When I visited Kyoto last week, the autumn leaves were just one step away. This weekend, especially the 23rd, was a national holiday, so if you took Friday off, it would have been a four-day weekend, and many places in Kyoto would have been so crowded. The TV news reported that the concentration of tourists had caused public transportation systems, such as buses, to become so crowded that residents could not ride the buses, disrupting their daily lives. Tourists visiting Japan from all over the world are concentrated in Kyoto during this season, so together with Japanese tourists, there will be huge crowds. The local authorities are trying to eliminate and combine the daily bus pass with the subway, but it may not be worthwhile.
Well, I am afraid I will talk about Kyoto again this week, but I want to touch on the greatest pleasure of visiting Kyoto: eating. I'll leave it to other articles to tell you what options are available, but I want to share with you what I felt when I ate out this time, and I hope it will be helpful for your actual trip.
Japanese restaurants that are supposed to be safe
As a preface, what happened this time is about restaurant accounting. It may have happened by coincidence, and there is no arbitrary aspect. However, the fact that it happened two days in a row, and that too at dinner, is a thought-provoking frequency for an establishment in Japan. When eating out in Tokyo, it had been a year since I had not had a similar experience. When you get right down to it, it is no wonder that this is part of the problem that Kyoto, now one of the world's leading tourist destinations, may face.
What happened this time in Kyoto
On this three-day, two-night trip, we ate out for dinner twice. The first was at a restaurant specialising in chicken cuisine, which also has a branch in Tokyo. And the next night, I had a similar experience at another restaurant.
A restaurant specializing in chicken dishes
I entertained an old friend here, a long-established restaurant with more than half a century history. I ordered a course menu and drank several kinds of alcohol, but I ordered all wine by the glass. However, the restaurant charged two glasses for two bottles of wine. When I paid the bill, the restaurant showed only the total amount, and while questioning the high price, I spent the bill and realized the mistake when I saw the breakdown that came out later.
Another restaurant
Although I won't go into details because of the circumstances, there were two types of platters, and only the more expensive one was available on weekends. Still, the restaurant explained that there were two choices, and we paid a higher price than we expected when we ordered. The restaurant needed to explain better.
How to interpret what happened one after another
While we do not experience this when dining out in Tokyo, you can make the following assumption, considering that Kyoto attracts many foreign travelers.
Post-Corona, the restaurant industry's workforce must rely more or less on part-time workers. The heavy use of part-time workers in customer service means that achieving more worker uniformity will take time and effort. At the same time, like a lizard's tail being cut off, it will be easy to pass on any problems that arise to part-time workers.
In some restaurants popular with foreigners, the menu may be in English, but the breakdown on the receipt may be in Japanese only. In such cases, it is difficult for foreign customers to check what they are paying for in detail.
It is no wonder that the atmosphere at popular restaurants, which deal with many customers, may feel that a few mistakes are unavoidable.
What you can do to avoid such situations
Knowing the extent to which such temporary arrangements occur in Kyoto with a proper survey will be easy. Still, based on my experience this time, you must consider the possibility that such problems are occurring.
When eating out in Japan, with a few exceptions, prices are indicated on the menu, and "clear accounting" has been the norm. However, with the over-tourism in Kyoto being pointed out, it is not surprising that some restaurants are making a mistake or, worse, have the ill-advised notion of taking a little extra from foreign customers who need help understanding Japanese. The only possible countermeasure is to check the restaurant where you eat or drink to ensure that nothing is listed on the bill you did not order. The weak yen makes travelers feel like they are getting a good deal, but it is a good idea to check at least to avoid unpleasant surprises later on.
Summary
Even in Japan, there are restaurants that only regulars can go to, with no menus and no idea how much the total cost will be. However, such cases are sporadic. You will almost always find a menu and know the price when you visit a restaurant without a guide. When you pay the bill, please ask the shopkeeper if you have any questions. It is easy to think that with the weak yen, paying by credit card, and drinking alcohol, the details are optional...but to preserve your good memories of Japan, please take a little time and effort.