Three Tokyu Hotels in Sapporo Simultaneously Obtain '4 Gyoiko Sakura' International Certification for Practicing SDGs, Accelerating Initiatives for Sustainable Tourism
Sapporo Tokyu Hotels announced that all three of its facilities (Sapporo Excel Hotel Tokyu, Sapporo Tokyu REI Hotel, and SAPPORO STREAM HOTEL) have simultaneously achieved the high-level '4 Gyoiko Sakura' rating in the 'Sakura Quality An ESG Practice' certification program.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 21:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 12:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 02:14 (13h 42m after Collected)
Sapporo Tokyu Hotels (Sapporo Excel Hotel Tokyu, Sapporo Tokyu REI Hotel / General Manager: Noriyuki Mizutani; SAPPORO STREAM HOTEL / General Manager: Tsuyoshi Momose) are pleased to announce that in April 2026, all three facilities obtained the '4 Gyoiko Sakura' rating in 'Sakura Quality An ESG Practice' (hereafter referred to as 'Sakura Quality Green'), an ESG certification program for accommodations practicing SDGs. This achievement comes against the background of significant changes in tourism values, such as rising interest in sustainability at travel destinations amid the recovery of inbound demand.
This certification comprehensively evaluates initiatives related to sustainable tourism, including environmental consideration, symbiosis with local communities, and the soundness of governance. The result reflects the continuous sustainability promotion efforts of Sapporo Tokyu Hotels.
### About Sakura Quality Green
Sakura Quality Green is a Japanese ESG certification system for accommodations operated by Sakura Quality Management Co., Ltd. Based on evaluation items aligned with the criteria of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), an internationally recognized framework for sustainable tourism, evaluation is conducted across 172 items covering environmental consideration, symbiosis with local communities, and governance. Ratings are given on a five-level scale according to the degree of achievement. Evaluation items are set in stages according to difficulty, and obtaining the top rating of '5 Gyoiko Sakura' requires meeting the highest standards in all evaluation items.
### Initiatives and Evaluation
Under Tokyu Hotels' sustainable policy of being 'Earth-friendly, City-friendly, and People-friendly hotels,' the three Sapporo facilities have worked together to promote hotel operations that grow alongside the community. This certification recognizes multifaceted efforts, not just simple environmental considerations, but also the creation of experiential value utilizing regional resources in Hokkaido and Sapporo, and the building of continuous relationships with the local community.
### Key Initiatives
- **Decarbonization and Resource Circulation:** The hotels promote operations aimed at reducing environmental impact by offsetting a portion of CO2 emissions from business activities through carbon offsetting and obtaining 'Carbon Offset Certificates.' They also utilize credits derived from forest conservation activities in Shimokawa Town, Hokkaido.
- **Promoting Regional Resources and Creating Experiential Value:** They link the diverse attractions of Hokkaido and Sapporo—such as food, culture, nature, and sports—with the lodging experience. Menus focused on local consumption are offered at breakfast, providing a sensory experience of 'Hokkaido-ness.' They also actively work on creating opportunities for guests to explore the region through collaboration plans with tourist facilities and local restaurants.
- **Regional Co-creation and Social Contribution:** They promote ecosystem conservation through information dissemination based on the 'Sapporo Red List 2016 Guidebook' and distribute unique local maps to facilitate a multifaceted understanding of the city. Furthermore, they build strong co-creation relationships with the local community through participation in local events and traditional ceremonies, as well as sports support.
- **Safety, Security, and Diversity:** To provide all guests with a safe and comfortable stay, they have established a service system prioritizing safety and security. They also promote an environment where diverse human resources can thrive, realizing sustainable organizational management.
- **Ensuring Governance and Reliability:** Based on thorough legal compliance and highly transparent operations, they aim to operate hotels trusted by society through collaboration with stakeholders such as guests, local communities, and business partners.
### Future Outlook
Sapporo Tokyu Hotels will continue to promote sustainability initiatives through the cooperation of the three facilities, working toward further sophistication of environmental load reduction and resource circulation in each hotel's operations.
