In Kyoto's traditional hanamachi (entertainment districts) where you can meet maiko and geiko, many stores do not accept first-time visitors. You may think that Kyoto has many xenophobic people and doesn't want to accept foreigners… but even Japanese people are rejected. You must always have an introduction from someone to be accepted. Here lies a special rule of the hanamachi. At the hanamachi, the guests can dine with the maiko/geiko without even bringing a wallet. All expenses, from cab fares to meals, are paid for once by the landlady, and the bill is sent to the customer a few months later. This is considered hospitality of the landlady, which wants customers to enjoy the day without concern. But of course there is a risk of not being paid, right? In order for the store to always collect the amount they charge, the customer must be introduced by someone. This is because, if the first-time customer doesn’t pay, the one who introduced him/her will have to pay instead. The introducer will only introduce someone they can trust, so it’s a system to run the business with the best hospitality and trust. If you’d like to learn more about Japanese traditional culture, Kyoto, and social problems in Japan, please check out my channel & subscribe! *The content is based on personal studies and experience There is no intention of denying other theories and cultural aspects
Then wouldnt there be a "open secret" service that you could pay them for introducing you and also paying them for the night out so you can have the experience?
"His restaurant was so exclusive that the only way to get a reservation was to create a parallel universe where you already had reservations!" - Futurama
@@tobyk.4911 yeah but you get a list of all your transactions on your account thus easy to keep track of, including a limit, there is no such thing with this
More like you need 50 years worth of networking and connections to even be considered for an invite :p (I mean in a generational wealth sense and not simply an old guy sense)
To all who are concerned about the “hospitality”: these restaurants are for ppl who don’t have to worry about money. It’s not for us peasants so don’t worry 😭😭
Im single with no kids and a decent job, my friends with the same career and families are living just above median income but im "rich" 😂 I can afford all kinds of reckless foolish spending
@@yseson_same, i know people that only have kids because of pressure from their families and now they cant afford to pursue their dreams, im on like the same wages as them yet manage to save 10x more money. i dont really want kids and no one is pressuring me to have any so im lucky there...
i did, as a foreigner living in japan for few years, one of my co worker kinda cool, his dad has lots of connection and he bring us there, a night to two
@@Ndasuunye If you are rich, you will get connection regardless everywhere you go. That's how we called "It's a big club and you are not in it" mean. Quite frankly, there are many rich events everywhere, like Jeff Bezos used a towing ship for his yacht half way across the world while he himself fly over because it is one of billionaire's club and for business connection and such.
"They want the customer to enjoy the day without concerns" If I'm not able to calculate how much my visit is costing me, I am full of concern and won't be able to enjoy my day 😹
You hit it on the head. I very much want to know what I’m paying in total before ordering things off a menu, especially if it’s a place where I have to get an invite from someone.
I met a Japanese guy who moved to Kyoto 7 years ago from Nagoya. He told me he loved Kyoto as a city, but in some places he's always treated like an outsider and kept outside the circle. I guess this is one of those instances
If I'm trying to make a successful business I can't imagine turning away a ton of customers just so I can send a bill a month later instead of accepting pay right away. This sounds like a formula for an unsuccessful business.
@@Kefka2010 this is like a social club in western countries, it totally works because it is exclusive. sending out a bill once a month instead of accepting instant pay pretty much guarantees that you will only have rather wealthy patrons who don't have to worry about their budget - and the wealthy patrons in turn appreciate the exclusivity.
@@5naf6 If it works then props to them! Maybe I'm just ignorant of savvy business practices but it seems bad to me. Possibly it appeals to a lot of wealthier customers who are whales and spend a lot.
I would be "very" concerned, not know the cost of the stuff Id been doing since I wouldnt be able to keep track. One big sum at the end would stress me out.
It seems like the sort of place only wealthy people go in the first place. "If you have to ask the price you can't afford it" is the old saying here. It's not for the working class.
You would likely not even be able to enter the store if that’s what you were worried about. Restaurants like this are reserved for the wealthy who are able to spend so much and not care about it. It’s kinda messed up, but it does happen everywhere. In our modern society money is power
Exactly!!! When I went to a all you can eat place, they will charge you the normal dinner price at the end. I was so worried that I was gonna be charged for the price for all the dishes. :/
@@Ali_Ahlulbayt hospitality noun the act of being friendly and welcoming to guests and visitors You're mistaking your idea of what constitutes hospitality with what the word means.
Those restaurants are high end members only club, kinda like a ceo opening is only for who worked as a ceo before and personally knows the cfo and coo of the hiring company 😂
Not really more like a private member's club. The members are curated which is better for both the business and the guests. The business takes on alot less risk and the majority of members are going to be of the higher classes which is there target demographic. The guests get the added safety of everyone being vetted, and the opportunity to meet other high class individuals.
My father in law has a restaurant that operates like this in Osaka. There's no menu and price is per person negotiated in advance. His clients are executives, doctors, lawyers, etc.
Just curious, what type of food do they serve to certain customers paying different prices if there is no menu? Or if the customer wants to order something spicific?
@@nightmendo7844 it's traditional Japanese food and there's never different prices for different people dinning with the party. Remember, it's not open to the general public. They would only send one invoice, no splitting checks. A customer would call and make arrangements, like this many people at this time on that day and one of us likes this and someone likes that. Everything is bought fresh that day at that big fish market in Osaka, so what's available dictates the menu. It's very seasonal.
I've never been to Kyoto but when I visited Tokyo I was barred from entering many businesses. I was told its because I'm not Asian and not with an Asian.
Quest name :"Enter a Restaurant" Objective : Get in touch with restaurant owner and max your friendship bar with the owner. Alternative objective : Bring a friend to the restaurant who already has maxed friendship and connected with the restaurant.
Why bother with restaurants that discriminates? I won't visit such garbage restaurants in the first place as there are plenty of places that accepts my money and doesn't discriminate me for who I am.
@@inkbold8511 They’re making it into a joke by putting it in an RPG format, which points at how unnecessarily complicated it is But yeah, I wouldn’t go to a business that excluded certain people in my own country, regardless of if that group included me or not, let alone in another one
"In order for the store to always collect the amount they charge" a group of wonderful men will find and kindly ask for you to pay in a yet to be determined alleyway....with your face....
Oh yes, I'd love to see them try... I don't care who they are; underestimating me, regardless, is a mistake anyone, and everyone, will only make once...
You have to be respectful toward other cultures, especially when you're visiting their homeland. Most Asian cultures are much stricter and have many more rules for politeness than Western ones do, and it's not just Asia. Only shows the much higher level of societal and customal development. In many Asian languages there are entire language systems divided in "polite" and "common/familiar", with lots of special honorific terms and so on. If you can't respect those things, don't come visiting. Anywhere.
No Dick, it's not appropriate to not list the price of your product. Real business is negotiated before hand. Anything else is just a scam. One day you'll learn.
@@DavidCruickshank or you’re the kind of person who likes to keep full tabs on their budget, so things like this are out of your comfort zone. I like to be prepared, regardless of situation - I look up menu items and decide what I want in advance, I like to have a grocery list preplanned when I go to the store, I like to know exactly how I’m going to spend my time every day when going on trips. It’s less about the money and more about the assurance that you’re in control. Even if I stray from my plans, list, or budget (which I usually do), there’s a calmness in knowing that I made those decisions with full certainty of what I was choosing. Some people just have a certain way of doing things and don’t like straying from it.
