Celebrating Welsh & Japanese Culture at the Royal Oak
We were delighted to welcome Hiromi Tanaka, Deputy Director for International Affairs from Himeji City, Japan, to the Royal Oak Hotel during her recent five-week stay in Conwy. Hosted by North Wales Tourism, Hiromi’s visit formed part of an ongoing programme to strengthen the friendship and cultural links between Wales and Japan.
As part of her visit, we were proud to host a special Welsh cultural day, celebrating our heritage through one of the very best ways to bring people together—food.
Our team had the pleasure of sharing some of Wales’s best-loved traditional recipes as Hiromi joined us in making Welsh cakes, cawl, laverbread and Bara Brith. The day was filled with conversation, laughter and plenty of delicious food, offering a wonderful opportunity to exchange stories, traditions and experiences from both cultures.
Throughout her stay in North Wales, Hiromi enjoyed visits to many of the region’s iconic attractions, including Aber Falls, Penderyn Whisky Distillery, Portmeirion, the Welsh Highland Railway, the Welsh Mountain Zoo, the Great Orme Mines and Bodnant Garden. She also toured Llandudno with Lord Mostyn and visited local schools, where she introduced pupils to Japanese culture through origami workshops and demonstrations of how to wear a traditional kimono.
At the Royal Oak Hotel, we’re always proud to showcase the warmth of Welsh hospitality, our rich traditions and the wonderful local produce that makes our local food so special. It was a privilege to play a small part in Hiromi’s visit and to help create memories that celebrate the friendship between our two countries.
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Jim Jones of North Wales Tourism for organising and coordinating this fantastic cultural exchange. His dedication to building international partnerships continues to create meaningful opportunities to share the very best of North Wales with visitors from around the world.
A huge diolch yn fawr to everyone who helped make the day such a memorable success. We look forward to welcoming many more visitors to the Royal Oak Hotel and continuing to celebrate the culture, heritage and hospitality that make North Wales such a special place.