Message to foreigners in “konbini” sparks controversy online in Japan

The attempt to reduce customer rudeness comes off as incredibly rude.

Japanese convenience stores are known to be wonderful havens, where you can get everything from cat buns to steamed pancake buns at any time of the day or night.

With such a glowing reputation attached to them, it was a bit surprising to find a convenience store that wasn’t so nice to its customers.

Twitter user @CHANGHAENG was visiting the convenience store, a Lawson’s branch located in Osaka, when he came across a sign placed on the steamed bun display case at the counter.

これはどういう意味だろう🤔 pic.twitter.com/ibepRbUwYr — ちゃんへん. (@CHANGHAENG) December 1, 2022

これはどういう意味だろう🤔 pic.twitter.com/ibepRbUwYr

— ちゃんへん. (@CHANGHAENG) December 1, 2022

The sign, despite being written entirely in Japanese, is aimed at foreigners and reads:

“To foreign customers,
‘Kore’ is prohibited. Say “nikuman kudasai.”

As an explanation, “kore” means “this” and “nikuman kudasai” means “Can I have a steamed bun please?”

Reading between the lines, it appears that the staff were fed up with “foreign customers” saying “kore” and presumably pointing at the display case while doing so, as indicated by the illustration of a pointing finger (assuming it’s an index finger and not a middle finger). The tone of the message is remarkably short, with the absence of “please” making it read like an order rather than a request, and far removed from the usual level of courtesy expected in a customer service environment in Japan.

There are a lot of things wrong with a sign like this, and online commenters pointed them out, saying:

“I don’t think the word ‘foreign’ should be used in this case.”
“If it’s a message for foreigners, shouldn’t it be written in English?”
“Does that mean that the Japanese can say ‘kore’?”
“Well, they shouldn’t give their steamed buns such long names as ‘melted cheese and tomato pizza bun’.
“They should give numbers to the buns instead [since there are so many].”
“Hard for staff to see who people across the counter are pointing at”

While it may be true that pointing to a small display case can make it difficult for staff to figure out what item is requested, it is also true that convenience stores pack a wide variety of different steamed buns in those display cases, so just say “nikuman kudasai” it will not necessarily solve the problem.

Of course, pointing fingers at “foreigners” and forbidding them to say “kore” when ordering is also problematic, given that several Japanese said they could use the point-and-request system. In any case, a sign written entirely in Japanese is not the best way to get your message across to people who may not understand the language, so it may be time for convenience store chains to think about implementing a system. numbering for items sold. in showcases

As for the sign itself, it was removed after people who had seen it online contacted Lawson’s headquarters with complaints. Lawson said staff told them the sign was put up after several customers ended up getting the wrong bread. The company has since apologized for the sign and its wording, saying its goal is to be a store where all customers can shop comfortably.