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Yoshinoya refused to let 'foreign' student attend recruitment event
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OssanAmerica
Yoshinoya should be held responsible, and this "recruiter" needs to be fired. There is no excuse. Assuming that the Applicant was not a Japanese citizen based on appearance is outright discrimination. Furthermore many foreign residents in Japan have a Zairyu Card that permits employment. These are things that Yoshinoya should have fully verified upon receiving the application.
Cricky
continues to actively promote foreign national employees with the aim of revitalizing the organization
apparently not.
Seesaw7
Yoshinoya, again ?
藤原
Assume, means make an Ass out of u and me. This is a perfect example of another Japanese business doing such things.
snowymountainhell
“Flying Beef Bowls, Batman! Yoshinoya’s done it …” again?! - What is it with this company in the last year?
They really do need some ‘outside’ influences at Executive level, HR and PR departments … and quick!
Fighto!
1 coin rice bowls. Enough said. Staff probably paid 1 coin per hour too!
James
@letsberealistic
Yes you should
Get it the person is Not a foreign national but is a Japanese national who looks foreign but was discriminated because of an assumption made by the yoshinoya recruiter.
Who sent an email saying "It is extremely difficult for a foreign national to obtain a work visa and there is a possibility that you will not be able to join the company even if you are offered a job."
He or she is a Japanese national.
virusrex
Now is much easier to understand the previous scandal, the company seems to be run on assumptions and prejudices, so of course an executive would feel fine with making very inappropriate remarks on a talk for students, it was probably on the same level as what is normal inside of the company.
snowymountainhell
The food’s tasty but the employees often look exhausted, even at the start of a work shift. - Failed ad campaigns, failed welcoming ceremonies, failed recruitment events, disgruntled customers pulling knives escalating into police standoffs …
Who would even be interested in working there unless is just for some extra cash until a real gig comes?
James
No I think you and the Yoshinoya recruiter are completely misunderstanding
My kids don't look Japanese and don't have Japanese names but are actually Japanese as they have a Japanese parent and have Japanese passports.
SarcasmOnly
Welcome to Japan mina-san
maxjapank
It sounds a bit discouraging. But one of the reasons my wife and I gave our child a name in kanji was so they would always appear Japanese on any paperwork. Of course, she is Japanese. But we didn't want any school or business to discriminate in advance by knowing she was "half."
snowymountainhell
Despite the PR snafus, big advertising dollars routinely spent. Type the “Yoshinoya” in the Search bar above for modest sampling.
Will be interesting to see if any less-than-favorable comments about Yoshinoya’s food will be retained.
noriahojanen
Another problem is, Yoshinoya jumped to the conclusion that the applicant was a foreign national.
I know it's difficult to obtain a certain category of working visa (although it's not unique to Japan).
Yoshinoya has two options; 1) offer jobs only to Japanese nationals or valid visa holders (this entry screening is NOT discrimination) ; 2) make the utmost effort to help foreign recruits to obtain it at any cost when employing them.
wtfjapan
Antique,their is no ethnic race of Japanese ,French either, Japanese are classified as Asian
there are ethnic Japanese and ethnic French, but there are no Japanese race or French race theyre both nationalities, Japanese belong to the asian race and French the Caucasian race. Japanese are mix of Korean Chinese Philippines as modern DNA testing has shown, if you go back far enough all Humans originated in Africa
Johansawada
i'm on the same boat as you maxjapank. my two daughters have japanese names... there are also a few half kids in my daughter's school who does this too so i think its quite typical nowadays...
well, at least we know our kids won't get their job application cancelled by Yoshinoya's recuriter :)
itsonlyrocknroll
This is a PR poo show.
Couldn't make this up.
This toe-curling gruesome behaviour is indecorous unprofessional.
Where is the Government here??
Antiquesaving
Actually no mention of looking foreign.
It clearly states
This to me means possibly one or all of the following:
family name not Japanese.
Partially educated in international school or outside Japan.
Born in another country,
Etc...