@@DelightfullyGrace Dude these kind of places aren't for control freaks like you. They're for moderately wealthy people to have a relaxing time. I don't necessarily agree with the whole premise but I have got better things than to complain about how a business is run. They are plenty of other places just as nice that run a much more transparent business. In fact I would argue nicer since they're much more inviting. Even if their furniture isn't some overpriced antique collection.
The dark side of hanamachi has been revealed by a former Maiko. She was forced to drink a lot and even to take bath with some customers when she was an early teen. There are many things that they cannot show ordinary people. That is why they refuse new comers.
@@nvdll3883 no it's not. 13 is the lowest a prefecture can go, because anyone 12 or younger is automatically deemed as unable to consent. Most of the country is 16-18.
@@nvdll3883 that’s not exactly true. No prefecture that I know of in Japan has that low of a consent age. It is still illegal for an adult to engage in sexual activity with a 13 year old in Japan. That is a misconception that really should be smoothed over by now but people are still confused about. It’s kinda like how the legal minimum wage in the USA is $7.25/hr but it’s illegal to pay that little wage in many of the states because of the individual state rules. Just because the legal consent age is 13 doesn’t mean that Japanese prefectures don’t have laws prohibiting them. The corruption of minors/obscenity statutes makes sure that it is illegal to engage in sexual activity with a 13 year old as an adult.
@@jonasw3945 If a restaurant is closed and invite, it is closed and invite. If it allows entry publicly it is public space. Then sure Japanese can discriminate but I think we can call them out on that because we don't discriminate them in our countries. And they have copied our culture. Most of Japan runs on Western culture and technology. When Japanese study music they study Chopin and Mozart and not their own medieval composers.
@@luciddream2033 perhaps except ex-european colonies that somehow still glorify white/European people as "smarter, richer etc", or compare their own social turmoil with the USA's moon landing as if the latter doesn't have social problems too
I can just imagine getting the bill and there are all kinds of "surprise" add-ons / like a charge for using the washroom ($50), premium sake surcharge ($90), overtime charge for dining over 60 min ($70)
IMO this sounds like a scheme to overcharge for stuff without the dude paying actually knowing and then socially pressure the guy into paying for it... a lot like casinos not having windows so you forget about the time, no bill makes you forget that you are buying expensive drinks and that the restaurant is more expensive than others around.
Japanese culture does not reflect that kind of behavior, although of course that might happen in different contexts. Even behind all that complexity, what lies there (imo) is trust and service beyond the logic of the times. This is what tradition looks like, and tradition has a expensive price most of the time. A true jewel of the past. Of course, if the business keeps running it is probably because of the clientele, which is probably affluent. Just like Americans, Japanese do things their own way, they’re just not in-your-face about it, and act more as a community. Wether we (as in third parties) like it or not is of little importance for them.
i'm not sure theres anything deceptive about it. the person who introduces you will either know you don't mind the bill or they won't. there's an understanding in place that negates any deception. what you get is a relaxing time. casinos on the other hand... well you need to learn the hard way to have a relaxing time
Not within this culture. It's a very close-knit community that thrives off of exclusivity and tradition. If someone abuses the system, they'll find themselves ostracized. It's definitely a status symbol to be able to enter a place like that, which is why the patrons are mostly VERY rich businessmen. That's where they entertain important clients and seal deals. A family friend of ours married into a very old aristocratic family in Kyoto, and when she took us to that area, she explained how those things work.
@@emancebo13 Now this actually hapoens once, where a branch of high end vip only restaurant from Kyoto was found recycling leftovers, the scandal spread across the entire chain despite they were actually rivals, the family was split and they only kept the inherited name of the restaurant.
@@Abhishek-fe3zs There isn't really anything modern about this. It's a holdover from feudal Japan. The purpose of it was to get closer to the ruling class, back when Kyoto was the capital. It's just like patronage of the arts in medieval Europe, which also required sponsorship and put you around the ruling class.
I wonder how many of these businesses are successful? Maybe if you've been around for a while you have a strong customer base but if you're a new business I can't imagine this is a model you would actually choose.
I just left Kyoto today and for the past 2 nights my wife and I were rejected by at least a dozen restaurants for dinner when we walked in and asked politely for a table for 2! 😢
For a popular restaurant frequent by locals, you have to get your reservation, this applies to everywhere in Japan, you can ask your hotel to help you reserve them
@@maalikserebryakov Literally every culture in the entire world with wealthy people has High-end invite-only clubs that bill you later. This isn't a tourist attraction. This is the kind of place Yakuza heads own, operate and frequent. "Oh you can't pay your bill? I guess I could give you a loan" and then a few weeks later you're decapitated in a ditch.
Asians still have some degree of racial and national pride, it has been beaten out of the US through generations of media and (re)education. The process in the east is ongoing.
Hospitality means showing friendly and generous reception and entertainment to guests or strangers. By definition, it’s the worst hospitality if strangers are not welcomed in.
The introducer will only introduce someone they can trust. E. g., I would never introduce my sister, who is shameless and dishonest, but would introduce a friend I know I can trust.
I think its more like an "hospitality experience". You come for the experience of eating, drinking and have fun without the hassle of having to exchange money at the end of the night. And for those who are worried about the bill, are not the type of customer they want to attract.
Typical convoluted system to solve a problem that doesn't exist, love it! "Hey, can you let me in?" "Oh, sorry, we don't allow just random visitors in, because we bill them later and are afraid they may not pay." "Well I can pay right now, and eat later, that's an option, or maybe.." " *N O* "
@@Aristocratic13I mean these restaurants are literally shooing away potential customers. Ik that this is part of their culture but they shouldn’t be shocked that these restaurants are going out of business.
@@irregulargamer1352 So you are accepting that it's a scheme? "Yeah its a scheme, but people are willing to pay for it! Why not?" If people are willing to pay for a scheme, that doesn't make the scheme in question any better. It's a very dubious business that preys on the customer's memory. It might not even be sustainable for how it works.
Yeah, well. They shouldn’t complain about why the geisha district isn’t getting as much business and it’s dying on the vine. They have zero right to complain. They boxed themselves in. They need to pay the price for that, literally.
No. This is a lesson that traditions naturally die. Some people learn this the hard way. Forcing them to concede or adapt their traditions will only cause resentment and drama
So, you come in, you're wined and dined to your heart's content all the way down to the littlest expense, never really knowing how much it's going to cost you, and then months later, you get a bill for heavens know how much? And this is supposed to be a sort of hospitality where you can spend your day not worrying about anything? I can only speak for myself, but this would be a very uneasy experience for me. "When am I going to get the bill? How much am I in the hole for? Oh, man, they won't even let me cover my own cab fare!?" That's a really bitter mix of uncertainty and emasculation. It's not even about the price tag. I'm sure it's pricey; that's what one should expect. It's the opacity of, and lack of agency in the experience that makes it deeply uncomfortable.
What people in these comments don't seem to understand is that the reason there's no discussion of the bill, and this leaves the visitors worry free, is that the clientele are typically rich, or at least affluent enough that the actual price they pay is inconsequential to their budget. When the bill arrives and how much it is doesn't matter, because they know they have enough. You and I don't have that kind of fiscal security, so a "mystery bill" would be stressful.
I read that a lot of these traditional businesses in Kyoto have been experiencing difficulties lately, and I can't say I'm surprised. They sound like those snobby, elitist country clubs where you need the approval of other members if you want to join. Why not just allow the customers to pay on the spot? If they did that they wouldn't have to worry about people not paying their bills. From a business perspective, missing out on tons of potential customers just doesn't make sense.
