A strange case of discrimination

[oyajikun]

Japanese owned sushi restaurant catering to Americans discriminates against Japanese customers.

"the Japanese owner had worked in America and on his return to Okinawa he set up a restaurant making American style sushi that would be popular with Americans on the island. Japanese customers however demanded Japanese style sushi, and made negative comments about the American customers when talking in Japanese.

It appears that to create a comfortable atmosphere for his American clients, the owner decided to make the restaurant a private club. Entry to the restaurant is free for Americans, Japanese have to pay 100,000 yen to join. A Japanese woman is allowed into the restaurant without paying the membership fee if she is escorted by an American. All Japanese men have to pay the membership fee."

http://travel67.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/sushi-zen-apologies-embarrassment-and-disappointment/

[omae mona]

Japanese owned sushi restaurant catering to Americans discriminates against Japanese customers.

"the Japanese owner had worked in America and on his return to Okinawa he set up a restaurant making American style sushi that would be popular with Americans on the island. Japanese customers however demanded Japanese style sushi, and made negative comments about the American customers when talking in Japanese.

It appears that to create a comfortable atmosphere for his American clients, the owner decided to make the restaurant a private club. Entry to the restaurant is free for Americans, Japanese have to pay 100,000 yen to join. A Japanese woman is allowed into the restaurant without paying the membership fee if she is escorted by an American. All Japanese men have to pay the membership fee."

http://travel67.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/sushi-zen-apologies-embarrassment-and-disappointment/

What I want to know is when Debito tries to go there and is denied entry, will he be happy or angry?

[oyajikun]

Yeah I'm kind of hoping that he picks up on this. What kind of stance will he take? This is truly strange..

[Kanchou]

I think he'll go out of business before he gets sued by Bizarro-Debito. That's a really horrible business plan.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

This had me going
It's such a typical show of the inherent racism of the Japanese, even if it is in reverse. How can someone who claims to love the United States to such a degree that they return to their homeland and open a restaurant that will only cater to Americans failed to have missed that one of the principles that has made the U.S. so great is the quest for equality for all? Mind you, I also love the way the Japanese shag is also allowed in for free if accompanied by an American...striking a blow for sexual equality at the same time, too!
I wonder if the free entry applies only to Americans or does it mean all gaijin? What about Canadians, who sound pretty much like Americans and do some of the same sports but generally have a different culture?
Poor Deadbeato. If he is truly opposed to all forms of racism, he should get onto this place. But I suspect he will avoid doing so.

[Mike Oxlong]

This Canuckistani might have to go check it out. Maybe I'll even bring some Filipina trim just for laughs. Born in Manila, raised as a Valley Girl, and hung out to dry on this little rock in the East China Sea. Will she past for 'merican?

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

This Canuckistani might have to go check it out. Maybe I'll even bring some Filipina trim just for laughs. Born in Manila, raised as a Valley Girl, and hung out to dry on this little rock in the East China Sea. Will she past for 'merican?

Hmmm...that's a hard one. I guess she's OK if she's an American man's shag.
Where are the Afrikaners when you need them? I'm sure their Group Areas Act would know precisely how to deal with such dilemmas.

[TennoChinko]

This had me going
It's such a typical show of the inherent racism of the Japanese, even if it is in reverse. How can someone who claims to love the United States to such a degree that they return to their homeland and open a restaurant that will only cater to Americans failed to have missed that one of the principles that has made the U.S. so great is the quest for equality for all? Mind you, I also love the way the Japanese shag is also allowed in for free if accompanied by an American...striking a blow for sexual equality at the same time, too!
I wonder if the free entry applies only to Americans or does it mean all gaijin? What about Canadians, who sound pretty much like Americans and do some of the same sports but generally have a different culture?
Poor Deadbeato. If he is truly opposed to all forms of racism, he should get onto this place. But I suspect he will avoid doing so.

Debuto won't as he's hypocritically only opposed to certain kinds of discrimination.

[Ketou]

Debuto won't as he's hypocritically only opposed to certain kinds of discrimination.

Although it is not racial discrimination in the sense of one race against another.
He is Japanese discriminating against Japanese.....