My daughter's best friend is 100% ethic Japanese born in Japan but to Brazilian parents ( all 4 grandparents are Japanese.) So that makes her Brazilian.
She became a naturalized Japanese citizen but is still told she is "Brazilian" because her parents are. ( Note she never even once went to Brazil, doesn't speak Portuguese, born and fully schooled in Japan but still told she is "really" a foreigner) finding a good job is very hard for her.
My daughter is mixed and decided the trouble Trying to get a good job just wasn't worth it the subtle discrimination was annoying.
So she started her own business with friends most are also mixed or 2nd generation returning Japanese
Antiquesaving
I don't think anyone is confused other than Yoshinoya and possibly you.
The person was a student, so depending on the school history they are are often children of Japanese nationals ( aka also Japanese) or PR
But reading the article would have helped you.
You do understand what Japanese national means, right?
Antiquesaving
Ok folks try understanding the situation.
This was not for a job in the store/restaurant, those you apply more often than not directly to the location manager.
This was for the annual hiring from universities and trade schools
These are for full time employment more often than not in the corporate section.
This person was probably not applying to work making beef bowls but applying for an office job.
It is like 7-eleven the local store hires their cashiers, etc.. but Corporate 7-i holdings hires corporate office regional management, etc... Each April via these recruitment events.
So try not to confuse the situation.
Desert Tortoise
A wise man once said ASSUME makes and ASS out of U and ME. Good advice.
Tom San
Folks calling for a boycott of Yoginoya are wasting their time.
maxjapank
That it is. It happened as sort of a mistake at the time. But we just continued having separate last names. But when deciding a first name, we specifically chose kanji. Of course, kanji is cool. And we did think about the sound and meaning of the name. But one of the reasons was to make her invisible / blend in when others were just looking at paperwork.
Eddy Lee
I haven't tried Yoshinoya since I came here and now I don't plan to try at all!
factchecker
The list of reasons to avoid this joint just gets longer and longer.
THOMAS R MOUNTCASTLE
Will we ever see the end of xenophobia?
Bob
I wondered if this person had applied to serve in a shop rather than be part of the corporate side of the business this would have been a different outcome?
Paul
Shameful attitude and their beef is chewy!
TARA TAN KITAOKA
Boycott racist yoshinoya.
girl_in_tokyo
A Japanese company that has racist hiring practices?
Noooooo...... can't be.
hooktrunk2
I'm confused by the title. Shouldn't it read:
"Yoshinoya refused to let Japanese student of foreign descent attend recruitment event",
or
"Yoshinoya refused to let Japanese 'foreign-looking' student attend recruitment event",
or
"Yoshinoya refused to let Japanese student with 'foreign' name attend recruitment event"?
kohakuebisu
What is this "background information"?
A katakana surname or two katakana names?
Non-oriental facial features in a photo?
An overseas address?
A parent or next of kin with a foreign sounding name?
A birthplace overseas and/or indication of schooling overseas?
It certainly should not need saying on a English-language website about Japan, but Michael Leitch, the rugby player, is Japanese. He has a Japanese passport and is therefore Japanese. His "background information", such as potential answers to the above may not sound "Japanese" to some, but such opinions are irrelevant and in no way lessen Leitch's Japanese citizenship. Likewise, it is perfectly possible for applicants with unexpected-to-some background information on a Yoshinoya application form to be Japanese, it is a nationality not a race, so small-minded people are just going to have to ditch their prejudices and get with the program.
NOMINATION
This was a recruitment event to work for the company, not a restaurant I believe. A neighbor that works part time at Yoshinoya got the job directly through the store they work at.
Depends who you ask. I think Yoshinoya's taste is bland and prefer Sukiya but the rest of my family likes Yoshinoya.
Laila Kholoussi
I am boycotting Yoshinoya!
dan
I prefer Sukiya.
Never liked Yoshinoya.
theFu
Well, certainly all the full-time workers are paid well enough to live walking distance from the stores where they work, right?
Pacificpilot
This company is out of control. Can consumers afford a boycott?
itsonlyrocknroll
Yoshinoya gyudon is unable to retain staff, “Tasty, cheap and fast” greasy and nasty.
