TOSA

The Omotenashi Standards Academy

Founded Washington DC, 2026
Focus Global standards for human connection
Rooted in Japanese Omotenashi

The Omotenashi Standards Academy is a global certification and research body dedicated to defining, teaching, and credentialing Omotenashi as a universal standard of human connection.

TOSA develops and administers standards for Omotenashi practice across industries. Its certifications are designed for individuals and organizations in hospitality, healthcare, finance, education, technology, and government.

The academic and cultural authority of TOSA is rooted in Japan. TOSA works in partnership with Japanese cultural institutions, universities, and hospitality leaders to ensure its standards are authentic, rigorous, and current.

The certification arm of TOSA is administered through TOSI, The Omotenashi Standards Institute, its independent nonprofit research and credentialing body.

What the word means

Omotenashi is a Japanese philosophy of hospitality rooted in the merging of one's professional and personal self into a single, genuine expression of care. It is not a service script or a performance standard. It describes a quality of character.

The private face

The self we keep close

Authentic, unguarded, fully human.

+
The public face

The professional self

Practiced, present, outward-facing.

=
The merged face

Omotenashi

So genuine that people feel it without knowing why.

You hire the person. You teach the skill. Omotenashi is the person.

What TOSA offers

TOSA delivers training, certification, research, and consulting across six service areas. All programs are grounded in TOSA's Omotenashi framework and developed in collaboration with Japanese cultural and academic partners.

01

Training Programs

Foundation, Professional, and Leadership levels...

All industries +

Structured Omotenashi training at three levels: Foundation, Professional, and Leadership. Delivered in-person, online, and in blended formats to hospitality and non-hospitality organizations alike.

02

Certification (TOSI)

Individual and institutional credentials with the TOSI seal...

Individual & Institutional +

Individual practitioner credentials and Institutional Certification for hotels, restaurants, and service organizations. Certified institutions receive the TOSI seal and directory listing.

03

Curriculum Licensing

Proprietary curriculum licensed to universities and corporate training departments...

Academic & Corporate +

TOSA licenses its proprietary curriculum to universities, hospitality schools, and corporate training departments. Primary targets include top-tier hospitality and business programs in the US, Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.

04

Recruiting & Placement

A pre-vetted pool of Omotenashi-certified hospitality candidates...

Hospitality +

TOSA provides corporations with access to a pre-vetted pool of Omotenashi-certified hospitality candidates, selected for character as much as skill.

05

Consulting

Strategic engagements with tourism boards, governments, and hospitality operators...

Government & Enterprise +

Custom, high-value strategic engagements with tourism boards, government entities, and large hospitality operators. Positioned as bespoke projects rather than commodity training.

06

Research & Development

Ethnographic study of Omotenashi in Japan, white papers, and framework documents...

Academic +

Ethnographic study of Omotenashi practices in Japan, benchmarking of international hospitality education systems, and publication of white papers and framework documents that underpin TOSA's certification credibility.

Rooted in Japan.
Built for the world.

TOSA's cultural and academic authority is permanently anchored in Japan. Its standards are developed with Japanese institutions and updated through ongoing research conducted in Japan.

France

Gastronomy & Romance

Switzerland

Banking & Discretion

Germany

Engineering & Systems

Middle East

Generosity & Welcome

Every great nation owns one idea in the global imagination. Japan's practice of Omotenashi is among the most admired human qualities in the world, and among the least institutionalized. TOSA exists to change that, placing Japan permanently at the center of a global standard for human connection.

Get in touch

TOSA is in its founding phase. We are building partnerships with institutions, educators, hospitality leaders, and cultural organizations. If you are interested in training, certification, curriculum licensing, research collaboration, or partnership, we welcome your inquiry.

Location

Washington DC, United States

Founded

2026

Thank you. We will be in touch.