No sushi for you

[Samurai_Jerk]

Japan Michelin-star sushi house defends foreigner rules

A top notch Michelin-starred sushi restaurant in Tokyo on Monday defended its special reservation rules for foreigners after a report in Japan it had refused to accept a booking from a Chinese customer.

Sushi Mizutani, which has two of the coveted Michelin stars, told AFP it has an "across-the-board policy" of not accepting bookings by non-Japanese customers -- unless they are made through a hotel concierge or a credit card company.

"(Non-Japanese) customers may not show up for their reservations," a member of staff at the restaurant said, adding employees do not have the foreign language proficiency to explain requirements to patrons.

"We prepare fish for the number of expected customers and have to turn down other requests for booking sometimes. We simply cannot afford it if people don't show up.

"We don't think it is anything discriminatory," he said.

The confirmation came after a report that the restaurant, located in Tokyo's glitzy Ginza district, had refused to take a reservation for Chinese journalist Mo Bangfu.

Mo, a resident of Japan for 30 years who is fluent in Japanese, intended to host three guests at the high-end restaurant, where prices start at 20,000 yen ($168) per person, the Nikkan Gendai tabloid reported.

The magazine said that as soon as his secretary -- a Japanese woman -- told the restaurant Mo's name and contact number, the person taking the booking suddenly changed his attitude and said "some arrangements were necessary" -- indicating the reservation was not acceptable.

"We have an increasing number of cases in which people are abandoning their reservations," a restaurant worker told AFP, adding Japanese-speaking customers are called for reconfirmation a few days before their reservation.

[kurogane]

They were probably afraid he would bring Larry and Curly and things would get a little whacky.

[Yokohammer]

Some of the locals simply do not get the concept of discrimination. They're not evil, just very, very insular and unsophisticated. Sounds like a bit of that, plus a bit of too-big-for-their-boots-ness.

Here's hoping they drop a star or two and maybe some valuable business over this. Hit 'em where it hurts ... in the wallet.

[kurogane]

Do anybody but Japanese of that ilk even care about stars and bars and all that ranking BS???? I could see there being a quiet backlash of support and patronage for their "gutsy stand." I would certainly patronise the place if I had a reasonable guarantee there wouldn't be Chinese tourists there, though the guy in question sounds like he shouldn't have been done like that. Allowing that if we had a dollar for every time a long term resident's Japanese ability has been characterised in news reports as "fluent" we'd own a few Okinawan islands and half a Maserati.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Some of the locals simply do not get the concept of discrimination. They're not evil, just very, very insular and unsophisticated. Sounds like a bit of that, plus a bit of too-big-for-their-boots-ness.

Here's hoping they drop a star or two and maybe some valuable business over this.

Yeah, what annoys me more than the discrimination is the claim that it's not discrimination. I may have posted this on here before but when some of my FG friends were once complaining about a place that doesn't allow foreigners our Japanese friend defended the policy by saying it's not 差別 it's 区別. I wasn't sure how to respond and my my Japanese isn't good enough to argue semantics.

This kind of reminded me of the case of a Thai restaurant in Florida that got into trouble for a 15% surcharge added to black customers' checks because the owner had noticed that black people don't tend to tip well so I googled the story for reference and check out the owner's name.

[matsuki]

Sushi Mizutani, which has two of the coveted Michelin stars, told AFP it has an "across-the-board policy" of not accepting bookings by non-Japanese customers -- unless they are made through a hotel concierge or a credit card company.

Cause non-Japanese customers couldn't possibly be residents?

"(Non-Japanese) customers may not show up for their reservations," a member of staff at the restaurant said, adding employees do not have the foreign language proficiency to explain requirements to patrons.

"We prepare fish for the number of expected customers and have to turn down other requests for booking sometimes. We simply cannot afford it if people don't show up.

Soooo, take a non-refundable deposit on ALL reservations?

"We don't think it is anything discriminatory," he said.

[Yokohammer]

Yeah, what annoys me more than the discrimination is the claim that it's not discrimination. I may have posted this on here before but when some of my FG friends were once complaining about a place that doesn't allow foreigners our Japanese friend defended the policy by saying it's not 差別 it's 区別. I wasn't sure how to respond and my my Japanese isn't good enough to argue semantics.

I remember your "it's not 差別（discrimination), it's 区別（distinction ... or something equally meaningless)" comment. They just love their little word games.

It's not whaling, it's research whaling.
There were no sex slaves, only comfort women.

... gimme a couple of pages and I'll fill em ...

I'm never sure whether they actually believe their own tripe or are wilfully trying to pull one over.

