The Japanese noodle shop caused controversy because it banned Chinese customers

Iekei noodle shop in Osaka city became the focus of attention after posting a notice on social networks in early January banning all Chinese customers. The store owner said the decision was made after a Chinese customer caused a disturbance, forcing the establishment to call the police to intervene.

The restaurant confirmed that 90% of problems with foreigners here are related to Chinese customers. The post attracted 33 million views and more than 1,800 comments, sparking a wave of debate about discriminatory behavior.

Many social media users have asked the restaurant to provide evidence to confirm the figure of “90% Chinese customers”. Others believe that it is unfair to equate all of a country’s tourists based on the behavior of a few individuals.

While the restaurant accused diners of causing trouble, many diners pointed to price discrimination as a possible source of the incident.

Based on photos taken of the automatic ordering machine, diners discovered that the price on the English menu is nearly double that of the Japanese menu. Many people say that it is difficult for tourists from other countries to recognize the difference, but Chinese people can read Kanji, so they have discovered and reacted to this difference.

“The shop owner may have equated customers’ complaints about unreasonable prices with disruptive behavior,” a customer commented.

The noodle shop owner posted a video explaining questions about the pricing policy. The higher prices are not aimed at any specific nationality. He explained that this difference is essentially a “service fee for people who do not know Japanese”. The explanation did not receive support and was immediately rejected.

“Using the language barrier as a reason to charge more money is ridiculous in the era of translation applications,” one netizen commented.

Others questioned whether the restaurant offered additional services or special products to those who had to pay higher prices. A part of the local people supported the restaurant owner, saying that local customers deserved better treatment.

This is not the first time a restaurant in Japan has imposed surcharges on foreigners. Previously, a buffet restaurant in Tokyo was criticized for being “xenophobic” when it charged an additional 1,100 yen (about 7 USD) service fee for non-Japanese speaking customers. In July 2025, Junglia amusement park in Okinawa also caused a stir when it imposed a higher price of 1,870 yen (12 USD) for those without local permanent residence.

From a legal perspective, Japanese lawyer Mansaku Kanda believes that private businesses have the right to decide their own prices, as long as the difference is within a reasonable range and that action does not constitute “undue discrimination”.

Currently, the owner of Iekei noodle shop has not yet come up with a specific plan to enforce the ban on Chinese diners at branches in Osaka and Nara