### General Manager Comments
Noriyuki Mizutani (Sapporo Excel Hotel Tokyu/Sapporo Tokyu REI Hotel) and Tsuyoshi Momose (SAPPORO STREAM HOTEL):
'We are very honored to have obtained the 4 Gyoiko Sakura rating for our three Sapporo Tokyu Hotels. This certification is a comprehensive evaluation of the efforts each hotel has continuously made while being rooted in the Sapporo region, including practices for reducing environmental impact, collaboration with the local community, and the provision of high-quality, safe, and comfortable stays.'
This certification comprehensively evaluates initiatives related to sustainable tourism, including environmental consideration, symbiosis with local communities, and the soundness of governance. The result reflects the continuous sustainability promotion efforts of Sapporo Tokyu Hotels.
### About Sakura Quality Green
Sakura Quality Green is a Japanese ESG certification system for accommodations operated by Sakura Quality Management Co., Ltd. Based on evaluation items aligned with the criteria of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), an internationally recognized framework for sustainable tourism, evaluation is conducted across 172 items covering environmental consideration, symbiosis with local communities, and governance. Ratings are given on a five-level scale according to the degree of achievement. Evaluation items are set in stages according to difficulty, and obtaining the top rating of '5 Gyoiko Sakura' requires meeting the highest standards in all evaluation items.
### Initiatives and Evaluation
Under Tokyu Hotels' sustainable policy of being 'Earth-friendly, City-friendly, and People-friendly hotels,' the three Sapporo facilities have worked together to promote hotel operations that grow alongside the community. This certification recognizes multifaceted efforts, not just simple environmental considerations, but also the creation of experiential value utilizing regional resources in Hokkaido and Sapporo, and the building of continuous relationships with the local community.
### Key Initiatives
- **Decarbonization and Resource Circulation:** The hotels promote operations aimed at reducing environmental impact by offsetting a portion of CO2 emissions from business activities through carbon offsetting and obtaining 'Carbon Offset Certificates.' They also utilize credits derived from forest conservation activities in Shimokawa Town, Hokkaido.
- **Promoting Regional Resources and Creating Experiential Value:** They link the diverse attractions of Hokkaido and Sapporo—such as food, culture, nature, and sports—with the lodging experience. Menus focused on local consumption are offered at breakfast, providing a sensory experience of 'Hokkaido-ness.' They also actively work on creating opportunities for guests to explore the region through collaboration plans with tourist facilities and local restaurants.
- **Regional Co-creation and Social Contribution:** They promote ecosystem conservation through information dissemination based on the 'Sapporo Red List 2016 Guidebook' and distribute unique local maps to facilitate a multifaceted understanding of the city. Furthermore, they build strong co-creation relationships with the local community through participation in local events and traditional ceremonies, as well as sports support.
- **Safety, Security, and Diversity:** To provide all guests with a safe and comfortable stay, they have established a service system prioritizing safety and security. They also promote an environment where diverse human resources can thrive, realizing sustainable organizational management.
- **Ensuring Governance and Reliability:** Based on thorough legal compliance and highly transparent operations, they aim to operate hotels trusted by society through collaboration with stakeholders such as guests, local communities, and business partners.
### Future Outlook
Sapporo Tokyu Hotels will continue to promote sustainability initiatives through the cooperation of the three facilities, working toward further sophistication of environmental load reduction and resource circulation in each hotel's operations.
### General Manager Comments
Noriyuki Mizutani (Sapporo Excel Hotel Tokyu/Sapporo Tokyu REI Hotel) and Tsuyoshi Momose (SAPPORO STREAM HOTEL):
'We are very honored to have obtained the 4 Gyoiko Sakura rating for our three Sapporo Tokyu Hotels. This certification is a comprehensive evaluation of the efforts each hotel has continuously made while being rooted in the Sapporo region, including practices for reducing environmental impact, collaboration with the local community, and the provision of high-quality, safe, and comfortable stays.'