Even Ichiran Lets You Skip the Line for a Fee... The Rise of "Fast Passes" [Sunday Culture]

Pay an Extra 500 Yen for Faster Entry...
Praised by Tourists and Generation Z
Adopted in a Wide Range of Places, from Restaurants to Cafes

There was once a controversy in Korea over the introduction of the "fast pass" system. If you purchase a pass at theme parks, you can skip the line and get priority access. In essence, you are paying extra to buy time. This sparked some debate at first, but these days, the system seems to have become fairly well established at water parks and theme parks.

Japan has also been selling fast passes at theme parks such as Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan. However, recently, this system has been spreading to restaurants and cafes as well. Even the ramen franchise "Ichiran," a must-visit for Korean tourists, has started selling fast passes.

This trend appears to be influenced by the concept of "taipa" (タイパ) in Japan, which refers to "time efficiency." While Korea focuses on "cost-effectiveness," or getting the best value for money, Japan is now emphasizing "performance for time invested." Today, I will share more about the spread of fast passes in Japan and the growing importance of efficiency, or taipa.

Homepage of the fast pass platform 'TableCheck.' It also introduces its affiliated stores. TableCheck.

Pay 5,000 Won and Skip the Wait... Fast Passes Spread to Restaurants

Recently in Japan, the fast pass platform "TableCheck" has become popular. Partner stores on the platform allow customers to purchase fast passes and enter without waiting. The price of the pass varies by store, but the system has been well received.

For example, "Ginza Yago," a small ramen shop with only six seats, sometimes has a six-hour wait on busy days. This is because it has become popular among both locals and foreign tourists. As a result, they started selling fast passes that allow immediate entry for an extra 500 yen (4,670 won), yet the shop remains packed with customers.

Cafes have also begun adopting this system. "Flippers," a famous pancake shop in Shibuya, Tokyo, sells fast passes at the same price.

The well-known Japanese ramen chain Ichiran, familiar to many Koreans, also sells fast passes under the name "Fast Entry." On its official website, Ichiran describes this as "a privilege for customers who purchase the product (fast pass), a service that receives excellent reviews from those with limited time." The Fast Entry pass is only available at the Taipei location in Taiwan. However, as its popularity has grown, Japanese locations such as the Shinjuku Kabukicho branch have also joined TableCheck to implement the fast pass system. These stores explain, "Even if there is a line, you will be guided quickly into the store through a dedicated fast pass lane."

Fast entry service of the ramen chain 'Ichiran'. Ichiran.

TableCheck launched its fast pass service on February 9, 2024, and it has already attracted a cumulative total of 26,000 users, demonstrating its popularity. The service is particularly well received by tourists visiting Japan, who want to save waiting time and visit other attractions. Tourists make up 20% of users.

Japan: The Country of "Efficiency per Something"

If Korea is known for "ppalli-ppalli" (the culture of doing things quickly), it would not be an exaggeration to say that Japan is a country that values "efficiency per something." The starting point is "kosupa" (コスパ), which is equivalent to Korea's "cost-effectiveness." The term combines "cost" and "performance" and refers to value for money. It is said that this concept, which originated in the auto industry in the 1970s as "price-performance ratio," became popular through magazines. After Japan entered a prolonged economic slump, the concept of kosupa became widely used.

Since then, various words related to efficiency have emerged. After kosupa, the next term was "taipa," which means time efficiency, combining "time" and "performance." In addition, as interest in one's personal space increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, the term "supepa," meaning "space efficiency," was coined. There is also "akapa," a combination of "account" and "performance," reflecting the belief that having more social network accounts increases utility. Many such efficiency-related terms have appeared.

People waiting at the restaurant. Checking the table.

It is said that Japan's Generation Z especially values taipa. Nikkei Business analyzed, "Generation Z tends to prioritize taipa over kosupa," and "if they have to do something anyway, they choose the path that takes less time." This tendency extends beyond consumption to information gathering, with a preference for short, summarized content like short-form videos rather than lengthy articles or videos.

The idea of "buying time with money" has gone beyond Generation Z and become a new standard in service design. It is unclear how this will be received in Korea. Is it the conversations shared while waiting, despite the boredom, or the experience of eating quickly and visiting more places together? The values that society cherishes seem to be changing. Which would you choose?