[kurogane]

I may have posted this on here before but when some of my FG friends were once complaining about a place that doesn't allow foreigners our Japanese friend defended the policy by saying it's not 差別 it's 区別. I wasn't sure how to respond and my my Japanese isn't good enough to argue semantics.

Mine is and I still can't......well, can argue but can't win. I don't think it can legally or formally be Discrimination! if the person is Not Japanese. When I first got to Japan (1987) it was still allowed or had only recently become illegal or Not Allowed (aka Frowned Upon!) to discriminate based on nationality. Therefore it's not discrimination, which is a legal term with serious repercussions, but rather distinction. I think it might have something to do with Us not being afforded constitutional protection. And the fact that as a people the reason their eyes are brown is because they are so FOS.

At any rate, the sheer courage and cognitive contortion required for that level of bald faced hypocrisy has always been a source of grudging admiration and anthropological awe. And I am quite sure They are quite sure it's not actually hypocrisy either. Cognitively I think it lies in that ability They have to swallow empty platitudes like they are eternal truths, and to doggedly stick to it.

At any rate, I fully support any and all measures to restrict Chinese patronage in general and wherever possible, but I think this guy was badly treated. Also, let us note they do have Accepted Procedures (!!) by which foreign patrons can make reservations and he didn't use them.

[Samurai_Jerk]

This kind of reminded me of the case of a Thai restaurant in Florida that got into trouble for a 15% surcharge added to black customers' checks because the owner had noticed that black people don't tend to tip well so I googled the story for reference and check out the owner's name.

Yeah, but check out the owner's name. What an awesome coincidence.

[Takechanpoo]

kubetsu is socially, politically or legally institutionalized sabetsu. essentially the two are same.

[kurogane]

A nice working definition, but what SJ and I are discussing is how people use Kubetsu to refute claims of Sabetsu, which suggests a qualitative difference in their understanding and usage and a notion that Sabetsu is wrong but Kubetsu is acceptable or at least tolerable as a Shikata ga Nai thing (these are very often very educated Japanese, btw, so it's not like street rats using Muki to mean Muke or similar subliteracy issues).

IOW: a shop that only serves Japanese speaking customers is regarded as Kubetsu but not Sabetsu.

I actually agree with that definition, and almost any business' right to refuse service to any indvidual, though if it is systematic or obviously targeted I think it distasteful and would certainly avoid it as assiduously as I avoid cheap Filipina hostess bars whenever I am in Otaru. I regard the US laws against that to be a special case just like the way the kids on the Variety bus need a minder to protect them against themselves.

Which does raise the question: since the shop in question does have reservation procedures for furryners is it discrimination proper? I would call it a very bad call but he should have followed the Proper Procedures if he really wanted to go there. It does raise the question of his sincerity and his Real or Hidden Purpose behind not doing so. Plus it is another fine examle of touchy petulias crying like babies over 3 drops of spilt milk even though they still have a whole bottle of it and the Shock & Disgust Media whores reporting on it.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I wasn't sure how to respond and my my Japanese isn't good enough to argue semantics.

Mine is and I still can't......well, can argue but can't win.

It sounds like you and I are in the same boat more or less as far as Japanese goes.

IOW: a shop that only serves Japanese speaking customers is regarded as Kubetsu but not Sabetsu.

I actually agree with that definition, and almost any business' right to refuse service to any indvidual, though if it is systematic or obviously targeted I think it distasteful and would certainly avoid it as assiduously as I avoid cheap Filipina hostess bars whenever I am in Otaru. I regard the US laws against that to be a special case just like the way the kids on the Variety bus need a minder to protect them against themselves.

Which does raise the question: since the shop in question does have reservation procedures for furryners is it discrimination proper? I would call it a very bad call but he should have followed the Proper Procedures if he really wanted to go there. It does raise the question of his sincerity and his Real or Hidden Purpose behind not doing so. Plus it is another fine examle of touchy petulias crying like babies over 3 drops of spilt milk even though they still have a whole bottle of it and the Shock & Disgust Media whores reporting on it.

Well if you're not a visitor you can't really make a reservation through your hotel concierge. As for making a reservation through a credit card company, is that even possible? Or do they mean you have to leave a credit card number to get a reservation? There are plenty of restaurants that require you to pay for canceling at the last minute or not showing up. However, as they don't seem to ask for credit card numbers in Japan I've always wondered how they enforce that.

