Korean YouTuber exposes dual-menu pricing at Kyoto restaurant, receives legal threat

A Korean YouTuber who called out a Kyoto restaurant for charging foreign tourists more than local customers received a threatening legal warning from the establishment.

The case was featured on JTBC's "Sageon Banjang," a TV current-affairs program, which introduced the story of a Korean YouTuber identified only as A, who had flagged a dual-pricing practice at a sushi restaurant in Kyoto, Japan.

In a YouTube video, A claimed that after comparing the restaurant's Japanese-language menu with its English-language menu, the two differed in both price and content.

According to A, the cheapest item on the English menu for foreign tourists was three pieces of sushi for 20,000 won ($13), while the cheapest item on the Japanese menu was priced at 4,600 won.

The English menu listed premium wagyu sukiyaki at 9,845 yen, premium wagyu at 5,478 yen, three pieces of tuna sushi at 2,035 yen, four pieces of wagyu sushi at 2,625 yen, and tempura at 2,145 yen.

The Japanese menu, by contrast, featured the restaurant's signature handmade tofu at 1,848 yen, yuzu multigrain porridge at 1,375 yen, pork hot pot at 2,145 yen, three-color tempura at 858 yen, and corn fritters at 968 yen.

After the video spread through online communities, criticism of the restaurant grew, with some accusing it of overcharging foreign tourists. The restaurant then sent A a threatening legal warning.

The warning stated: "The Japanese menu and the English menu are entirely separate menus with different dish compositions and ingredients, and it is only natural that prices differ accordingly. We have already consulted with a lawyer and have begun taking strong legal action. If a sincere apology is not forthcoming, the matter will be widely publicized in the Japanese media and on social media."

A rebuffed the restaurant's position. "What the restaurant is saying is, 'We don't have dual pricing — we just have different menus.' What's the difference? They should have told customers, 'Please choose which menu you'd like to order from,'" A said.