Used Straws Become Penguin Nests!? Hakata Excel Hotel Tokyu Participates in Grass Straw Reuse Project Towards a Circular Society
Hakata Excel Hotel Tokyu has introduced grass straws at its restaurant, Charcoal Grill Keyaki. In an effort towards a circular society, the used straws will be disinfected and donated to the Fukuoka City Zoological Garden to be used as nesting material for penguins.
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- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 23:00
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Hakata Excel Hotel Tokyu (Nakasu, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City; General Manager: Kenji Ikeda) announces that it has participated in the 'Grass Straw Reuse Project' run by OREC green lab Fukuoka, and has introduced completely natural 'grass straws' instead of plastic straws at the hotel's restaurant 'Charcoal Grill Keyaki' starting from April 2026.
Grass straws are naturally derived products made from pesticide-free grass and are used when serving iced drinks at the hotel restaurant. After use, the straws are collected, disinfected with boiling water, dried, and then provided to the Fukuoka City Zoological Garden, where they are reused as nesting material in the penguin enclosures. Grass straws are considered suitable as nesting material because they are similar in shape to the 'reed blinds' (yoshizu) that have been used as penguin nesting material until now, and they possess appropriate hardness and breathability. By participating in this project, we promote initiatives towards a circular society in line with the philosophy of the SDGs by connecting resources to their next role instead of discarding them after a single use.
Upon participating in this project, General Manager Ikeda commented as follows:
'I felt meaning in the fact that after grass straws are used in Fukuoka's dining scene, they are reused as a resource to support the lives of animals within the same city of Fukuoka, and decided to participate. This approach, where resources circulate within the community, is one of the concepts we want to cherish as a hotel rooted in Fukuoka.'
Hakata Excel Hotel Tokyu will continue to steadily advance initiatives toward the realization of sustainable tourism through hotel operations that walk hand-in-hand with the local community.
Reused as penguin nesting material
[Overview of Charcoal Grill Keyaki]
A restaurant with the concept of grill ~aroma of charcoal~ focusing on Fukuoka's ingredients. Seasonal ingredients carefully selected by the head chef himself are grilled on charcoal in an open kitchen. Enjoy a moment that resonates with your five senses, along with the live feeling of the kitchen spreading in a chic space based on dark brown where Japanese and Western styles blend.
Business Hours: Breakfast 6:45-10:00, Lunch 12:00-14:30 (L.O. 14:00)
Closed: Every Tuesday (Lunch time)
Seating capacity: 72 seats
Location: 2nd Floor, Hakata Excel Hotel Tokyu, 4-6-7 Nakasu, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City
Phone number: 092-262-6219 (Restaurant direct line)
Official Website: https://www.tokyuhotels.co.jp/hakata-e/restaurant/keyaki/
[Hotel Overview]
Hakata Excel Hotel Tokyu
Location: 4-6-7 Nakasu, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Phone number: 092-262-0109
Facility overview: 306 guest rooms, restaurant, banquet halls
Official Website: https://www.tokyuhotels.co.jp/hakata-e
[Inquiries from customers]
Hakata Excel Hotel Tokyu
Phone: 092-262-0109
Hakata Excel Hotel Tokyu (Nakasu, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City; General Manager: Kenji Ikeda) announces that it has participated in the 'Grass Straw Reuse Project' run by OREC green lab Fukuoka, and has introduced completely natural 'grass straws' instead of plastic straws at the hotel's restaurant 'Charcoal Grill Keyaki' starting from April 2026.
Grass straws are naturally derived products made from pesticide-free grass and are used when serving iced drinks at the hotel restaurant. After use, the straws are collected, disinfected with boiling water, dried, and then provided to the Fukuoka City Zoological Garden, where they are reused as nesting material in the penguin enclosures. Grass straws are considered suitable as nesting material because they are similar in shape to the 'reed blinds' (yoshizu) that have been used as penguin nesting material until now, and they possess appropriate hardness and breathability. By participating in this project, we promote initiatives towards a circular society in line with the philosophy of the SDGs by connecting resources to their next role instead of discarding them after a single use.
Upon participating in this project, General Manager Ikeda commented as follows:
'I felt meaning in the fact that after grass straws are used in Fukuoka's dining scene, they are reused as a resource to support the lives of animals within the same city of Fukuoka, and decided to participate. This approach, where resources circulate within the community, is one of the concepts we want to cherish as a hotel rooted in Fukuoka.'
Hakata Excel Hotel Tokyu will continue to steadily advance initiatives toward the realization of sustainable tourism through hotel operations that walk hand-in-hand with the local community.
Reused as penguin nesting material
[Overview of Charcoal Grill Keyaki]
A restaurant with the concept of grill ~aroma of charcoal~ focusing on Fukuoka's ingredients. Seasonal ingredients carefully selected by the head chef himself are grilled on charcoal in an open kitchen. Enjoy a moment that resonates with your five senses, along with the live feeling of the kitchen spreading in a chic space based on dark brown where Japanese and Western styles blend.
Business Hours: Breakfast 6:45-10:00, Lunch 12:00-14:30 (L.O. 14:00)
Closed: Every Tuesday (Lunch time)
Seating capacity: 72 seats
Location: 2nd Floor, Hakata Excel Hotel Tokyu, 4-6-7 Nakasu, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City
Phone number: 092-262-6219 (Restaurant direct line)
Official Website: https://www.tokyuhotels.co.jp/hakata-e/restaurant/keyaki/
[Hotel Overview]
Hakata Excel Hotel Tokyu
Location: 4-6-7 Nakasu, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Phone number: 092-262-0109
Facility overview: 306 guest rooms, restaurant, banquet halls
Official Website: https://www.tokyuhotels.co.jp/hakata-e
[Inquiries from customers]
Hakata Excel Hotel Tokyu
Phone: 092-262-0109