Restaurants Refusing Foreigners Common?

[HentaiHakujin]

I had a weird situation like this in Korea. It was a brazilian BBQ place. I had gone before with no issues. Went there another time with a second and was turned away. Place was empty with the exception of one table having some customers. It wasn't a reservation style place. Went back the next day, party of 3 this time, and they sat me even though it was more crowded. Went at the same general time and day each visit.

The issue is less being turned away in some cases and more not understanding what the cause is, or there being a complete lack of consistency within a single business. Yesterday I was fine; today I am not fine. It has the ability to shape the overall environment. If someone is not able to deal with rejection then it is quite plausible they will start only heading to places that overtly advertise themselves as friendly to foreigners.

I am completely fine with a business turning people away for whatever reason. It would be nice if there was a sticker or something on the door to make the preference known so that everyone could avoid unpleasant experiences. In Japan that would probably be easy enough to achieve. Could have two tiers: Japanese speaking customers only; Japanese citizen only.

I did read a story on the internet by a white guy who wound up a Japanese citizen, also a fluent Japanese speaker, who was angered by being turned away from businesses by non-Japanese entertainment people because he wasn't 'Japanese'. Nothing changed even when he pulled out papers. He went on to describe encounters with Japanese who would state he could never be Japanese and could never understand them. In my worldwide travels it is pretty apparent that outside of a very few western locations people are pretty race/national aware and are very willing to act on it overtly to no detriment. They favor the home team. You are not them, and they will not pretend otherwise.

 

[Ken1988]

It was a yakiton place, not unagi--- but I think I know the place you're talking about--it's pretty dim inside, right?

Yes, that must be it. Now I understand what you are talking about. My apologies. I guess the yakitori place is the one where the owner publicly declares on the board in the shop that he won't welcome non-drinkers and women (except for Saturdays). I've never been there. As far as yakitori is concerned, Iseya in Kichijoji is good enough for me.

 

[RightOn6975]

Maybe they don't have English menue and didn't want to bother trying to explain things.

I could not have said it better.

 

[TAG Manager]

But it annoys the fuck out of me when people say that it doesn't happen. It does. Again, it isn't due to closing times, reservations, language troubles, or any other crap apologists want to throw up.

Hey man, just saying what I've experienced here in ~10 years. I'm sure stuff happens to others that I don't experience and I'm sorry to hear that.

On a regular basis, you wouldn't find me in Roppongi but I do work in Shinjuku. My home area is made up of small shops, bars, restaurants and those usual Japanese chain places. Other than Mac, KFC, Denny's and a SEIYU.... we don't have much in the of way of what's considered 'foreign friendly'.

Now, you mentioned one of those street level Yakitori places. That is a mixed bag... I've been to quite a few around Shimbashi without much issue. They just assumed I couldn't speak Japanese (at all) and said they don't have an English menu, but we overcame that quickly. I cannot recall a time were I was flat out refused entry somewhere because I wasn't a native or some other reason that would be otherwise absurd.

When I entertain foreign business guests, yes, we stick with easy places at the major hotels (particularly the Park Hyatt)... it just saves time and effort.

 

[Frenchy]

I`ve been at maid outfit girls bars before and seen them refuse customers who can`t speak Japanese, but yeah doubt this is a case of no Japanese allowed.
18 years in the country and I`ve never been rejected from a store - for being a gaijin - that wasn`t adult related.

I have been rejected from a large amount of nail salons for being a male, never have been in America, but that is a different story....

Just curious... Why nail salons?

 

[Frenchy]

Just stand in the doorway to the shop for a while, and when people make an attempt to enter just inform them that the shop is closed.

Thats a great idea! Will try it. Maybe not advisable to do so in front of a hostess bar or sex-related shop though!

 

[Ken1988]

Now, you mentioned one of those street level Yakitori places. That is a mixed bag...

He mentioned matchan that is one of notorious "two eccentrics in Kunitachi" - one effectively refuses non-regulars (unachan: unagi ) and the other refuses women (matchan: yakitori). For matchan, you need to be a pathetic-looking Japanese salaryman to be let in...as it turned out.

 

[vondoom]

you would be very happy and wouldnt complain if you were on the other side...

 

[nubon]

I had a weird situation like this in Korea. It was a brazilian BBQ place. I had gone before with no issues. Went there another time with a second and was turned away. Place was empty with the exception of one table having some customers. It wasn't a reservation style place. Went back the next day, party of 3 this time, and they sat me even though it was more crowded. Went at the same general time and day each visit.

Maybe it was a Korean mob meeting? I remember a restaurant my family liked in Chinatown that would sometimes turn all guests away and let a bunch of geezers (well 50-60ish, so maybe not really geezers) have it all to themselves. The only people who put up a fuss about it were non-Chinese. As a kid, I never understood why the Chinese didn't complain more about it.

Once I was older, someone explained to me they were bosses in the Chinese mob. The place was cleared when they had some important business to discuss. But, I only experienced maybe 3-4 times when I was growing up.

Never investigated how truthful the explanation was, so take it with a grain of salt if you wish.

 

[poutine]

Not a restaurant, but I was refused entry to a capsule hotel roughly 20 years ago. Stuck in Ueno with no place to stay, so I pop into the police box and ask about somewhere to stay. The cop tells me there`s a capsule hotel just down the street that will be opening in an hour. I wait around until opening time then take an elevator up to the hotel. The minute I enter the lobby, the guy at the front desk starts screaming "manager, manager!!". Manager comes out and politely tells me no foreigners allowed. I went back to police box and explained the situation. He gave the old あっそですか, then directed me to a bar where I drank until morning with 2 nurses. If every time I encountered discrimination ended this well...

 

[Chocoballs]

An izakaya in Shibuya a few years ago.

 

[matt_j]

He mentioned matchan that is one of notorious "two eccentrics in Kunitachi" - one effectively refuses non-regulars (unachan: unagi ) and the other refuses women (matchan: yakitori). For matchan, you need to be a pathetic-looking Japanese salaryman to be let in...as it turned out.

It was matchan.