A Japanese hotel issues an apology after a Korean YouTuber was refused lodging because he didn't speak Japanese

A YouTuber recently disclosed that he was denied accommodation at a hotel he had pre-booked during his travel to Japan.

This YouTuber, known as "Kkujun," has a subscriber base of over 64,000. In a video, he documented a 113-day journey starting in Fukuoka, with his final destination being Sapporo, covering a distance of 2.100 km (1,304 miles) on a kickboard.

On the second day of his journey, he visited Ube, Japan, stating there was a "cheap place to stay" as the reason for his stopover. He explained that there was a capsule hotel that included a bathtub and would only cost around 30,000 KRW (~22.49 USD) to stay.

After traveling 60 km (37 miles) on his kickboard that day, he arrived at the hotel he had reserved for 7 PM. Upon entering, he informed the staff of his reservation, only to be asked about his proficiency in Japanese.

Not fluent, he used a translation app to communicate that he had booked a stay at a capsule hotel and that he could not speak Japanese. The staff seemed hesitant and began to discuss among themselves.

Eventually, one staff member mentioned that handling any problems he might have would be difficult without Japanese proficiency, leading to the refusal of his accommodation request.

Despite having to book the hotel in advance, the hotel's branch manager insisted that without understanding the Japanese language and customs, he could not stay. Feeling frustrated, he left the hotel, expressing disbelief at the situation, given that he had not only made a reservation but also received a confirmation email.

Netizens who watched the video shared their astonishment, with some questioning where guests are supposed to go if they are turned away on the day of check-in. Others expressed concern about the perceived discrimination. They commented, "I've been to Fukuoka dozens of times and used numerous accommodations but I've never seen any place that's like that?" and "How can they tell a guest who made reservations already to leave like that? Are they just discriminating?"

Following the public's attention to the issue, the hotel issued an official statement, apologizing for denying accommodation based on the inability to speak Japanese and acknowledging that their employee's lack of training contributed to the incorrect response.