Inn Owner Clarifies Casual Speech Guest Ban After Shutting Down Amid Backlash

“We’re sorry. We will be closed for a while.”

This message was posted on X by the official account of Onsen Minshuku Nanbuya in Towada City, Aomori Prefecture. As of September 10th, the post has received over 38 million views and has garnered significant attention.

The incident began with a post from a different X account on the 4th.

A former train driver user posted the following message:

“Station staff feel extremely uncomfortable when passengers they meet for the first time speak to them in casual language.”

On the 5th, Nanbuya joined in by quoting this post, saying:

《“At our inn, if inquiries are made using casual speech, the response will always be ‘fully booked.’ We simply don’t want such guests.”
“Any availability this month?”
“What date and how many guests?”
“Weekend, weekend! Saturday and Sunday!”
“How many guests this weekend?”
“Next week, next week!”
“How many guests?”
“Obviously two!”
“Fully booked!” Click.》

Nanbuya posted this exchange as well.

However, this sparked a debate, with mixed reactions:

“All service industries should adopt this approach.”

“In a good way, the era of ‘the customer is always right’ has come to an end.”

While many supported the inn, there were also voices saying:

“Didn’t need to say that.”

“Posting this from the official account makes the inn look questionable too.”

These criticisms raised doubts about the inn’s response, leading to a major backlash with over 36 million views (as of the 10th).

Then, on the 7th, Nanbuya posted an urgent message:

“We’re sorry. We will be closed for a while. We are completely stopping all operations, including accommodation and day-use bathing. We can’t answer phone calls or respond to emails, including those we’ve already received. We will inform you as soon as we are able to reopen. Please pray for our reopening. We apologize for the inconvenience.”

This revealed that they were forced to suspend business.

What exactly happened? Replies on X from general users included:

“Is it possible that some complainers are sabotaging their business?”

“It seems like they might be in violation of the Innkeeping Law.”

Such voices were being raised.

What does it mean to be in violation of the law? According to attorney Kenta Morimi of Morimi Law Office:

“Refusing accommodation solely based on ‘casual speech’ when there are actually available rooms is likely to be in violation of the Innkeeping Law and the Aomori Prefecture Innkeeping Law Enforcement Ordinance.”

Due to the potential legal implications, many concerns have been raised about the sudden “closure announcement.”

In response to inquiries to the relevant supervising authority, they stated:

“We are not aware of such matters.”

It was confirmed that the business suspension was not due to an administrative penalty.

Subsequently, on the 10th, the inn updated their X account:

“I have just returned to the inn. We sincerely apologize for the many concerns caused. Recently, a family member fell ill, and we also had to attend to our mascot dog, Rucksack, who was unwell. Fortunately, the family member has recovered from the worst, and Rucksack’s condition has stabilized. We will resume operations starting today.”

The owner revealed that the closure was due to personal circumstances.

The recent incident has attracted significant attention, with the two posts receiving a combined total of around 75 million views. When we contacted the inn for an interview, the owner responded by phone.

“I was completely unaware that it had become such a hot topic online while dealing with family and dog issues. Therefore, the closure of the inn has absolutely nothing to do with X. I apologize for causing a stir. I only posted what I genuinely feel. The hospitality industry, as well as the service industry in general, often underestimates the position of the business side. The ‘customer is always right’ culture still persists, especially among older generations. There are also claims of legal violations, but in 2023, the Innkeeping Law was revised to better align with the needs of innkeepers, expanding the criteria for refusing accommodation. However, many still look down on businesses. I want to resist such attitudes.”

The issue of customer harassment, which has become a social problem, was significantly amplified by the owner’s statements. It may be necessary for us, as consumers, to better recognize that service workers are neither slaves nor servants.