TOYOJIRO, one of Kyoto’s most popular Jiro-style ramen restaurants in Japan, caused a stir when its owner put a bounty on two customers who posted a one-star review. The owner accused the pair of slandering the restaurant’s reputation and posted a threatening note online.
On his Instagram post, the owner announced a reward of 100,000 yen (Rs 58,000 approx) to anybody who could trace the reviewers. He said they would keep looking until they returned to the restaurant and posted a good review. According to a report by Dexerto, in the post he wrote, “I saw your post, and you seem a bit weird.
A Kyoto ramen shop has put a bounty on the heads of two people who left negative restaurant reviews pic.twitter.com/rUHLxpUgRH
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) February 21, 2025
The subsequently deleted post added, “We don’t make people like you customers, so it’s alright. But maybe you should never eat out again. One of these days, someone like you will get ripped off. I don’t care, just come straight on and I’ll sort you out.” The owner cautioned as well, “We are a planned business, so if you interfere in our way, we will also interfere in yours.”
Following backlash on social media, the owner removed the post and issued an apology. In a follow-up post, he acknowledged that his actions had ‘gone too far’ and stated, “I’m reflecting on this. I’m looking forward to reflecting and moving forward. Thank you.” The restaurant also released a separate apology on Instagram, which was later deleted.
The incident drew passionate responses on social media. A user jokingly said, “Imagine writing a bad review and then you find yourself the starring ingredient in the next special.” Another user wrote, “This is the movie plot.” Another user sympathized with the owner, stating, “Being an owner of a small business is really tough and negative reviews can ruin all you have achieved.