Its to create the guise of "exclusivity" also if you don't pay right away and get a bill months later they can overcharge you because you never saw itemized prices. This business practice would be illegal in a lot of countries.
Separating people from their wallets is never a form of "hospitality" when there's a bill coming later, it's a way to make people so comfortable they spend even more. It's manipulative, not gracious. Disney does the exact same thing
It's like a Mafia-run business. You have to know a guy who knows a guy, and if you're worrying about the fees for services, maybe you shouldn't be here
Rejecting first time customers does not equal to being xenophobic, there are lots of clubs in western countries which requires the consumers to be introduced by other members too, are these clubs all xenophobic? The membership system used in both examples is more of a marketing strategy
I've seen more than enough bars, cafes and restaurants in Japan where the menu for foreigners has considerably higher prices than the regular one, so yeah.
That's why kyoto in such huge debt, I know japan has strong sense of holding into tradition and custom, which is like japan's caliber, but it also poison them
Not all of Japan. It's mostly just the countryside and kyoto that has a strong hold on tradition. More developed cities and prefectures are pretty open to cultural exchange.
@@alecxander9573 these kind of restaurants should only be visited if you have enough "unnecessary money" to throw away and want to enjoy yourself without any worry about anything If the billing process or the fee quantity bother you, it meant 2 things: a) your "unnecessary money" is not enough to comfortably enjoy nor to throw away nonchalantly for those luxuries, hence you should work harder instead of visiting such places. b) you don't go there for fun and entertainment, you only want experience and that can somewhat offended those establishments Think of Continental Hotel in John Wick for example: people dont come there worry about money or gold, they come there for the services and sanctuary. At worst, they come there only worry about their next missions. Those restaurants in Japan work in a similar fashion to it
I wonder if it's also so they can hide the date of the visit and the possibly illegal, inappropriate things that the customer does from any auditor looking into the invoices...
I loved Kyoto and was mildly fluent in Japanese. I was living in Japan then , but it was thirty years ago. A friend of my father’s sponsored us for a couple nights and we were lavishly treated and catered to. My dad of course gifted him back with a private weekend trip for his family somewhere all expenses paid. Found out 15 years later both parties had spent over 20 grand on each other 😮😮 It was a weekend I will never forget though!!!
I mean this isn’t that unusual to me. Something similar is Soho House where you can only enter their locations after 1) being nominated by two accepted members 2) turning in an application regarding your career and 3) pass a highly subjective committee of whether you fit in to their overall mission statement. Overall, this just seems like a more expansive version of highly exclusionary social clubs that have existed since the dawn of complex society.
@@de0509 and that's not really relevant to this business though, I'm pretty sure the practises of a hospitality and service industry doesn't somehow rule all of Japan's economy...
I will take my money bucks elsewhere... Like to all of the street food stands that probably taste a lot better and are much cheaper and watch random street performances because thats probably a thing.
Running a business with hospitality and trust, by ensuring that the customers _break the kneecaps_ of dine/dashers. Japanese economic genius, cultural hospitality, and energetic use of force. Truly beautiful.
@@kalidwapur sadly they will find any possible loophole to get your restaurant out of the tax exemption first. A lot of medical insurance is like that too. "Dead? Attacked? Hospital bill $750k? Only all the worries, we've found 17 loopholes that exempt us from paying your insurance byeeeeee👋👋"
Most of them are also tax/money laundering schemes in the back rooms, they might not make direct profit but none will ever go under because they have local “families” and yakuza protecting them. It’s a industry model that only works there, it’s not unexpected that you wouldn’t understand
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Literally me planning a trip to Kyoto next year and now just reconsidering what I do there entirely. Such a shame. Not all foreigners are horrible people. In fact, most of us want to go to Japan purely because it's such a friendly and polite country. Come to Australia instead friends, we love to welcome visitors here. We have some really great spots to visit too.
Reminds me of Victorian era England. Where you weren't allowed to talk to someone at a ball or elsewhere in public, unless a common acquaintance would introduce you first. Even if you knew, who the person was. Which, I'm sure, seemed silly in some situations, but it also went a long way towards protecting people from folks with bad intentions. Even today, an introduction by the right person, will open a lot of doors for you. In business and socially. So let's not pretend, we're totally above this type of behavior.
@@deepalall647 Praying in church is culture, and to cure boredom. Thinking too much (philosophy) is too. Not to mention science, it would never exist unless people were bored. Boredom is incentive.
...well that sounds like a horrible system. I don't want to know the price for that "hospitality that doesn't accept guests" if they have all of 15 customers and sometimes one more.
1. People are not considered guests if they haven't pass the front door, the service table or excepted by the house master 2. Places like this are exclusive for rich customers so prices that seem way over head for us normies is just pocket changes for many of those guests
In the 90s I walked into a quiet bar in Okinawa with my friends. I wasn't in the mood for a wild and crazy night and just wanted to chill out. The moment we opened the door, the (owner?) immediately began yelling at us "GI GO HOME!" while waving frantically and shooing at us. It's been 30 years, and I still think about how disappointed I was that night.
Oh I love this, I want this business model to be expanded to nearly everything, I mean being vetted as respectful, and accountable, with risk of consequence and personal shame, while encouraging the business to provide a quality of service? Beautiful.
In Kyoto's traditional hanamachi (entertainment districts) where you can meet maiko and geiko, many stores do not accept first-time visitors.
You may think that Kyoto has many xenophobic people and doesn't want to accept foreigners… but even Japanese people are rejected. You must always have an introduction from someone to be accepted. Here lies a special rule of the hanamachi.
At the hanamachi, the guests can dine with the maiko/geiko without even bringing a wallet. All expenses, from cab fares to meals, are paid for once by the landlady, and the bill is sent to the customer a few months later.
This is considered hospitality of the landlady, which wants customers to enjoy the day without concern. But of course there is a risk of not being paid, right?
In order for the store to always collect the amount they charge, the customer must be introduced by someone. This is because, if the first-time customer doesn’t pay, the one who introduced him/her will have to pay instead. The introducer will only introduce someone they can trust, so it’s a system to run the business with the best hospitality and trust.
If you’d like to learn more about Japanese traditional culture, Kyoto, and social problems in Japan, please check out my channel & subscribe!
*The content is based on personal studies and experience
There is no intention of denying other theories and cultural aspects
Money and class status. Cast system....old head thinking.
Most ways in the world are created for those with power to keep their power.
Then wouldnt there be a "open secret" service that you could pay them for introducing you and also paying them for the night out so you can have the experience?
Ngl thats actually kinda smart ... It force ppl to trust each other
Okay but how did the very first person to eat there get in
@@RandomPersonaYT same way you get your first job
"His restaurant was so exclusive that the only way to get a reservation was to create a parallel universe where you already had reservations!"
- Futurama
Dorsia?
Whut??? Haha
Thanks for this cool reference
I’m confused. I booked and paid for dinner hosted by Geisha.😅
🤣🤣
That bill being sent a few months later would only heighten my anxiety. I'd rather pay it off right then and there.
Facts
This sounds like paying with a credit card: When I buy something now and pay by cc., the money will be taken from my bank account next month.
@@tobyk.4911 This I why I don't have a credit card.
@@tobyk.4911 yeah but you get a list of all your transactions on your account thus easy to keep track of, including a limit, there is no such thing with this
This type of experience isn't for you, you know poor people.
This feels like the “needs 4 years of experience” with a 2 year old program kinda feeling.
More like you need 50 years worth of networking and connections to even be considered for an invite :p
(I mean in a generational wealth sense and not simply an old guy sense)
Yes! I was looking for a comment like this!
