQ
古窯グループが開催した「感動職人サミット 2026」の目的は何ですか？
新MVV「一旅の記憶を、一生の感動に。」の深掘りと、古窯グループの行動指針である「感動職人」の概念を社員一人ひとりが自分ごと化することを目的としています。
「感動職人サミット 2026」には誰が参加しましたか？
古窯グループの全社員約230名が参加しました。昨年新たにグループに加わった、創業120年を超える老舗「株式会社明友」のメンバーも含まれています。
サミットではどのようなプログラムが行われましたか？
古窯の歴史を振り返るオープニングムービーの放映や、最前線で働く現場社員3名による「感動を生んだプロセス」のプレゼンテーション、および参加者同士のワークショップ（シェアタイム）が行われました。
「感動職人」とはどのような存在を指しますか？
古窯グループのスタッフ全員が、お客様の人生の記憶に残る瞬間を職人的に紡ぎ出す存在として在ることを指しています。
古窯グループはどのような事業を展開していますか？
山形県内でグランピングを含む6つの宿泊施設、東北初のおふろcaféブランド「おふろcafé yusa」、プリン専門店「山形プリン」など、多角的な観光・まちづくり事業を展開しています。