Kyoto sushi shop accused of dual pricing as English menu costs four times Japanese version

A sushi restaurant in Kyoto has sparked outrage after a South Korean YouTuber discovered that its English menu charged significantly higher prices than the Japanese version, with the cheapest three-piece sushi costing four times as much.

Choi Soo-hoon, who runs the YouTube channel CKOONY, posted a video on July 12 showing his dining experience with a Chinese friend at a Kyoto sushi restaurant. The English menu listed the cheapest three-piece sushi at 2,000 yen (about HK$97), while the Japanese menu for the same item was priced at 500 yen (about HK$24). The entire set meal was also much cheaper in Japanese.

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The video quickly went viral, drawing over 1,900 comments. Many netizens accused the restaurant of overcharging foreign tourists, calling it "daylight robbery." Others argued the English menu might have included different ingredients or services.

The dual pricing debate has intensified in Japan as tourist numbers surge. Some argue differential pricing helps ease overtourism and generate revenue for infrastructure improvements, while critics say it risks damaging Japan's tourism reputation.

Japan's Tourism Agency is reportedly studying guidelines to balance tourism revenue with fair treatment of visitors.

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