Very based japanese stereo....
@@Milo_Estobar it happens everywhere
saw a job listing the other day requiring 10 years of experience in a less than a month old programming language
To all who are concerned about the “hospitality”: these restaurants are for ppl who don’t have to worry about money. It’s not for us peasants so don’t worry 😭😭
Exactly. Most of us could never afford it
Im single with no kids and a decent job, my friends with the same career and families are living just above median income but im "rich" 😂
I can afford all kinds of reckless foolish spending
@@yseson_same, i know people that only have kids because of pressure from their families and now they cant afford to pursue their dreams, im on like the same wages as them yet manage to save 10x more money. i dont really want kids and no one is pressuring me to have any so im lucky there...
@@yseson_i have no kids and can't even afford my medical bills....and I am in my 20s
@@expertgamingi have no kids but still struggle
Lived in Kyoto for 3 years. This type of thing is for rich businessmen and I never met anyone who went to these types of stores
i did, as a foreigner living in japan for few years, one of my co worker kinda cool, his dad has lots of connection and he bring us there, a night to two
Seems kind of messed up. What if I'm rich with western dollars and I want to be around this sort of setting.
@@Ndasuunye then go networking to find the right people who can refer you.
@@Ndasuunye if you were rich you would know how…
@@Ndasuunye If you are rich, you will get connection regardless everywhere you go. That's how we called "It's a big club and you are not in it" mean.
Quite frankly, there are many rich events everywhere, like Jeff Bezos used a towing ship for his yacht half way across the world while he himself fly over because it is one of billionaire's club and for business connection and such.
"They want the customer to enjoy the day without concerns"
If I'm not able to calculate how much my visit is costing me, I am full of concern and won't be able to enjoy my day 😹
I guess this type of service is for the wealthy that doesn't have this tyyof concerns...
peasant mindset
I am pretty sure you will still be able to see the price of items and of what you buy, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to see that.
@@ClaimClam classist mindset
You hit it on the head. I very much want to know what I’m paying in total before ordering things off a menu, especially if it’s a place where I have to get an invite from someone.
Imagine your having a bad day and then randomly you get a bill from months ago 💀💀
Wait until you hear about student loans. Bills from years ago, every month.
@@Cookiedible believe it or not, not everyone has debt
@@TuberoseKisser i know i don't. How does that relate?
@@TuberoseKisser nowhere did he say everyone had debt
@@Cookiedible If you live in a civilist nation, you will not have that problem. Except 300€ per Semester is enough for you to be in debt.
I met a Japanese guy who moved to Kyoto 7 years ago from Nagoya. He told me he loved Kyoto as a city, but in some places he's always treated like an outsider and kept outside the circle. I guess this is one of those instances
If I'm trying to make a successful business I can't imagine turning away a ton of customers just so I can send a bill a month later instead of accepting pay right away.
This sounds like a formula for an unsuccessful business.
@@Kefka2010 if it was unsuccessful it would have shut down a hundred plus years ago
@@AarPlays Maybe many were? How well do those business models do when you open a new company and new store?
@@Kefka2010 this is like a social club in western countries, it totally works because it is exclusive.
sending out a bill once a month instead of accepting instant pay pretty much guarantees that you will only have rather wealthy patrons who don't have to worry about their budget - and the wealthy patrons in turn appreciate the exclusivity.
@@5naf6 If it works then props to them! Maybe I'm just ignorant of savvy business practices but it seems bad to me. Possibly it appeals to a lot of wealthier customers who are whales and spend a lot.
Thats why you should always pack instant cup noodles when you are traveling to Kyoto
Just eat at the konbini
Only very specific places do this, really. 99% of kyoto's restaurants don't
@@susear5939 Gets rejected by restaurant, goes to the nearest konbini, sadly eat fried chicken and finish it all with Strong Zero. That is the way.
@@Domspun Family Mart chicken with Strong Zero hits different.
nice pfp
I would be "very" concerned, not know the cost of the stuff Id been doing since I wouldnt be able to keep track. One big sum at the end would stress me out.
It seems like the sort of place only wealthy people go in the first place. "If you have to ask the price you can't afford it" is the old saying here. It's not for the working class.
You would likely not even be able to enter the store if that’s what you were worried about. Restaurants like this are reserved for the wealthy who are able to spend so much and not care about it. It’s kinda messed up, but it does happen everywhere. In our modern society money is power
If your concerned about the price your too poor for them to accept you.
@@bolson42 knowlege is power. Not money...
Exactly!!! When I went to a all you can eat place, they will charge you the normal dinner price at the end. I was so worried that I was gonna be charged for the price for all the dishes. :/
“Hospitality”
-Remember when you dined here 3 months ago?
Here’s your bill: 70,000 yen
@@cezarcatalin1406 That wasn’t the point. The point was “hospitality”
@@Ali_Ahlulbayt hospitality doesn't have to be free
@@Cookiedible Then it’s not hospitality it’s a paid service with standards. Hospitality is generously giving without seeking a service.
@@Ali_Ahlulbayt hospitality
noun
the act of being friendly and welcoming to guests and visitors
You're mistaking your idea of what constitutes hospitality with what the word means.
@@Cookiedible Are you going to charge your house guests? Just because you’re friendly and welcoming doesn’t mean you’re hospitable.
This is like the "I need experience to get a job and I need a job to get experience" thing...
"volunteering doesn't count, it's not real work." Yep.
Those restaurants are high end members only club, kinda like a ceo opening is only for who worked as a ceo before and personally knows the cfo and coo of the hiring company 😂
Catch-22
Not really more like a private member's club. The members are curated which is better for both the business and the guests. The business takes on alot less risk and the majority of members are going to be of the higher classes which is there target demographic. The guests get the added safety of everyone being vetted, and the opportunity to meet other high class individuals.
No its not
My father in law has a restaurant that operates like this in Osaka. There's no menu and price is per person negotiated in advance. His clients are executives, doctors, lawyers, etc.
Just curious, what type of food do they serve to certain customers paying different prices if there is no menu? Or if the customer wants to order something spicific?
@@nightmendo7844 it's traditional Japanese food and there's never different prices for different people dinning with the party. Remember, it's not open to the general public. They would only send one invoice, no splitting checks. A customer would call and make arrangements, like this many people at this time on that day and one of us likes this and someone likes that. Everything is bought fresh that day at that big fish market in Osaka, so what's available dictates the menu. It's very seasonal.
@@benjaminwhite7421 That's pretty cool
Knowing that the food and ingredients always will be fresh
it's pretty cool concept ngl. i hope find the network to that restaurant
@@benjaminwhite7421 Ah so kind of like a celebration venue or a catering service. Makes sense.
I can't imagine how many lifelong friendships have ended over this exact thing.
The friendship also ended along with the other's life.
I lived in Kyoto for 2 years. You’ll also be told “I’m sorry japanese only “ at many establishments. And no it doesn’t help if you speak Japanese.
tokyo also
@@marklane61 ToKyo, KyoTo.
Does "Japanese only" mean speaking their language or Japanese folks?
I've never been to Kyoto but when I visited Tokyo I was barred from entering many businesses. I was told its because I'm not Asian and not with an Asian.
@@maxleong304 It means ethnic Japanese only. Other races unwelcome.
Quest name :"Enter a Restaurant"
Objective : Get in touch with restaurant owner and max your friendship bar with the owner.
Alternative objective : Bring a friend to the restaurant who already has maxed friendship and connected with the restaurant.
Yakuza?