When some friends were visiting a couple of months ago I looked into reservations at some high-end restaurants they were thinking about visiting. I noticed that the English-language homepages of a couple said they only took reservations through hotel concierges but the Japanese versions of the homepages didn't mention that. They didn't end up going to those places so I never found out but I wondered at the time whether or not they would let me make the reservations myself as a non-native speaker of Japanese. Maybe this a pretty common policy at these types of places.

[kurogane]

I think the credit card companies thing refers to a concierge type bumwiping service the companies offer, say like for coloured AMEX card owners. It's a relatively newer servile sector ploy. My friends that like having their sad egos stroked use that sort of stuff. I could see it coming in really useful for this upcoming surge of dumb yuppy foodies we were talking about the other day given the tragic monolingualism from which Japan suffers. Sounds like Mo himself should sign up for one so he can take Larry and Curly for some overpriced uncooked fish.

As for convincing Japanese of the Sabetsu/Kubetsu thing I think it's just that dogged platitude thing I mentioned. I could convince the Supreme Court of Canada through an interpreter but my Japanese friends listening would still be digging in their heels and insisting it isn't Sabetsu!! Also, don't forget that Sabetsu can only technically happen TO Japanese for a hilarious number of otherwise nice people. Not wanting whitey is simply Kubetsu. I like the contortionist comedy so much I can no longer get exasperated at the injustices or the BS.

Anyways, let us remember that the alleged aggrieved is another International Journalist FLUENT in Japanese and yet the story of this excruciatingly trivial drivel became a news item anyways, so many grains of salt will probably make for better truth chop suey.

[matsuki]

As much as it annoys me when exchange students come to the US and take on names like "Victoria" and "Catherine" for these types of deals (yet can't spell/pronounce them) I do wonder how much life here would be easier if you took on a registered "Japanese name" like the zainichi tend to do. (or even unofficially) Won't help some situations but in cases like this, it prevents the restaurant from even going into sabetsu mode. (If no laws protect you from sabetsu, fair game to fuck with those who would sabetsu you) If it was my business, however, I'd take non-refundable credit card deposits on all reservations.

As to the sabetsu/kubetsu deal...isn't the whole issue with tattoos one of banning all tattoos because targeting yaks specifically would be sabetsu? (or does that only count because they're Japanese)

[Samurai_Jerk]

I just checked my FB feed and saw another Japanese guy I know post a link to a Japanese article about this and he wrote: 差別？アホ？区別だろうよ。

[matsuki]

I just checked my FB feed and saw another Japanese guy I know post a link to a Japanese article about this and he wrote: 差別？アホ？区別だろうよ。

Ask him to explain the difference.

[kurogane]

Well, it works for Zainichi because they're invisible unless they're going to school or using their birth name, but that would be a great ploy for a Geraldo style undercover bust. Call in, make a reservation as Tanaka and go with a Japanese so that even if there is a kerfuffle you can explain the reservation is under their name. It sorts of waters it down but it is as manipulative as their policy might be, so you get the added bonus of beating them at their own game. If CJ ever gets let back in I would like to see that, because like you said there is nothing wrong with fucking with shameful. The way to do it would be for an Invisible on the Phone FG to try and make a reservation directly; if language really is the only concern they should then be able to pay far more than I would ever want to for uncooked fish.

Fun idea, anyways.

BTW, I just thought of a great conspiracy twist on their concierge or credit card company intermediary policy: by chanelling it that way they can then easily and with Great Regret explain that they're fully booked through the year 2929 and the intermediary will then polish that turd and explain it to the customers, omitting the obviously discrimintory part. Which allows them to stick to their intended policy: Japanese Only. But even if it's true I still giggle at how masterfully and sincerely or forthrightly shameless it is.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I just checked my FB feed and saw another Japanese guy I know post a link to a Japanese article about this and he wrote: 差別？アホ？区別だろうよ。

Ask him to explain the difference.

I did. No reply yet.

[matsuki]

One of the companies my friend buys from here in Tokyo, the manager I dealt with for him is totally rad......BUT he had to literally convince the teeth-sucking morons at HQ to give permission to sell to a (gasp) foreigner. The manager said they were a bunch of heads-up-their-asses jiji that got off on being able to pick and choose customers. (guess this is the kubetsu the locals are referring to? ...though they seem to miss that "because gaijin" would make it "sabetsu") I've seen it before as well. If you ask them why, you get a bunch of derpy "what if kaigai gaijin blah blah" answers that just leave you frustrated. As my friend put it, "WTF?! Are you not hungry enough to take my money?" Fast forward a decade and now many of these stuck up assholes are begging for overseas customers as the local market dried up and competition has increased.

