The Company Says "Just Kidding... Enjoy Your Trip"
As visa-free entry and the weak yen phenomenon coincide, increasing the number of Korean travelers visiting Japan, a controversy has arisen after a Korean person shared their experience of a 'wasabi terror' incident at a sushi (sushi) restaurant in Fukuoka.
A posted photo claiming to have been a victim of 'wasabi terror' at a sushi restaurant in Fukuoka, Japan. On the 8th, a post titled "I think I was a victim of wasabi terror at a sushi restaurant in Fukuoka" was uploaded to a travel-related cafe on Naver.
According to the post, the author, Mr. A, visited a branch of a famous sushi restaurant in Fukuoka on the 4th. He was only able to enter after waiting in line for about 30 minutes.
Mr. A said, "As I ordered and ate various dishes, at some point, the amount of wasabi became so excessive that I couldn't eat it. It was so strange that when I opened it while eating, there was a whole spoonful of wasabi." The post included a photo of sushi with wasabi placed on the rice.
He added, "The photo doesn't show it well, but the amount of wasabi was really a lot, and my whole family was surprised," and "Most of the customers were Korean, and we were really very upset."
"After the plate was taken away, I saw the chef's face... It seemed intentional"
Mr. A judged the incident as a deliberate act by the sushi restaurant. He said, "I thought it might have been a mistake by the restaurant, and I might have been wrong," but "After seeing the chef's face when the part-time worker took the plate away, I judged it to be intentional."
Mr. A, who was not fluent in Japanese, was unable to properly raise objections to the restaurant. Following netizens' suggestions to post a review on the map app, he uploaded the photo suspected of 'wasabi terror' in the restaurant's review section.
The restaurant responded, "There is no such dish in our restaurant. We think it was a prank," and "We are glad that the relationship seems good. Please enjoy your trip."
Restaurant side: "We think it was a prank... Please enjoy your trip"
In 2016, a sushi restaurant operator in Osaka that caused controversy over the 'Wasabi Terror' posted an explanation at the time. This is not the first controversy over 'wasabi terror' against Koreans traveling in Japan. In July last year, a Korean woman living in Japan visited a famous sushi restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo, and reportedly experienced wasabi terror.
In 2016, at a famous sushi chain in Osaka, a Korean customer’s sushi was loaded with a large amount of wasabi, and the customer’s reaction to the spiciness was mocked, causing controversy. At that time, the restaurant apologized through its official website.
Meanwhile, as the skies, which had been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, gradually reopened, the number of Koreans traveling abroad has significantly increased.
According to Incheon International Airport Corporation, the annual number of passengers at Incheon Airport last year was 17,869,759, a 460% increase compared to 3,198,909 in 2021, which was the lowest point during the COVID-19 pandemic.
By region, the number of passengers departing to and arriving from Japan and Southeast Asia increased significantly. The total number of passengers traveling from Incheon Airport to Japan or returning from Japan was 2,188,605, a 1,353% surge compared to 2021.
According to Yanolja, the transaction amount for accommodations in Japan from October to December last year increased by 482% compared to the same period in 2019, and the number of Japan travel reservations increased by 295%.
The most popular travel city was Osaka, visited by 41% of Japanese travelers. This was followed by Tokyo (27%), Fukuoka (22%), Kyoto (6%), and Sapporo (4%).
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