Why bother with restaurants that discriminates? I won't visit such garbage restaurants in the first place as there are plenty of places that accepts my money and doesn't discriminate me for who I am.
The power of friendship 😂
@@inkbold8511
They’re making it into a joke by putting it in an RPG format, which points at how unnecessarily complicated it is
But yeah, I wouldn’t go to a business that excluded certain people in my own country, regardless of if that group included me or not, let alone in another one
Yes.
"In order for the store to always collect the amount they charge" a group of wonderful men will find and kindly ask for you to pay in a yet to be determined alleyway....with your face....
The Yakuza 💀💀
Oh yes, I'd love to see them try...
I don't care who they are; underestimating me, regardless, is a mistake anyone, and everyone, will only make once...
It feels like I would be considered ungrateful in Japan for blinking too fast at this point.
You can’t blink before your senior does. Show some respecc
They're actually cats. Blink slowly to show you're at ease and they can trust you.
Even typing “blinking“ is disrespectful.
sorry their culture annoys u 😬
You have to be respectful toward other cultures, especially when you're visiting their homeland. Most Asian cultures are much stricter and have many more rules for politeness than Western ones do, and it's not just Asia. Only shows the much higher level of societal and customal development. In many Asian languages there are entire language systems divided in "polite" and "common/familiar", with lots of special honorific terms and so on. If you can't respect those things, don't come visiting. Anywhere.
“Enjoy our ‘hospitality’ without concern.” “But I’m concerned about how much this might cost me.” “If you have to ask, you shouldn’t be here.”
True. 😊
The sort of place where some of the true dregs of humanity hang out. They exist in the West too, under different names. We all know it deep down.
You think they wouldn't tell you the price
Yakuza moment.
Why be concerned? They give you months to save up for your bill.
3 months later... "Pay us $6,000 or we're coming for your friend"
Friend? Who are you talking about 😂😂😂😂
@@KainH93you need to have friends to enter such restaurant. You have trouble connecting dots?
This prevents Majima Goro having to get involved.
I swear, that dude is literally everywhere
@@HisDudeness1986 KIRYU-SAN!
Majima really is everywhere
@@justanotheryoutubeaccount0 *CHAN!
What about Goromi though?
Ehhh this would make me very uncomfortable I'd rather pay for my meal day of.
If your uncomfortable about the cost your too poor for them to accept you.
No Dick, it's not appropriate to not list the price of your product. Real business is negotiated before hand. Anything else is just a scam.
One day you'll learn.
@@DavidCruickshank or you’re the kind of person who likes to keep full tabs on their budget, so things like this are out of your comfort zone. I like to be prepared, regardless of situation - I look up menu items and decide what I want in advance, I like to have a grocery list preplanned when I go to the store, I like to know exactly how I’m going to spend my time every day when going on trips. It’s less about the money and more about the assurance that you’re in control. Even if I stray from my plans, list, or budget (which I usually do), there’s a calmness in knowing that I made those decisions with full certainty of what I was choosing. Some people just have a certain way of doing things and don’t like straying from it.
Well, eastern cultures are completely different from western countries. It's just a matter of perspective.
@@DelightfullyGrace Dude these kind of places aren't for control freaks like you. They're for moderately wealthy people to have a relaxing time.
I don't necessarily agree with the whole premise but I have got better things than to complain about how a business is run.
They are plenty of other places just as nice that run a much more transparent business. In fact I would argue nicer since they're much more inviting.
Even if their furniture isn't some overpriced antique collection.
The dark side of hanamachi has been revealed by a former Maiko. She was forced to drink a lot and even to take bath with some customers when she was an early teen. There are many things that they cannot show ordinary people. That is why they refuse new comers.
And the age of consent is 14 in Japan...
@@nvdll3883 they are still forcing her.
@@nvdll3883 no it's not. 13 is the lowest a prefecture can go, because anyone 12 or younger is automatically deemed as unable to consent. Most of the country is 16-18.
@@nvdll3883 that’s not exactly true. No prefecture that I know of in Japan has that low of a consent age. It is still illegal for an adult to engage in sexual activity with a 13 year old in Japan. That is a misconception that really should be smoothed over by now but people are still confused about. It’s kinda like how the legal minimum wage in the USA is $7.25/hr but it’s illegal to pay that little wage in many of the states because of the individual state rules. Just because the legal consent age is 13 doesn’t mean that Japanese prefectures don’t have laws prohibiting them. The corruption of minors/obscenity statutes makes sure that it is illegal to engage in sexual activity with a 13 year old as an adult.
they refuse new coomers
I’m sure the tourists who walk in and get rejected for seemingly no reason, will walk away thinking “those people were so hospitable :)”
the people who are getting their business will though. why would they care about their opinion? it works for them. so why care?
@@mallarieluvsgirls its no hospitability. just business.
Why would you walk there though ? As a tourist you won't just go to a closed invite only restaurant unless you are looking for trouble
Exactly! A
@@jonasw3945 If a restaurant is closed and invite, it is closed and invite. If it allows entry publicly it is public space. Then sure Japanese can discriminate but I think we can call them out on that because we don't discriminate them in our countries. And they have copied our culture. Most of Japan runs on Western culture and technology. When Japanese study music they study Chopin and Mozart and not their own medieval composers.
"You may think that Kyoto has many xenophobic people..."
**You are right, they do have too many xenophobic people*
Well its a common theme among Asian countries.
@@delix8869 to be xenophobic is smart? How so?
@@luciddream2033 perhaps except ex-european colonies that somehow still glorify white/European people as "smarter, richer etc", or compare their own social turmoil with the USA's moon landing as if the latter doesn't have social problems too
@@revimfadli4666 hey at least we don't kick people at a restaurant for not being from a very particular part of the country. Let's go capitalism.
@@luciddream2033 yes,look in Europe, many foreigners
This seems way more convoluted than it should be
Seems to be a trope in Japan.
I can just imagine getting the bill and there are all kinds of "surprise" add-ons / like a charge for using the washroom ($50), premium sake surcharge ($90), overtime charge for dining over 60 min ($70)
Breathing $10 existing $15 sitting $45
I'm sure that's going well for them. Kyoto is, *checks papers* going bankrupt.
Oh...
Your profile picture is perfect for this comment
@@leorobin832 Such tradition. Much debt. Wow.
You do realize it's possible for a business to be profitable while a city is in debt right?
@@ArcAngle1117 You missed the point and farted on the joke. Nice work ace
@@ArcAngle1117 You do realize most of these businesses have gone under in the past few years, yeah? 🙄
IMO this sounds like a scheme to overcharge for stuff without the dude paying actually knowing and then socially pressure the guy into paying for it... a lot like casinos not having windows so you forget about the time, no bill makes you forget that you are buying expensive drinks and that the restaurant is more expensive than others around.
Japanese culture does not reflect that kind of behavior, although of course that might happen in different contexts.
Even behind all that complexity, what lies there (imo) is trust and service beyond the logic of the times. This is what tradition looks like, and tradition has a expensive price most of the time. A true jewel of the past. Of course, if the business keeps running it is probably because of the clientele, which is probably affluent.
Just like Americans, Japanese do things their own way, they’re just not in-your-face about it, and act more as a community. Wether we (as in third parties) like it or not is of little importance for them.
