A recent incident involving a Hong Kong visitor’s late arrival at a Michelin two-star restaurant in Tokyo sparked widespread online discussion after she complained about being denied entry and charged the full meal price.
The visitor shared her experience with two videos on Xiaohongshu, expressing her disappointment with the visit at the Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongiten — a famous sushi restaurant.
The renowned restaurant, managed by the sushi master Jiro Ono’s son, Takashi Ono, is recognized for its high-quality sushi and requires appointments at least a month in advance with full payment.
Late arrival leads to denial of entry and full fee charge
In the videos, the poster explained that she was late because she overslept and got lost, but she was unable to notify the restaurant in advance due to limited service on her Japanese SIM card.
Upon arrival, she was denied entry, with the restaurant staff informing her that the HK$1,200 pre-paid fee would not be refunded, leaving her in tears.
The poster described the staff’s attitude as “terrible,” noting she went in and out of the restaurant three times but was repeatedly told to leave with phrases like “go back” and “rules, please understand.”
After some negotiations, the restaurant ultimately agreed to let her reschedule her reservation for the following evening.
Expecting only to pay the price difference between lunch and dinner, she was surprised when the staff informed her that a full payment of 38,000 yen (approximately HK$ 1,971) was required, prompting her to film another video questioning whether the practice was subjected to Japanese law.
Mixed reactions emerge from online community
Her videos quickly elicited a mixed reaction among the online community, with some sympathizing with her experience, believing the restaurant’s policies were too strict.
Despite admitting that charging for no-shows is common in high-end restaurants, several online users argued that rejecting access for being late along with full payment is unnecessary.
However, some stated that the poster should follow the rules of the restaurant, with one user pointing out that the restaurant clearly specified that being more than 10 minutes late will result in a cancellation and full payment.
While some online users criticized the poster’s time management skills, others suggested the poster delete her videos, stressing that her behavior could negatively impact the impression of Hong Kong tourists.
AloJapan.com