[Christoff]

America's quest for equality? really? Capitalism is based on inequality, the 1% verses the 99% who have jack.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

America's quest for equality? really? Capitalism is based on inequality, the 1% verses the 99% who have jack.

I did say "quest," I didn't argue that it had reached the goal. I don't deny the U.S. has got a long way to go in terms of any sort of equality, but I think that at least trying to get fair treatment for all is admirable.

[Kuang_Grade]

The owner going about this all wrong...He needs to charge 100,000 yen per sitting plus the actual price for the food and then offer a 99,999 yen "didn't piss me off/kept their mouth shut about how they thought this would be better if done J style" discount. This approach attacks the core problem without being racial or sexist.

[Iraira]

Thing that we need to know is whether his customer base is substantially skewed towards foreigners (Americans). If so, he's just protecting his base (ass), maybe gathering some free press, etc.
Bottom line: is the food good?

[xenomorph42]

America's quest for equality? really? Capitalism is based on inequality, the 1% verses the 99% who have jack.

And? It is a competitive system. There is no system that is perfect, but if you live in a Capitalist society you have to compete work hard and you will be rewarded based on those efforts. If you don't like it, show me a country or society that is a Utopia and that is problematically perfect and the system is all around fair across the board.

[Samurai_Jerk]

in a Capitalist society you have to compete
work hard and you will be rewarded based on those efforts

Yeah, people's effort always pays off in proportion to how hard they try. There's not such thing as chance and those who don't try are never wealthy. You're almost as delusional as a Marxist.

[Level3]

The owner going about this all wrong...He needs to charge 100,000 yen per sitting plus the actual price for the food and then offer a 99,999 yen "didn't piss me off/kept their mouth shut about how they thought this would be better if done J style" discount. This approach attacks the core problem without being racial or sexist.

Had a similar thought. He should charge 50,000 to anyone who bitches the sushi isn't Japanese enough, and 100,000 to anyone who makes fun of other customers.
Have everyone sign a contract when they enter. If orders are done on slips of paper anyway, it's asimple matter to put a contract on back for the sign/hanko.

[Taro Toporific]

.... Japanese customers however demanded Japanese style sushi, and made negative comments about the American customers when talking in Japanese...

Sheee-it, I reserve my right to bad mouth canned corn-&-tuna pizza while dining in Japan: Most Californian Rolls are more "authentic" than Japanese pizza.

I was wondering if the place only serves Spam Sushi and other Guamanian/Samoan/Hawaiian horrors. Checking the restaurant reviews I found that they are focused on maki-type of rolled sushi. I can understand how Japanese would openly whine in a sushi place that made only one kind of sushi.

Posted by: Sarah | September 28, 2009 at 11:12 AM
http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2007/12/sushi-zen.html

With regards to the "Japanese Discrimination" rumors. I went to Sushi Zen with my friend, who is not shy. He blatantly asked the owner/sushi chef, Yuki-san, about the fee for Japanese customers. In so many words, we were told that the fee is to ensure they really want to be there. Yuki-san told us that we couldn't understand what the Japanese customers were saying, but that he, speaking Japanese, could indeed understand and was offended by their anti-American comments. Yuki-san stated that he respects the American service members very much - feels comfortable around them after living in NY for over 20 yrs, and wants to provide a place where Americans can eat in peace, enjoy themselves, and not worry about Anti-American sentiment. This is the reason that unless accompanied by an American, Yuki-san will charge. He's not discriminating against the Japanese, so relax. For goodness sake, all of his employees are local. Do you think they'd really work for him if he were so awful? Sushi Zen is the best sushi I've ever had, and Yuki-san's generosity and graciousness is much missed by me since I left Okinawa. He is a dear man.

Eating Sushi in Okinawa
Q: I'm new to this area and I can only seem to find Sashimi and Nigiri. I can't find rolls of sushi anywhere. Any suggestions?