I’ve definitely watch videos of sketchy bars in Tokyo pulling off those schemes though
i'm not sure theres anything deceptive about it. the person who introduces you will either know you don't mind the bill or they won't. there's an understanding in place that negates any deception. what you get is a relaxing time. casinos on the other hand... well you need to learn the hard way to have a relaxing time
Not within this culture. It's a very close-knit community that thrives off of exclusivity and tradition. If someone abuses the system, they'll find themselves ostracized. It's definitely a status symbol to be able to enter a place like that, which is why the patrons are mostly VERY rich businessmen. That's where they entertain important clients and seal deals. A family friend of ours married into a very old aristocratic family in Kyoto, and when she took us to that area, she explained how those things work.
@@emancebo13 Now this actually hapoens once, where a branch of high end vip only restaurant from Kyoto was found recycling leftovers, the scandal spread across the entire chain despite they were actually rivals, the family was split and they only kept the inherited name of the restaurant.
Imagine needing a resume to eat dinner
Need food to eat dinner
Need money to get food
Need job to get money
Need resume to get job
Fugg
Depends on what type of dinner you are eating.😁
@@Klayperson need nepotism to build resume
@@Klaypersonneed education credentials and qualifications to build resume
Need money to get education fugg
That just sounds like a way to get someone to go way overboard with drinking and eating and then get smashed with the bill later.
if you need to read the bill. then you're not supposed to be in there
@@discoloured3492 Rich people don't get rich by not knowing what they pay.
@@Ashley-lm4nv thanks for telling everyone you're not rich but think of yourself as rich.
@@arcticafrostbite617one of the richest guy in Sweden used both sides of paper to print... cause it was cheaper
@@dabest217no
Hey can I-
Get out.
*✨Best hospitality✨*
Get out! "
-said the host politely
Hey, can I make a res-
Sorry, no tourist allowed, move along
“According to this bill, I drank 4 gallons of sake in one night.”
“Only 4, Jim?”
"How do they collect the money owed?"
*Mr Shakedown would like to know your location*
Well, time to pull out the bat and beat him senseless yet again
Also Kyoto: why is our old culture dying away?
Ikr? This is essentially fusing modern capitalism with traditional kindness and ruining both
@@Abhishek-fe3zs There isn't really anything modern about this. It's a holdover from feudal Japan. The purpose of it was to get closer to the ruling class, back when Kyoto was the capital. It's just like patronage of the arts in medieval Europe, which also required sponsorship and put you around the ruling class.
@@dycedargselderbrother5353 yeah man, that's what I meant
I wonder how many of these businesses are successful? Maybe if you've been around for a while you have a strong customer base but if you're a new business I can't imagine this is a model you would actually choose.
@@Kefka2010 I'm sure they charge their regulars with hospitality
I’ll stick to the casual food spots, thank you 🦥
“Ey, I know a buddy of mine, lemme introduce ya”
Real Italian style. "Ey Ton'! Lemme introduce yas to somebody. I think ya gonna like em'."
@@samsanimationcorner3820
Mafia style not Italian style.
Seeks best hospitality
Turns you away because they don’t know you
😂
The very opposite of hospitality.
@@mickeyrace873 bigotry by any other name
@@porthosduvallon5301 would you call not owning a JP morgan reserve card bigotry? Last i heard that card was printed for invitations only
@@mickeyrace873 Makes no sense.
Just sounds like bad business but maybe they have a lot of customers that bring in friends for business?
I just left Kyoto today and for the past 2 nights my wife and I were rejected by at least a dozen restaurants for dinner when we walked in and asked politely for a table for 2! 😢
For a popular restaurant frequent by locals, you have to get your reservation, this applies to everywhere in Japan, you can ask your hotel to help you reserve them
Well.
I traveled alone and I am single so I wont have those problems
Seems more efficient to ditch the landlady hospitality and just serve the first time customer and bill them for the meal.
Yeah but its their culture
@@maalikserebryakov Literally every culture in the entire world with wealthy people has High-end invite-only clubs that bill you later.
This isn't a tourist attraction. This is the kind of place Yakuza heads own, operate and frequent.
"Oh you can't pay your bill? I guess I could give you a loan" and then a few weeks later you're decapitated in a ditch.
@@ldobehardcore it does give Yakuza vibes, especially the "select guests only"
Then you're missing the point.
@@ArcAngle1117 the point being?
This is literally giving "We only accept 20-year olds with 30 years of experience" vibes
Intriguing
@@MainDoorFrames you both truly are 🙈
The thing is... One of you oughta be lying, if not even the both of you!😜
You have never been in vampire club?
I just opened a new restaurant that nobody has ever visited, but to get in you must be invited by someone who has visited the restaurant before...
And don't worry, you can spend as much as you want without worrying about it! (Until you forget a few months later and get the bill)
Genius
And unless your rich. If your not rich you cant get in
Maybe you can invite the first round of guests yourself
"Why are our economy crashing?"
"Nobody was invited"
😂
"Don't accept first-time visitors"
Alright then I'll step right back in the moment I'm out because that means I'm now a second-time visitor
Big brain
Big brain
Big brain
Big brain
Big brain
same energy as “entry level job, 10 years of experience required”
“You may think Japan has many xenophobic people….and you’d probably be right!” XD
Yeah but nobody criticizes Japan over it. The US though...
@@Afmedic85 yes, Japan is less relevant globally than the US.
@@Afmedic85 because it's when it's Japan it's just seen as a cultural people stuck in their ways whereas the US should know better somehow?
Asians still have some degree of racial and national pride, it has been beaten out of the US through generations of media and (re)education. The process in the east is ongoing.
@@Afmedic85 well historically Japan has had long periods of isolation from the rest of the world while the USA is a country founded by immigrants
Hospitality means showing friendly and generous reception and entertainment to guests or strangers.
By definition, it’s the worst hospitality if strangers are not welcomed in.
Seems like a system that can be abused, but can also lead to much greater trust between people.
Oh it was/is definitely abused. Check out his video on the news of someone pressured (I think) to drink alcohol as a maiko when she was 16
@@cameronschyuder9034 i think OP is referring to the customers, not so much the staff
The introducer will only introduce someone they can trust. E. g., I would never introduce my sister, who is shameless and dishonest, but would introduce a friend I know I can trust.
@@shotnothing3419 I mean either.
They actually negotiated before enter is what I understand. More like a catering business.
That's not the landlady being hospitable though. You still have to pay her back.
They are offering a type of after pay service though
@@tickledonions9483
Which is like-Why would you even want that in the first place?
@@cyan_oxy6734
That’s not how a loan works tbh.
@@cyan_oxy6734it’s a loan 😂😂 no it’s food, not a car or house 💀💀💀
I think its more like an "hospitality experience". You come for the experience of eating, drinking and have fun without the hassle of having to exchange money at the end of the night.
And for those who are worried about the bill, are not the type of customer they want to attract.
Typical convoluted system to solve a problem that doesn't exist, love it!
"Hey, can you let me in?"
"Oh, sorry, we don't allow just random visitors in, because we bill them later and are afraid they may not pay."
"Well I can pay right now, and eat later, that's an option, or maybe.."
" *N O* "
I think part of it is they want to make sure the patrons will be respectful of the Maiko or Geiko they will be dining with.
@@johnr797 this makes sense as often people think that using "their hard earned money" gives them a right to act disrespectful.
@@johnr797 I asked for food, not company.
@@KossolaxtheForesworn then go somewhere else?
@@johnr797 no.
Annnd, that's why Kyoto is still at risk of going bankrupt.
Are you for real?
@@Aristocratic13I mean these restaurants are literally shooing away potential customers. Ik that this is part of their culture but they shouldn’t be shocked that these restaurants are going out of business.
Their fault!!
How did the first customer get accepted 💀
The owners knew them.
