Go Tokyo Your Experience
Due to the depreciation of the Japanese yen, many foreign tourists are flocking to Japan for tourism. However, while this phenomenon attracts tourists, it has also sparked a lot of controversy. Recently, a Japanese netizen shared a notice on social media from a restaurant in Kyoto. This notice informs customers in both English and Chinese that ‘The store is fully bookedBut at the bottom of the notice, it was written in Japanese:Welcome to anyone who can understand Japanese. This obvious method of customer screening has aroused extensive discussion on the Internet. Some netizens have expressed that even if they can understand Japanese, they do not want to enter this restaurant recklessly.
This netizen posted a photo on social platform X, showing a notice at the entrance of the restaurant. Mark “No Vacancy” in English and explain in Chinese in the noticeUnfortunately, it was fully bookedAnd in the Japanese section, it is written as follows:Anyone who can understand this Japanese passage is welcome to visit our store. The original author was surprised by this and bluntly stated that it is’Kyoto style hospitality.
This post quickly sparked a heated discussion among netizens, with many expressing their opinionsTruly Kyoto“And”This is the style of Kyoto people. At the same time, some people hold a critical attitude towards this approach, believing that ‘You can understand it with Google Translate, such filtering is meaningless. Another netizen expressed that even if they can understand Japanese, it takes courage to enter such a restaurant.
In addition, a Japanese netizen commented that “real Kyoto businesses won’t behave like this, only those who are no longer popular will claim to only serve Kyoto people”. Living in JapanWriter Fish Paste CoupleI also expressed disappointment with the restaurant’s approach.
This situation reflects the delicate balance between attracting foreign tourists and maintaining local cultural traditions in Japan’s tourism industry – a relationship that is blurred and often leads to misunderstandings. In the tourism boom brought about by the depreciation of the Japanese yen, how to deal with interactions with foreign tourists has undoubtedly become a hot topic in major cities in Japan. Kyoto is renowned for its long history, culture, and unique hospitality style.
This incident has sparked discussions about Japanese hospitality, particularly regarding language and cultural barriers, as well as whether Japan needs to adjust its traditional hospitality practices in the context of globalization.
Kyoto has always been regarded as a place where tradition and modernity blend together. One of its major characteristics is to provide authentic experiences while maintaining traditional elements, and this cultural conflict is even more acute in the digital age. In this environment, the diversity of attitudes towards foreign customers in restaurants appears particularly complex. For some restaurants, selectively welcoming customers is to create a specific dining atmosphere or protect local customers. However, this approach may also lead to misunderstandings among foreign tourists and may even have a negative impact on the international image of the city.
The key to solving this problem may lie in open communication and enhanced understanding. By better managing and communicating, conveying cultural background and restaurant policies to foreign tourists can reduce misunderstandings. Perhaps the restaurant hopes to showcase its unique Kyoto culture through this opportunity, but without clear indication, this move seems more like a rejection of tourists.
In order to maintain their cultural characteristics in front of the growing number of international visitors, the store needs to design customer communication methods more intelligently to ensure that all customers can enjoy the traditional hospitality of Kyoto without feeling excluded. In this way, Japan can not only further enhance its attractiveness, but also strengthen friendly connections with foreign tourists.