I am actually fuming right now. I’ve been to Japan so many times, but today was hands-down the most insulting experience I’ve ever had.
I was walking around Shinjuku looking for a quick spot for dinner. I saw this small Izakaya that looked decent, not too crowded. I walked in, did the usual “Sumimasen, hitori desu,” and the staff immediately froze. No “Irasshaimase,” no smile, just a dead-eyed stare. The waiter comes up to me and straight up says “No English menu” in a super aggressive tone. I told him in basic Japanese that it’s fine, I can read the Kanji and use Google Translate.
Then he hits me with: “No, we are full.”
I pointed at the three empty tables right in front of me. He gets flustered and goes to talk to the manager. The manager comes out, looks me up and down with this “disgust” face, and asks me where I’m from. I said Singapore. The vibe shifted instantly, but not in a good way. He literally told me, “Show me passport.”
At this point, I was confused. I thought maybe it was some new tax-free thing or security law? I pulled out my red passport, and the moment he saw the “Republic of Singapore” crest, his entire demeanor did a 180-degree flip. He started bowing, apologized profusely, and suddenly—magic!—a table was available.
He actually admitted it. He said, “Sorry, we thought you were from Mainland China. Many problems with noise and manners, so we don’t serve them.”
I was stunned. I just stood there holding my passport like it was a VIP entry pass to a club. I ended up walking out because I honestly felt sick. I’m Singaporean Chinese—I look the part. But the fact that I have to prove my “tier” of Asian-ness just to get a bowl of ramen is absolutely wild.
Since when did Japan become like this? I know the over-tourism is bad and some tourists are CMI (cannot make it), but the blatant profiling is disgusting. If I didn’t have my physical passport on me, I would’ve been kicked out of an empty restaurant just for having a certain face.
Has anyone else experienced this recently? Is this the “new normal” for us traveling in Japan now? Truly felt like a second-class citizen until I flashed the red book. Super “rabak” (messy/out of control) experience. Stay safe and keep your passports handy, I guess.
TL;DR: Tried to eat at an Izakaya, got rejected because they thought I was PRC, only got a seat after showing my SG passport. Disgusting profiling.