Originally Posted by
Kgmm77
I’m not sure something that is 120 years old qualifies as a phenomenon.
By "phenomenon" I was referring to the restaurant practice of refusing public reservations.
Originally Posted by
Kgmm77
But I take the point that it is within the gift of the restaurant to choose how it attracts its customers, and likewise the decision of guides to reflect this in whether or not they list the restaurant. A more interesting point is the reticence and avoidance of foreign business. I can understand it on one level, they don’t need the money or the hassle of dealing with strangers. But if you tried it in other countries if could be construed as skirting close to racism.
Absolutely so and the level of xenophobia in such an otherwise developed country is staggering. I still remember making a reservation at Hyotei and literally the very first question they asked was what the nationality of the guests was. I told them not to bother.