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“Learn Japanese”: Tokyo Izakaya Closes After Owner’s Social Media Outburst
A restaurant in Tokyo had to close temporarily after its owner ranted on social media about a non-Japanese couple who came to the store.
By Jay Allen
Japan is experiencing a huge influx of tourists. As a result, some stores and restaurants are struggling with how to handle customers who don’t speak Japanese. Learn why one restaurant owner took out his frustration on social media — and had to close his store shortly after.
“I’d learn English if I came to an English-speaking country”
The restaurant in question is Kadoya, an izakaya (alcoholic drinks and small plates) shop in Tokyo’s Sumida City. The owner recently took to their X (formerly Twitter) account to relate how a “white couple” came into his store. They asked, in English, if the store had an English menu. The owner says they replied “no” in Japanese.
That, normally, would have been the end of that. Except the owner continued to rant online: “This is Japan. If I went to an English-speaking country, I’d speak English. Make the effort to speak Japanese in Japan. If that’s a hassle, bring an interpreter.”
