Ramen restaurant puts bounty on negative reviewers

To quote from a report out of Japan:

TOYOJIRO, a Jiro-style ramen restaurant in Kyoto ranked second on the city’s ramen database, has come under scrutiny for placing a bounty on customers’ heads simply because they left low-rated reviews. Sounds shocking, right? Let’s take a closer look at the events that led to such an extreme response.

It all began when two individuals dined at TOYOJIRO’s Kyoto-based outlet. After leaving, one of them posted a one-star review, criticizing the store’s customer service and the quality of the food. Up to this point, everything seemed normal—negative reviews are a common occurrence. However, what happened next was anything but ordinary.

The restaurant did not take the criticism lightly. In response to the review, they posted a threatening message: “If you write a stupid review, we’ll find you. We’ll beat you up.” They escalated further by publishing photos of the customers and offering a cash reward to anyone who could provide information on their whereabouts.

“I saw your post, and you seem a bit weird. We try not to treat people like you as customers, so it’s fine. But you should probably avoid eating out. Someday, someone like you will get screwed. I don’t care—just come directly, and I’ll deal with you. We run a planned business, so if you get in our way, we’ll get in the way of yours too,” the store wrote.

On their Instagram (@toyojiro.toyota), the restaurant posted a story offering a reward of 100,000 yen per reviewer to anyone who could provide their personal details, track them down, or take action against them. The shop made it clear that this “manhunt” would continue until both individuals returned to the restaurant, had another meal, and wrote a positive review with a photo.