Fujikawaguchiko, Japan (IINA) : A hotel for Muslim travelers contain a prayer room and offers halal food complying with Islamic religious law has opened recently in the Yamanashi Prefecture town of Fujikawaguchiko in Japan.

The hotel, which opened also near the Kawaguchiko Lake, a tourist spot at the foot of Mountain Fuji and called “Syariah Hotel Fujisan,” also contain prayer mats and eight rooms with arrows pointing to Makkah.

At the hotel, a renovated house that was previously empty, Japanese dishes using beef and unfermented seasonings will be served in consideration of bans on the consumption of alcohol and pork, The Japanese News reported.

President of the hotel Operator Shigeru Yamashita decided to target Muslim tourists due to the increasing number of visitors to Fujikawaguchiko from Indonesia and Malaysia, both of which have large populations of Muslims, on the back of the countries’ economic growth.

Yamashita noted that he did not expect customers in the first days after the opening. “I run the hotel while looking ahead to the future in five to 10 years,” he said.

Yamashita, 72, became interested in halal food after sponsoring an event several years ago organized by a group that certifies such diets.

Another hotel run by Yamashita in the town started to offer halal food last year.

Shigeru made up his mind to open a hotel dedicated to Muslims after being told in April by a Muslim family visiting the town that there were no mosques around the hotel and that they faced difficulties finding a halal restaurant.

The total number of Indonesians and Malaysians staying in Fujikawaguchiko each surpassed 8,000 in 2015.

Yamashita said that the figure will further expand if an environment is developed for welcoming tourists from the countries.

He is also considering setting up a mosque at the site of the new hotel and offering services for Muslims staying at another hotel he owns, depending on the performance of the Muslim hotel.