@@pillowcaseee twas a joke my humorless friend
@@jasonpark1556 He's not humorless it was just a really bad joke. (jk don't hurt me)
Probably with magic or screaming around🤔
@@jasonpark1556
I genuinely asked that question too though
"So it's even harder than getting a reservation in Dorsia? Interesting"
- Patrick Bateman
No one goes there anymore.
I'll befriend the vending Machines instead.
At least the vending machine won't judge you.
The vending machine isn't classiest or xenophobic.
The vending machine keeps it simple.
😊Thanks for the great video short 📹 Shogo itoko and its informative touches and knowledge on Kyoto and its entertainment.
"oh sure, I'll just bill you months later. Don't worry, I know exactly how much you owe me that night. I will never try to overcharge you at all"
If you're rich you don't care
@@irregulargamer1352 That doesn't excuse the fact that it's quite literally a scheme.
@@jjprs3062 yeah but there's a demand for exclusivity and unique services people will pay extra for. if you can provide it why not?
@@irregulargamer1352 So you are accepting that it's a scheme?
"Yeah its a scheme, but people are willing to pay for it! Why not?"
If people are willing to pay for a scheme, that doesn't make the scheme in question any better.
It's a very dubious business that preys on the customer's memory. It might not even be sustainable for how it works.
@@irregulargamer1352 The rich are dying out and its hard to get rich if you werent born that way.
Yeah, well. They shouldn’t complain about why the geisha district isn’t getting as much business and it’s dying on the vine. They have zero right to complain. They boxed themselves in. They need to pay the price for that, literally.
Exactly. They should allow first time customers to come & pay right away. Would be such an easy fix.
No. This is a lesson that traditions naturally die. Some people learn this the hard way. Forcing them to concede or adapt their traditions will only cause resentment and drama
@@theinvisiblewoman5709go away gaijin
@@Cyb3rP5ych0 You don’t seem to be from Japan either.
When in Rome..... I have been very disappointed by gaijin behaviour in Japan.
I immagine what chaos can cause a karen going into a restaurant in japan
Ohh no the horror
Not even Godzilla would make such a mess…
Tea houses better get those kids’ menu chicken fingers and fries ready just in case…
Whats a karen?
@@soundsculptor3549 a slang for a person, usually female, who thinks they are entitled to being treated differently.
@@emancebo13 Godzilla is cute and adorable too 🥺💗
I have a plushy. He also sleeps a lot 🤭
Karens... Not sure about those
"It's not about what you know, it's about who you know." Always, remember that.
So, you come in, you're wined and dined to your heart's content all the way down to the littlest expense, never really knowing how much it's going to cost you, and then months later, you get a bill for heavens know how much? And this is supposed to be a sort of hospitality where you can spend your day not worrying about anything?
I can only speak for myself, but this would be a very uneasy experience for me. "When am I going to get the bill? How much am I in the hole for? Oh, man, they won't even let me cover my own cab fare!?" That's a really bitter mix of uncertainty and emasculation.
It's not even about the price tag. I'm sure it's pricey; that's what one should expect. It's the opacity of, and lack of agency in the experience that makes it deeply uncomfortable.
Lack of business legitimacy.
Well clearly the rich who go there don't think that way, that's why these still exist. People like the luxury
What people in these comments don't seem to understand is that the reason there's no discussion of the bill, and this leaves the visitors worry free, is that the clientele are typically rich, or at least affluent enough that the actual price they pay is inconsequential to their budget. When the bill arrives and how much it is doesn't matter, because they know they have enough. You and I don't have that kind of fiscal security, so a "mystery bill" would be stressful.
If you need to worry about the invoice… you can’t afford to go there. It’s simple really.
These clients don't care. It would be like McDonald's charging you later.
I read that a lot of these traditional businesses in Kyoto have been experiencing difficulties lately, and I can't say I'm surprised. They sound like those snobby, elitist country clubs where you need the approval of other members if you want to join. Why not just allow the customers to pay on the spot? If they did that they wouldn't have to worry about people not paying their bills. From a business perspective, missing out on tons of potential customers just doesn't make sense.
yea i agree with you, but it's like as Shogo explain, it's heavily focused on hospitality and trust
Its to create the guise of "exclusivity" also if you don't pay right away and get a bill months later they can overcharge you because you never saw itemized prices. This business practice would be illegal in a lot of countries.
exclusivity improves your reputation and allows you to charge a premium.
not everything in the world must be like america
Cost of living went up while salaries didnt thats why
Separating people from their wallets is never a form of "hospitality" when there's a bill coming later, it's a way to make people so comfortable they spend even more. It's manipulative, not gracious. Disney does the exact same thing
It's like a Mafia-run business. You have to know a guy who knows a guy, and if you're worrying about the fees for services, maybe you shouldn't be here
Japan: the only place where even restaurants don’t want new people
Imagine one-day you are chilling in your sofa and suddenly you receive a 1000$ bill
That would be epic
Fax
From what Ive heard, there’s still a lot of people who get rejected because they’re foreign ://
I mean, there has to be someone, probably from Japan that trusts you a lot. Which would take some time to get to know someone that well.
100%
Which is why Kyoto's nearly bankrupt.
Imagine needing a co-signer to eat dinner
Ah Japan, where even xenophobia comes with extra steps.
More classist than xenophobia I would say. Since most Japanese people who aren’t wealthy enough to have these connections would be rejected as well.
@@Lena-zn4re I agree. Clearly many Japanese don't like foreigners but this is more of a wealth and trust thing.
@@zohatyube I’d say it’s split fairly 50/50.
Rejecting first time customers does not equal to being xenophobic, there are lots of clubs in western countries which requires the consumers to be introduced by other members too, are these clubs all xenophobic? The membership system used in both examples is more of a marketing strategy
Oh-oh yeah (burps) Morty. It’s like slavery but with extra… steps
Imagine paying rent and then receiving a $1,200 Restaurant bill from 8 months ago..
If you're paying rent and $1200 is a lot of money to you, you're not gonna be invited
@@carlyofearth These services are for the kind of people that need to pay for company.
These kinds of places are for rich people who don't care about how much money they spend. Average middle class people don't go there.
I've seen more than enough bars, cafes and restaurants in Japan where the menu for foreigners has considerably higher prices than the regular one, so yeah.
If you can read the Japanese menu you can order from it and get the normal prices 🤣
@@zelfacel1563as Oppenheimer said "now I am become death, the destroyers of those who make menues with higher prices specifically for foreigners".
plot twist: This happens literally everywhere in the world, tourists don't think
@@Ellie-gp9dg
it literally does 💀
altho it mostly happens in poorer countries
@@Ellie-gp9dgeverything about Japan is overblown, just like over working, death from work and now this. All these happens all over the world.
I love your UA-cam shorts. Very informative and well done. I share them with my cousin. We are both learning Japanese.
That's insane gatekeeping
That's why kyoto in such huge debt, I know japan has strong sense of holding into tradition and custom, which is like japan's caliber, but it also poison them
Their PRIDE/EGO will DESTROY them In the End.
(Just like in SPARTA)
@noname nosurname, they aren’t talking about a country but a city why did you miss that?
Even water is a poison when drunk too much.
Not all of Japan. It's mostly just the countryside and kyoto that has a strong hold on tradition. More developed cities and prefectures are pretty open to cultural exchange.
@@Andyatl2002 That's true, but it's also a fair point that individual hotels can't put a whole city in debt.
This reminds me of when you needed to receive an invitation to open up a Gmail account.
yup
Oh, those were the days! I got an invite and the people in my study group were green with envy.