[Samurai_Jerk]

"WTF?! Are you not hungry enough to take my money?"

After over a decade of doing business in Japan I've come to the conclusion that money doesn't talk as loudly here as it does in other places. Sometimes it's nice (can't bribe your way to skip the line at a high-end restaurant like you can in NY) but they'll also walk away from great business opportunities just because.

[kurogane]

Yes to that. Or how badly paid so many people are. And that allows that the same is sort of true in Canada compared to the US or the UK.

BTW, just to reiterate: discriminating against foreign customers qua foreigners is Kubetsu; doing the same between Japanese customers is Sabetsu. I think.............my brain hurts now. But nothing wrong with choosing your customers. It's stupid, weird and very often self-destructive, but not morally or legally wrong per se.

[Wage Slave]

But nothing wrong with choosing your customers. It's stupid, weird and very often self-destructive, but not morally or legally wrong per se.

All depends what business you are in and on what grounds you are choosing. Those signs saying no Blacks or Irish were morally wrong and they are now legally wrong too. And quite right. If you are running a brothel or a nail salon and you want to have such a policy I couldn't really care less as long as you are discreet but if you are providing accommodation, employment, eduction and training or other things we can't live without then it is morally wrong to exclude people on the basis of their ethnicity. And it is running up bills for the future we all have to pay. That's how exclusion works and that's why the force of law is required.

[matsuki]

"WTF?! Are you not hungry enough to take my money?"

After over a decade of doing business in Japan I've come to the conclusion that money doesn't talk as loudly here as it does in other places. Sometimes it's nice (can't bribe your way to skip the line at a high-end restaurant like you can in NY) but they'll also walk away from great business opportunities just because.

Exactly...but as most of the markets here shrink, that luxury seems to be dying as well.

But nothing wrong with choosing your customers. It's stupid, weird and very often self-destructive, but not morally or legally wrong per se.

I know the lack of laws means it's not illegal but it's pretty fucked to turn away people "because gaijin" or "because [insert color here]" T'was a shitty feeling getting the "X of death" ここ外人ダメ when apartment searching in Tokyo.

[matsuki]

if you are providing accommodation, employment, eduction and training or other things we can't live without then it is morally wrong to exclude people on the basis of their ethnicity. And it is running up bills for the future we all have to pay. That's how exclusion works and that's why the force of law is required.

THIS

The locals don't seem to understand that if they want to do business in these areas, whatever term they want to call it and for whatever excuse, it's fucked up to exclude people based on race/ethnicity/nationality/etc.

[omae mona]

I am not whatsoever in the "this is not discrimination" camp. It is discrimination. And I'm sufficiently convinced it's a real, non-exaggerated story.

BUT....

Why the heck has this type of thing literally never ever happened to me? It's getting to the point where I've been in the country for a reasonably long time, so I figure it would have happened by now if it's prevalent. Do I just not get out enough?

I haven't had the "gaijin dame" apartment hunt (there is nothin' like a dame...). I haven't had a reservation turned down at a restaurant, ryokan, hotel, etc. I haven't been stopped by police randomly. Haven't had a place insist on seeing my passport or gaijin card (other than government agencies that are supposed to see it). I don't even get micro aggressed.... no random people try to practice English on me, no compliments on my chopstick skills. I recently spent hours in a car dealership buying a car, and never once got a "nihongo ga jozu desu ne" or even so much as a "where are you from?" In fact, I feel downright ignored. What's wrong with me? Actually, come to think of it, my chopstick skills suck, but still...

[kurogane]

Wage Slave,

Yeah, fair enough. Ooops. I assumed we all assume those sort of general anti-discrimination laws are a bedrock of modern society. I meant more like SJ and Choko were talking about: a machine tools supplier picking and choosing its customers based on its own priorities, even if those are the pissy priorities of a pirouetting prima donna not predominantly preoccupied with profit. And I would certainly not argue it's not wrong in some sense and that it doesn't feel shitty, but I am still curious as to just how legally proscribed discrimination against non-Japanese is. Wasn't the key to Great Debito Otaru Hot Tub case the fact that everybody in the room was Japanese but the old hag at the door didn't like the way one of his daughters looked?

And Puhleeeezzzzzzzzzzzzz, nobody post a link to a UN Convention on the Need to Play Nice that Japan has signed. That ensures that they get the treatment they think they deserve not the reciprocity they know in their hearts we don't. They don't do reciprocal relativism. Plus comparing the multicultural, multiethnic immigrant Anglosphere with shocking levels of entrenched racial discrimination that still continue to the Japan with virtually none does get a touch, well............Stuff White People Like........... Not that I disagree with the lofty ideals expressed

[matsuki]

LOL, now I want to see a pic of Omae! (Maybe you're just too intimidating to mess with?)

