Some small companies have closed down because of the boorish and even violent behavior of certain customers.

Harassment, abuse and unreasonable demands from customers have become such a problem in Japan’s service sector that the government is planning legal countermeasures to protect workers.

Larger companies can usually weather reputational and financial damage caused by scenes of angry customers or attention-seeking unhygienic “pranksters.”

But for some smaller self-employed businesses, certain customers can push operators to the breaking point.

One extreme case of customer abuse occurred at the Ibadai branch of the Ikkenme ramen chain in Mito.

The problem started after a man entered the restaurant conveniently located near Ibaraki University in spring 2022.

After being served a bowl of ramen, he ordered additional toppings of chopped onion every two minutes. He exited the eatery without even touching the meal, leaving behind a bowl covered with a heap of chopped onion.

The same customer visited the noodle shop at a later date and was recognized by staff. They declined his requests for additional toppings.

Infuriated, the man poured condiments and about 500 toothpicks into the soup.

The 51-year-old manager banned the customer.

When the man came back and continued his annoying antics in March last year, the manager called police.

Ibaraki prefectural police reprimanded the man. But that only seemed to escalate the man’s abuse of the ramen shop.

He started calling the restaurant at least 20 times a day, and even threatened to kill staff and set the place on fire.

At least one employee was too scared to work and quit.

The eatery made a tough decision to close in July last year.

“I thought human life and safety must come first,” the manager said.

The customer was indicted on a charge of intimidation, and the Mito Summary Court in January this year ordered him to pay 100,000 yen ($640) in fines.

WARNINGS IGNORED

Kame-no-Yu, a public bathhouse beloved by locals for more than 50 years in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, was shuttered on May 30.

According to its posts on X, formerly Twitter, and other information, the bathhouse had suffered from repeated acts of nuisance, including unreasonable complaints from customers, equipment thefts, unpaid use of its sauna and unlawful littering on the premises.

Such acts continued even after the operator repeatedly issued warnings.

“We’ve had enough,” the manager wrote on a sign shown on X. “We implore you to be courteous.”

ENHANCED MEASURES

The labor ministry in 2022 released a manual for companies on how to deal with abusive customers. It describes customer demands as “unreasonable” if they require socially inappropriate means and manners, and if they harm workers’ job environment.

However, unlike sexual and power harassment, there is still no legal definition for customer abuse.

The ministry plans to revise labor laws to obligate companies to provide consultations for employees victimized by customer harassment and take other measures to address the issue.

The Tokyo metropolitan government is preparing to approve Japan’s first ordinance to address customer harassment.

The ordinance, however, contains no penalties for offenders. Tokyo officials say they hope the ordinance will serve as a deterrence by spelling out what constitutes customer harassment.

Kei Ito, 42, owner of the Kitchen Dive 24-hour boxed lunch shop chain in Tokyo, said it is difficult to draw a line between legitimate and unreasonable demands by customers.

The company came under the spotlight after security camera footage of the chain’s Kameido branch showed two men harassing and menacing the store clerk. The footage went viral in May 2021.

In another incident, a group of inebriated men entered the store, and some of them crushed plastic containers holding the bento.

Staff at the branch are still targeted for verbal abuse and other harassment from customers, Ito said.

“I don’t think the law revision alone can drastically change the situation,” he said.

(This story was written by Suzuka Tominaga, Takateru Doi and Risako Miyake.)