Yes indeed. Had almost forgotten that
"gmail is finally open to everyone, quick, rush to lock in your username"
and now its 2023
and i still dont have one
fk that
That made sense when it was in Beta.
Simple, i don't go to businesses where i am not welcome
System makes no sense to me. I rather pay now and get it out of the way instead of worrying in the future.
If you have to worry about a restaurant fee, then you probably shouldn't be in such a place like these in the beginning
@@iepvienredstoneHuy007why? if I prepared the money, I can just pay.
@@alecxander9573 these kind of restaurants should only be visited if you have enough "unnecessary money" to throw away and want to enjoy yourself without any worry about anything
If the billing process or the fee quantity bother you, it meant 2 things: a) your "unnecessary money" is not enough to comfortably enjoy nor to throw away nonchalantly for those luxuries, hence you should work harder instead of visiting such places. b) you don't go there for fun and entertainment, you only want experience and that can somewhat offended those establishments
Think of Continental Hotel in John Wick for example: people dont come there worry about money or gold, they come there for the services and sanctuary. At worst, they come there only worry about their next missions. Those restaurants in Japan work in a similar fashion to it
I wonder if it's also so they can hide the date of the visit and the possibly illegal, inappropriate things that the customer does from any auditor looking into the invoices...
In another words. Paying bills with extra steps.
I loved Kyoto and was mildly fluent in Japanese. I was living in Japan then , but it was thirty years ago. A friend of my father’s sponsored us for a couple nights and we were lavishly treated and catered to. My dad of course gifted him back with a private weekend trip for his family somewhere all expenses paid. Found out 15 years later both parties had spent over 20 grand on each other 😮😮 It was a weekend I will never forget though!!!
This is running a business with too many additional steps. Just feed me, charge me on the spot, and let me go home
Everything in Japan has extra steps. Unless it's a macdonalds or some other similar western import.
Even their local bars have odd customs.
I mean this isn’t that unusual to me. Something similar is Soho House where you can only enter their locations after 1) being nominated by two accepted members 2) turning in an application regarding your career and 3) pass a highly subjective committee of whether you fit in to their overall mission statement. Overall, this just seems like a more expansive version of highly exclusionary social clubs that have existed since the dawn of complex society.
@@clothar23 And even before covid, their economy stagnated. This is not a business practice that should be celebrated
@@de0509 and that's not really relevant to this business though, I'm pretty sure the practises of a hospitality and service industry doesn't somehow rule all of Japan's economy...
Y'all don't understand what tradition is.
So basically, its to keep the "Commoners" out, even if they end up making enough, you have to be one of those upper class kinds of people. Incredible.
Because you will be served and entertained by Maikos and Geikos, their service is expensive. Maiko and Geiko are considered living art in Japan.
Well, yeah. It's a private club.
@@violetvelour5958
Expensive art.
I will take my money bucks elsewhere... Like to all of the street food stands that probably taste a lot better and are much cheaper and watch random street performances because thats probably a thing.
I mean the US is kind of guilty of that too isn't there like that exclusive bar in Disney World like that too?
It seems similar to gentlemen's clubs, where you need to be introduced by some other members.
Hmmm
What Gentleman's Club are you going to? The ones where I live love first time customers.
"No first time visitors" because that's a sustainable business model.
If it works, it works. If it didn't work, they'd changed it by now.
typically these restaurants have been around a long time which is kind of the definition of sustainable.
These are entertainment clubs for the very wealthy. You only get in if you’re in the circle.
Running a business with hospitality and trust, by ensuring that the customers _break the kneecaps_ of dine/dashers.
Japanese economic genius, cultural hospitality, and energetic use of force. Truly beautiful.
No wonder theyre in debt, no offense but this isnt peak buisness
Ikr
I imagine that in the old days patronage kept these places afloat, but now Japan’s business class is a lot stingier with their money
Small enough companies are tax exempt thanks to abenomics so with obscure accounting like that they can avoid taxation.
@@kalidwapur sadly they will find any possible loophole to get your restaurant out of the tax exemption first. A lot of medical insurance is like that too. "Dead? Attacked? Hospital bill $750k? Only all the worries, we've found 17 loopholes that exempt us from paying your insurance byeeeeee👋👋"
Most of them are also tax/money laundering schemes in the back rooms, they might not make direct profit but none will ever go under because they have local “families” and yakuza protecting them. It’s a industry model that only works there, it’s not unexpected that you wouldn’t understand
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Literally me planning a trip to Kyoto next year and now just reconsidering what I do there entirely.
Such a shame. Not all foreigners are horrible people. In fact, most of us want to go to Japan purely because it's such a friendly and polite country.
Come to Australia instead friends, we love to welcome visitors here.
We have some really great spots to visit too.
This is something 99.9% of people going to Kyoto will not experience
So basically their just Highly exclusive. I get it.
That's actually very interesting. Thank you for the information.
Reminds me of Victorian era England. Where you weren't allowed to talk to someone at a ball or elsewhere in public, unless a common acquaintance would introduce you first. Even if you knew, who the person was. Which, I'm sure, seemed silly in some situations, but it also went a long way towards protecting people from folks with bad intentions.
Even today, an introduction by the right person, will open a lot of doors for you. In business and socially. So let's not pretend, we're totally above this type of behavior.
Japanese be like, let's just complicate life for no reason
They're bored on that small island so have to make stuff up to keep themselves entertained.
@@deepalall647 That's culture for you.
@@gandalf8216 No
@@deepalall647 Praying in church is culture, and to cure boredom. Thinking too much (philosophy) is too. Not to mention science, it would never exist unless people were bored. Boredom is incentive.
Seriously
"You may think they have many xenophobic people."
Correct.
Ok atleast they don't violently attack other races like in America
@@mayar7498 Why is everything compared to the U.S?
@@mayar7498 Ummm name 1 instance 💀💀 you can’t.
@@musicwithj1759 also that little thing where we’ve put people in cages….
@@mayar7498 Tell that to the previously decimated Ainu and Ryukyuan populations.
Yeah, they'll pay for everything....and then send you a bill for ten times the actual amount.
Sounds like they want you to spend more than you plan to
Sounds like they don't want new customers 🤷🏽🙄
...well that sounds like a horrible system. I don't want to know the price for that "hospitality that doesn't accept guests" if they have all of 15 customers and sometimes one more.
1. People are not considered guests if they haven't pass the front door, the service table or excepted by the house master
2. Places like this are exclusive for rich customers so prices that seem way over head for us normies is just pocket changes for many of those guests
In the 90s I walked into a quiet bar in Okinawa with my friends. I wasn't in the mood for a wild and crazy night and just wanted to chill out. The moment we opened the door, the (owner?) immediately began yelling at us "GI GO HOME!" while waving frantically and shooing at us. It's been 30 years, and I still think about how disappointed I was that night.
hope that bar shut down
@@ShokyoLeaf Nah, probably was a rich people bar so not gonna happen
@@wasdkug_tr then we must take matters into our own hands
@@wasdkug_tr Probably too many westerners who go in and make yahoos of themselves.
„Without concern“ Waiting weeks for the bill to arrive, every day in anxiety that I don’t have enough money when the time comes, gives me some concern
I think this isn’t for “normal “ people. It’s for the incredibly rich who won’t have an issue with a really high bill
This sounds exactly like the descriptions of doctor's and hospital's bill in the USA that I've seen on UA-cam so far.
Oh I love this, I want this business model to be expanded to nearly everything, I mean being vetted as respectful, and accountable, with risk of consequence and personal shame, while encouraging the business to provide a quality of service? Beautiful.