Shiji has announced a new partnership with Railway Information Systems Co., Ltd. (JR Systems), a company within the Japan Railway Group, to expand the international distribution capabilities of Japanese hotels through the integration of Horizon Distribution with JR Systems’ channel manager Rakutsu with.
The announcement was made in Tokyo, Japan, on May 18, 2026, as both companies outlined plans to support Japan’s growing inbound tourism sector through a connected and centralized hospitality distribution ecosystem.
Under the collaboration, Japanese accommodation providers using Rakutsu will gain access to more than 300 international travel agencies and online travel agencies (OTAs) through Shiji’s Horizon Distribution platform. The integration is expected to help hotels distribute room rates, inventory, and accommodation plans to global markets while maintaining operational consistency across booking channels.
The partnership is aimed at a broad range of accommodation providers in Japan, including business hotel chains, traditional ryokan properties, and independent hotels seeking stronger access to overseas travelers.
Rakutsu with is a channel management system designed to centralize hotel reservation operations, inventory management, and pricing distribution. Through its existing “common sales function,” accommodation providers can register room types and room plans once before distributing them simultaneously across multiple travel agencies and OTA channels.
By integrating with Horizon Distribution, the same centralized functionality now extends beyond domestic distribution into international markets, enabling Japanese hotels to connect with travelers across Asia, Europe, and other inbound tourism markets.
Shiji said the integration is designed to reduce operational complexity while minimizing risks associated with overbooking and inconsistent room availability data. The companies also emphasized that the system supports centralized management of hotel content and pricing, allowing properties to maintain consistency across multiple booking platforms.
The collaboration comes as Japan continues to experience growth in inbound tourism demand, with hotels seeking more efficient methods to connect with international travelers through digital distribution platforms.
Anson Lau, Managing Director at Shiji Distribution, said the company’s technology approach is built around guest-focused experiences, including booking, payments, and hotel stays.
“At Shiji, we design our solutions around the guest and the guest profile, ensuring that every interaction, whether booking, payment, or stay, is seamless, secure, and personalized,” Lau said.
He added that the partnership with JR Systems allows Japanese hotels to expand their international presence while maintaining control over their distribution strategies.
“By partnering with JR Systems, we are enabling Japanese hotels to extend their reach globally while maintaining full control over their distribution strategy. Horizon Distribution provides the connectivity, security, and flexibility needed to meet the expectations of today’s international traveler,” he said.
According to the announcement, Horizon Distribution connects hotels to a broad network of international demand channels, particularly across key inbound markets including China, South Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
The platform is also designed to support localized distribution strategies while meeting modern privacy and data security requirements. Shiji noted that maintaining secure and compliant guest data management remains a priority as international hotel distribution networks continue to expand.
JR Systems’ Rakutsu with platform is currently used across Japan’s hospitality sector and supports a wide range of accommodation types. The system focuses on centralized operational management, allowing hotels to streamline reservation handling and pricing updates across multiple sales channels.
A spokesperson for Rakutsu with said the platform has continued evolving to help hotels improve revenue opportunities and operational efficiency.
“Rakutsu with has continuously evolved to provide innovative solutions that help accommodation providers maximize revenue and streamline operations,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also noted that the partnership with Shiji will strengthen connections between Japanese hotels and overseas travel markets.
“Our integration with Shiji’s Horizon Distribution allows our hotel partners to connect more effectively with international markets, supporting Japan’s growing inbound tourism demand while maintaining the high standards of service that define our industry,” the spokesperson added.
The partnership reflects wider industry trends toward integrated and guest-centric hospitality technology solutions, particularly as hotels increasingly rely on digital distribution to access international travelers.
By combining JR Systems’ experience within the Japanese hospitality market and Shiji’s international distribution network, the collaboration is expected to provide accommodation providers with more streamlined booking operations and broader access to overseas demand channels.
Shiji operates as a global hospitality technology company offering cloud-based solutions across several operational areas, including property management systems, point-of-sale systems, guest engagement tools, distribution services, payment technologies, and data intelligence platforms.
The company said its technology portfolio currently serves more than 91,000 hotels worldwide, including major international hotel chains. Shiji also operates with more than 5,000 employees globally.
The company’s hospitality technology ecosystem is built on the Shiji Platform, which supports hotel operations across multiple departments and customer touchpoints.
The integration with Rakutsu with represents another expansion of Shiji’s distribution capabilities within Asia’s hospitality sector, particularly as Japan continues positioning itself as a major destination for regional and international travelers.
JR Systems, as part of the Japan Railway Group, provides technology services and operational systems supporting transportation and hospitality-related industries across Japan.
