APA Hotels currently operates 894 hotels both in Japan and overseas (including hotels directly affiliated with APA, as of December 2024). In the Tokyo metropolitan area, it is common to see an APA Hotel near almost every major station. The person leading this organization, which is at the forefront of the business hotel industry, is President Fumiko Motoya, who is known for her distinctive hats. She has publicly stated that she has no interest in saving money, and it is said that she does not hold onto money overnight. This time, we would like to take a look at the watch chosen by this female president with such an ambitious financial philosophy.
Text by Yukaco Numamoto
Edited by Takashi Tsuchida
Edited by Takashi Tsuchida
[Article published on January 5, 2025]
Look for her hat! The turbulent life of a heroine who twice survived near-death experiences
In some ways, she is more well-known than celebrities. When people hear the name Fumiko Motoya, president of APA Hotel, Japan's largest hotel chain, many imagine her wearing her trademark hat. With her distinctive looks, she is often seen in hotel promotions, so even people who don't normally stay at business hotels have likely seen her in train station advertisements and TV commercials.
Fumiko Motoya is originally from Fukui Prefecture. Born prematurely, she somehow managed to survive, and was affected by the Fukui earthquake when she was one year old. When she fainted and collapsed, she was saved by chance by a Buddhist altar that opened like a double door. She believes that "since I came close to death twice before I was one year old, I was able to get rid of all the bad luck I had in my life."
She originally wanted to be a school teacher, but due to family circumstances, she started working at Fukui Shinkin Bank after graduating from high school, where she met her husband, Toshio Motoya, at a meeting of the labor union organized by financial institutions. After serving as a director of Shinkin Kaihatsu Co., Ltd. (now APA Corporation), a company founded by her husband, she became president and director of APA Hotel Co., Ltd. in 1994.
A student's dream come true at age 53! The surprising initiative that allowed him to balance his life with hotel management
There is an anecdote that shows her drive. At the age of 53, while working as a company president, she achieved her dream of going to university. The impetus for this was when she was watching a TV drama while having dinner with her eldest son and his wife, and was moved by the image of a little girl working hard. In January 2001, she looked for a university that she could apply to on the day she decided to do so, and applied to Hosei University's Faculty of Human and Environmental Studies.
The reason he decided to study the environment was because, as a hotel president, he had a premonition that an era would come in which the environment would be given importance. After enrolling, he spent four fulfilling years attending lectures in the front row without missing a single day. Perhaps his desire to learn was stimulated, as he then took the entrance exam for Waseda University Graduate School and was accepted. "I believe it's never too late to do what you want to do," he once said in an interview.
"No money left over from the previous day" - A bold financial philosophy that has supported the company's 52 consecutive years of profitable operations
Fumiko Motoya has her own unique financial philosophy: "I don't hold onto money overnight." Apart from what she uses for living expenses, she invests most of her money in things like hotel businesses, but she loves giving presents to her two sons' wives and employees, and sometimes goes to her husband to borrow money if she runs out.
Perhaps this bold financial philosophy is what lies behind the APA Group's impressive 52 consecutive years of operating in the black.
A watch that combines practicality and elegance! The true value of the Rolex chosen by a female CEO
Fumiko Motoya also appears as a spokesperson for the APA Group's official Instagram. Her strikingly unique fashion sense is sure to catch your eye, but the watch she's wearing appears to be a combination Rolex Datejust. Automatic movement (Cal. 2236). 31 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve: approximately 55 hours. Rolesor case (31mm diameter). Water resistant to 100m.
The APA Group's official Instagram account was established in August 2023. When Fumiko Motoya first appeared in a video, she was wearing what appears to be a Rolesor combination model of the classic Rolex ladies' Datejust. This watch was also worn in interviews around 2020 and in social media posts in 2021, suggesting it may be a favorite model.
The Datejust, a perennial favorite among Rolex ladies' models, is a model that exudes both luxury and sophistication. Because there are so many variations, it's difficult to pinpoint the reference, but some may find it a bit surprising that it was chosen by Fumiko Motoya, who believes in feminine style.
However, Fumiko Motoya, who reigns supreme in the Japanese hotel industry, is probably not only looking for luxury in her watches. She also treasures the wallet she received from an old friend who passed away, and keeps her banknotes separate from her wallet in a Japanese paper envelope.
The reason she puts the bills in a Japanese paper envelope is to protect them from damage, but it makes sense that she, who values practicality, would choose a classic Rolex model. Rolex, which combines robustness and elegance, is unlikely to clash with other jewelry.
It seems that many female business owners admire and sympathize with Fumiko Motoya's positive way of thinking and free-spirited lifestyle. We can only hope that she will continue to show us her energetic and original side.
