A restaurant in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Okubo neighborhood has ignited controversy after displaying a notice refusing service to Korean and Chinese people. The Italian restaurant, located in the popular area known for its vibrant Korean community, posted a photo on X (formerly Twitter) that quickly went viral.
The photo shows a notice on the restaurant’s window written in Japanese. The message reads, “Although diversity and tolerance are frequently discussed these days, we refuse to serve Chinese and Korean customers because we do not wish to work with unpleasant thoughts.”
The notice has provoked strong reactions both in Japan and internationally. Japanese netizens have expressed their disapproval, with comments like, “Other customers might also decrease.” Another described the notice as “a racism warning.”
In Korea, the restaurant’s announcement has drawn sharp criticism. Comments online were posted such as, “At least write it in English; how can we know if it’s only in Japanese?” and “Is writing it in Korean or Chinese too frightening for them?” Many Korean users pointed out 스포츠 that Okubo, known for its Korea Town area, is an inappropriate place for such a discriminatory stance.
The restaurant’s Instagram account has also been inundated with protest comments. As of now, users have commented, “I will never go there and will inform others,” “I oppose discrimination,” and “It’s embarrassing as a Japanese person that a restaurant makes hate speech publicly.”
This incident is not the first time anti-Korean sentiment has surfaced in Japan. In 2016, a sushi restaurant in Osaka faced a backlash for serving sushi with excessive wasabi to Korean customers.