The partnership announcement underscores increasing demand among Japanese hotels for scalable and internationally connected distribution systems capable of managing growing inbound tourism traffic while maintaining operational efficiency and guest service standards.
The announcement was made in Tokyo, Japan, on May 18, 2026, as both companies outlined plans to support Japan’s growing inbound tourism sector through a connected and centralized hospitality distribution ecosystem.
Under the collaboration, Japanese accommodation providers using Rakutsu will gain access to more than 300 international travel agencies and online travel agencies (OTAs) through Shiji’s Horizon Distribution platform. The integration is expected to help hotels distribute room rates, inventory, and accommodation plans to global markets while maintaining operational consistency across booking channels.
The partnership is aimed at a broad range of accommodation providers in Japan, including business hotel chains, traditional ryokan properties, and independent hotels seeking stronger access to overseas travelers.
Rakutsu with is a channel management system designed to centralize hotel reservation operations, inventory management, and pricing distribution. Through its existing “common sales function,” accommodation providers can register room types and room plans once before distributing them simultaneously across multiple travel agencies and OTA channels.
By integrating with Horizon Distribution, the same centralized functionality now extends beyond domestic distribution into international markets, enabling Japanese hotels to connect with travelers across Asia, Europe, and other inbound tourism markets.
Shiji said the integration is designed to reduce operational complexity while minimizing risks associated with overbooking and inconsistent room availability data. The companies also emphasized that the system supports centralized management of hotel content and pricing, allowing properties to maintain consistency across multiple booking platforms.
The collaboration comes as Japan continues to experience growth in inbound tourism demand, with hotels seeking more efficient methods to connect with international travelers through digital distribution platforms.
Anson Lau, Managing Director at Shiji Distribution, said the company’s technology approach is built around guest-focused experiences, including booking, payments, and hotel stays.
“At Shiji, we design our solutions around the guest and the guest profile, ensuring that every interaction, whether booking, payment, or stay, is seamless, secure, and personalized,” Lau said.
He added that the partnership with JR Systems allows Japanese hotels to expand their international presence while maintaining control over their distribution strategies.
“By partnering with JR Systems, we are enabling Japanese hotels to extend their reach globally while maintaining full control over their distribution strategy. Horizon Distribution provides the connectivity, security, and flexibility needed to meet the expectations of today’s international traveler,” he said.
According to the announcement, Horizon Distribution connects hotels to a broad network of international demand channels, particularly across key inbound markets including China, South Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
The platform is also designed to support localized distribution strategies while meeting modern privacy and data security requirements. Shiji noted that maintaining secure and compliant guest data management remains a priority as international hotel distribution networks continue to expand.
JR Systems’ Rakutsu with platform is currently used across Japan’s hospitality sector and supports a wide range of accommodation types. The system focuses on centralized operational management, allowing hotels to streamline reservation handling and pricing updates across multiple sales channels.
A spokesperson for Rakutsu with said the platform has continued evolving to help hotels improve revenue opportunities and operational efficiency.
“Rakutsu with has continuously evolved to provide innovative solutions that help accommodation providers maximize revenue and streamline operations,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also noted that the partnership with Shiji will strengthen connections between Japanese hotels and overseas travel markets.
“Our integration with Shiji’s Horizon Distribution allows our hotel partners to connect more effectively with international markets, supporting Japan’s growing inbound tourism demand while maintaining the high standards of service that define our industry,” the spokesperson added.
The partnership reflects wider industry trends toward integrated and guest-centric hospitality technology solutions, particularly as hotels increasingly rely on digital distribution to access international travelers.
By combining JR Systems’ experience within the Japanese hospitality market and Shiji’s international distribution network, the collaboration is expected to provide accommodation providers with more streamlined booking operations and broader access to overseas demand channels.
Shiji operates as a global hospitality technology company offering cloud-based solutions across several operational areas, including property management systems, point-of-sale systems, guest engagement tools, distribution services, payment technologies, and data intelligence platforms.
The company said its technology portfolio currently serves more than 91,000 hotels worldwide, including major international hotel chains. Shiji also operates with more than 5,000 employees globally.
The company’s hospitality technology ecosystem is built on the Shiji Platform, which supports hotel operations across multiple departments and customer touchpoints.
The integration with Rakutsu with represents another expansion of Shiji’s distribution capabilities within Asia’s hospitality sector, particularly as Japan continues positioning itself as a major destination for regional and international travelers.
JR Systems, as part of the Japan Railway Group, provides technology services and operational systems supporting transportation and hospitality-related industries across Japan.
The partnership announcement underscores increasing demand among Japanese hotels for scalable and internationally connected distribution systems capable of managing growing inbound tourism traffic while maintaining operational efficiency and guest service standards.
