waitress (in a ryokan or traditional restaurant); hostess
Refers specifically to a female attendant who serves guests in a traditional Japanese inn (ryokan) or high-end Japanese restaurant, often wearing a kimono and providing attentive service.
The ryokan waitress brought the meal to our room.
The job of a nakai is to ensure guests have a pleasant stay.
She works as a nakai at a hot spring inn.
I called the nakai to get some tea.
The nakai brought the food to our room.
仲人 shares the kanji 仲 with 仲居 but means a matchmaker who arranges marriages, not a hospitality worker.
counter for people
Standard kanji form; the most common spelling for this occupation.
Rarely used kanji form.
The term 仲居 originally referred to a person who mediated between guests and the establishment, from 仲 (relationship, intermediary) and 居 (being, staying). Over time it became the standard term for a waitress in traditional Japanese inns and restaurants.