Okinawa ramen shop charges higher prices on Chinese menu, sparking tourist backlash

A ramen restaurant on Kokusai‑dōri in Naha, Okinawa, was found to display higher prices when its ordering kiosk was switched from the Japanese menu to a Chinese (or English) interface. The same bowl of chicken‑white‑broth ramen cost ¥1,200 on the Chinese menu versus ¥1,100 on the Japanese menu, and a cup of green tea doubled from ¥150 to ¥300.

Customers posted the discrepancy on social media, accusing the shop of maintaining a "dual" menu that overcharges foreign visitors. In response, the restaurant posted a comment on Google Reviews stating that foreign‑language menus include additional operational costs such as translation fees and overseas payment‑handling charges, which is why the prices differ from the standard Japanese menu.

The incident has added to wider discussion in Japan about price transparency for the growing number of overseas tourists.