EKitten Jun 18, 2007 07:44PM
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/412770
First of all, Sushi is really a Tokyo-centric or Osaka-centric thing. Second, Okinawa has its own food culture, separate from the four main islands of Japan, and sushi as we know it really isn't an Okinawan thing. Finally, "rolls" as you may know them are really an American invention -- in Japan, serious sushi is not rolls. Though rolls do exist, they are usually simple (with the exception of Osaka futo-maki) and nowhere near the enormous production they are in the U.S. Do NOT expect Spicy Tuna Roll, Spider Roll, Monster Truck Roll, and White Guy Roll with Jalapeno Mayonnaise in Japan -- though a visit to Rainbow Roll or The Hump in Tokyo may get you some of that because these places have been opened to satisfy Americans who are homesick for these kinds of American sushi.

[Yokohammer]

Ha! This is fun (I mean stuff like Spider Roll, Monster Truck Roll, and White Guy Roll with Jalapeno Mayonnaise).

Years ago I was in Buena Park (CA) on business, and we were in a local Japanese restaurant, properly staffed by Japanese chefs. We started trying out the westernized variations they offered (California Roll, et al.), and eventually started daring the chef to come up with solutions to the dumb sushi ideas we came up with ... things like German Roll and Antarctic Roll ... silly. Anyway, the guy was absolutely brilliant! He consistently came up with combinations of ingredients/colors/textures that satisfied our idiotic requests while actually tasting pretty darn good. Very "creative". Definitely the most fun I've ever had at a sushi joint, while being the least traditional. Never had the nerve to try it in Japan though.

Of course we paid for it ... but it was the bubble era so what the hey!

(Slightly off topic. Sorry.)

[Kanchou]

Unless I'm mistaken,

"rolls" are what Japanese people make at home, and they generally put whatever they want in them.

nigiri are what professionals sushi shops sell and come with very specific, set ingredients.

And American sushi bars generally serve both, with a slightly higher focus on rolls (and sell dozens of different kinds of combinations, but you don't get to choose what goes in them yourself). Not to mention they charge too much for nigiri, even by Japanese standards.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Unless I'm mistaken,

"rolls" are what Japanese people make at home, and they generally put whatever they want in them.

nigiri are what professionals sushi shops sell and come with very specific, set ingredients.

You are mistaken. Most (all?) sushi-ya in Japan sell maki-zushi. Just not the same varieties as US shops do.

[Greji]

[Kanchou]

You are mistaken. Most (all?) sushi-ya in Japan sell maki-zushi. Just not the same varieties as US shops do.

Ah... To be fair, I haven't has sushi in Japan since 2005.

Interestingly, I never actually had makizushi in Japan. But on the other hand, I've never seen people make nigiri at home, since I think it sort of has an air of difficulty around it. Not to mention the fish costs more.

[American Oyaji]

Ah... To be fair, I haven't has sushi in Japan since 2005.

Interestingly, I never actually had makizushi in Japan. But on the other hand, I've never seen people make nigiri at home, since I think it sort of has an air of difficulty around it. Not to mention the fish costs more.

Are you just dumb or did your mom drop you on your dome?

Sorry, I should preface that.

How long were you in Japan and where did you live? Or.....

[Kanchou]

2004 to 2005. Tokyo. I only ate sushi at one place...and all I ever bought was the 700-yen nigiri plates.

[Samurai_Jerk]

2004 to 2005. Tokyo. I only ate sushi at one place...and all I ever bought was the 700-yen nigiri plates.

You probably shouldn't be getting involved in discussion about sushi in Japan then

BTW, I've had homemade nigiri. The fish tasted like some they bought at the bait shop though

[Mike Oxlong]

BTW, I've had homemade nigiri. The fish tasted like some they bought at the bait shop though

How dare you talk about Noriko like that! Those are the finest Dungeness crabs...

[Christoff]

2004 to 2005. Tokyo. I only ate sushi at one place...and all I ever bought was the 700-yen nigiri plates.

fear not the kaiten sushi.

[Kanchou]

BTW, I've had homemade nigiri. The fish tasted like some they bought at the bait shop though

That was kind of my point though

The consensus among my J-friends seems to agree with my opinion though.

fear not the kaiten sushi.

I was afraid I'd end up with a 2,000 yen bill instead of an 800-yen one. Also, I like the atmosphere and the darkness of traditional unmarked hole-in-the-wall sushi places.