Kyoto Lodging Exposed for Discriminating Against Israeli Guest
The line between private policy and discrimination is under scrutiny after Kyoto lodgings made discriminatory demands of prospective Israeli guests.
It emerged on May 8 that an Israeli tourist was asked to sign a declaration denying involvement in war crimes at a lodging facility in Kyoto, according to information obtained from those involved. The Embassy of Israel in Japan lodged a formal protest with the Governor of Kyoto Prefecture and the Mayor of Kyoto City, denouncing the incident as "discriminatory."
In a separate case, another Kyoto hotel reportedly refused to accommodate an Israeli tourist. The Israeli embassy is urging Japanese authorities to investigate the incidents. It is also calling for measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Sources say that in April, a tourist presented his Israeli passport when checking in at a lodging in Kyoto. He was then asked to sign a written statement declaring he had "never been involved in war crimes."
At the time, he was serving as a reservist in Israel's Navy.
The declaration included a denial of involvement in attacks on civilians, including women and children. One line read, "I pledge to continue complying with international law and humanitarian law and to never engage in war crimes in any form."
Initially, the visitor refused to sign, saying he did not want to be involved in political matters. However, since he had never been involved in any war crimes and did not want to cause trouble, he ultimately agreed to sign.
After learning of the incident, Israeli Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen submitted a written request to Kyoto Governor Takatoshi Nishiwaki and Kyoto City Mayor Koji Matsui, urging them to investigate the facts and take preventive measures. In response, Kyoto City held a meeting with the lodging on April 24. Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto. (©Jason Halayko)
In response to a Sankei Shimbun inquiry, the lodging representative emphasized, "There was absolutely no intent to exclude or discriminate based solely on nationality." As for the reason behind requesting the signature, they made the excuse that it was due to "significant fear and concern about individuals deemed to have been involved in war crimes."
Reportedly, the lodging applies the declaration to people from 10 countries and regions. Those include Israel, Russia, and Palestine, which have been involved with military or paramilitary operations in the past 10 years. While the facility has no plans to change its policy, it expressed willingness to comply with any guidance from Kyoto City.
There was also another case involving Israeli tourists visiting Kyoto in June 2024. In that case, a hotel refused a booking on the grounds that the guest was affiliated with the Israeli military. Kyoto City issued administrative guidance to the hotel operator, stating that refusal of accommodation based on nationality or occupation is not permitted under Japan's Hotel Business Act.
In an interview with The Sankei Shimbun , Ambassador Cohen reiterated that requiring the declaration was discriminatory and unacceptable. He strongly urged appropriate action on this problem by the Japanese authorities.
Author: Mizuki Okada, The Sankei Shimbun
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