I've heard even Japanese people bitch about being given the ol "nihongo ga jozu desu ne" (though I think it's more "how dare you think I'm gaijin!" than "don't patronize me!")

[matsuki]

I am still curious as to just how legally proscribed discrimination against non-Japanese is. Wasn't the key to Great Debito Otaru Hot Tub case the fact that everybody in the room was Japanese but the old hag at the door didn't like the way one of his daughters looked?

And Puhleeeezzzzzzzzzzzzz, nobody post a link to a UN Convention on the Need to Play Nice that Japan has signed. That ensures that they get the treatment they think they deserve not the reciprocity they know in their hearts we don't. They don't do reciprocal relativism. Plus comparing the multicultural, multiethnic immigrant Anglosphere with shocking levels of entrenched racial discrimination that still continue to the Japan with virtually none does get a touch, well............Stuff White People Like........... Not that I disagree with the lofty ideals expressed

I've said it before but I honestly think the average J-person lacks the capacity to even comprehend "racial discrimination." (hence the need for laws/enforcement/etc. to guide their stubborn asses into the modern world)

[omae mona]

LOL, now I want to see a pic of Omae! (Maybe you're just too intimidating to mess with?)

I've heard even Japanese people bitch about being given the ol "nihongo ga jozu desu ne" (though I think it's more "how dare you think I'm gaijin!" than "don't patronize me!")

Omae Mona Jr., who is very hafu and very non-English-speaking, has gotten this comment a few times while with me. She's too young still for it to quite register. She probably thinks it has to do with grades in her language class at school. But one of these days she's going to be old enough to realise what is going on get really annoyed. I am looking forward to the day she explodes at whomever says it to her, and I hope I'm there to see it.

By the way, I used to get "nihongo ga jozu desu ne"'d a lot. It just doesn't happen anymore. Maybe once or twice a year. Maybe I look scarier than I used to. Or my Japanese skills faded away (more likely).

[kurogane]

I've said it before but I honestly think the average J-person lacks the capacity to even comprehend "racial discrimination." (hence the need for laws/enforcement/etc. to guide their stubborn asses into the modern world)

Oh, I think we agree on the analysis, but given what a tiny tempest in a miniature teacup racial discrimination in Japan actually is I would argue that aggressive legislative remedies would only get them to hunker down. Since 0.5 of 10 people in Japan are Real Foreigners (no Zainichi, please) the incidences of it are so relatively miniscule it would be widely regarded as a pandering overreaction to a largely non-existent problem. What we need are some of those delightful Public Education campaigns, perhaps done in a retro Grammar Rock style, with ANA ad campaign style long nosed furry mascots dancing around preaching the virtues and value of Benevolence and Decency. And using lots of Katakana words, of course............

And we still have the legal question: would legal protections extended to people not protected by the constitution be considered, well...........constitutional???

Annoying as it all is my experiences largely jibe with Omae Mona's: the last 3 visits the Immigration officers have said Okaeri. That's me on a tourist visa. Most accommodation owners are obbviously confused when I say my name on the phone, but are quite enchanted when I show up but........... nuku nuku

Omae Mona,
I think it comes down to demanour or deportment: if you look and talk like you know what you are doing and are supposed to be doing it they seem to be able to distinguish Local FGs from FOBs. It is only the hyper solicitous culture broker types that volunteer at the local International House that ever bring up any of that stuff with me anymore. My chopstick skills are exquisite, mind........... so they still mention that.

If anything what they need to address is the treatment Little Mona and her cohorts get, as discussed when that biracial girl won the Miss Japan Best Meat Treat contest. The Otaru Hot Tub Incident was the only time I ever clapped for the Debito-Man: they excluded one daughter but said her sister could enter the Hot Tub. What kind of fucking worthless humanoid would exclude one sibling based on appearance but pointedly mention her sister was Acceptable!!????

Oh, belatedly, since somebody mentioned tattoos above: if I remember my Intro to Japan 101 postcoital conversations circa 1987 correctly they ban all tattoos because all tattoos all mean Yakooza, not because it would discriminate against Yakuza by distinguishing between types of tattoo. Allowing for the more recent boom in Organised Voluntary Defacement, I don't know if they actually recognise the distinction or just don't care. I would say a healthy ignorance mixed with a sort of FU apathy. And let's face it............they're tattoos. I don't condone the banning, but it's not like they didn't know what they were getting themselves into.