Look, if Yoshinoya gyudon is the last port and call for elite schools with the right family connections, then why get an education in the first place?
*James
@Antiquesaving
Yes this is true, however background information for these events requires a photo.
So it is possible that he didn't look at the photo and just looked at the name but bit of a stretch.
Hiroshi Kanoya
When you see want ads in Japanese, you would see many ads that we are looking for a female clerk, we are looking for 20 to 30 year old workers, we are looking for college educated people and etc. there are many apartments putting up a sign "女性限定"(women only). but these discriminations haven't been an issue.
JamesTCL
Many of the comments are missing an important part of the problem. That is, it's going to be difficult to prove to the Immigration Department that only a foreign graduate-student can fill any particular position in a chain restaurant business, so arranging a visa for a foreign student will be futile and a waste of the company's time.
The main issue is the information the student provided that made a company assume the person applying is a foreigner. Both parties could be at fault; one for not clearly supplying proper information, the other for not asking the obvious question if there was enough doubt.
The information in this story is not enough for the above comments to be justified, which means most of you have committed the same mistake you claim the company has done and "assumed" the worst.
Mocheake
And on top of that, their food is terrible.
HappyDaruma
He or she is not complaining about discrimination against foreigners.
He or she is complaining because discrimination despite being japanese.
Kumagaijin
Way out in rural Kumagaya, I showed some interest in renting an old 50 year old farmhouse. Rent was 45000 per month and lots of land for gardening. Right by the river too. Exactly the type of place I was looking for. Nope. No renting out to foreigners!
purple_depressed_bacon
They forgot to add the rest: "We sincerely apologize but will still continue our discriminatory and racist practices".
Twats. It's disgusting how so many companies still manage to get away with this kind of nonsense.
Yrral
Antique,their is no ethnic race of Japanese ,French either, Japanese are classified as Asian
Antiquesaving
You need to learn the meaning of "ethnic".
Ethnic:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethnic
Asian is not a particularly ethnic group.
I am caucasian, so are people from the middle East but we are in no way the same ethnic group.
Try not mixing things up!
Antiquesaving
It is a beef bowl joint, not a Ramen shop.
Meaning beef on RICE!
Sven Asai
Counter-question. Would you employ someone who once wanted to be recruited by that company? No discussion needed about that company , regularly in the news and rumors, and their usually undelicious offers, but then wanting to work there is at least similarly strange, isn’t it? lol
Yrral
These people are one noddle short of full Ramen dinner
CrashTestDummy
Much more to the story, I'm sure. On another note, Yoshinoya is way, way better in Japan than Yoshinoya in the US. Tons more food options and quality is much better in Japan. Yoshinoya in the US is not good.
Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne
Another Yoshinoya scandal .
This time involving a genderless Japanese national unfairly accused of being a foreigner.
Pukey2
Reminds me of US where they would reject CVs based on names sounding Asian or black.
shogun36
One of the LAST companies that should be turning down anyone looking to work there.
They should be thankful that ANYONE is applying to work there.
Both Sukiya and Matsuya put out superior product over Yoshinoya trash.
And if you combine this hate towards foreign workers and recently, female workers, they’re gonna end up with a staff full of nothing but deadbeat yankii and unkempt otaku filing out the kitchens.
Who’d want to eat their with that crew and inferior food selection?
Gain some perspective Yosh…….
shogun36
Apparently not.
Khuniri
I am a Japanese citizen with a “foreign-looking” face. But when it comes to jobs that I might want to do for a little needed income, the insurmountable obstacle is age, not “race.” Still, I can’t complain all that loudly. You young people who do complain should realize how much better things are in Japan than they used to be.
CS
Yoshinoya ranks right up there with McDonalds..
B. Jay
This kind of stupidity is a common trait in Japan.
Antiquesaving
Oh here in Japan they have a load of crazy things they use.
Blood type, hair colour, breast size ( no I am not joking), my daughter is "large" in that area and was told, the job entitled a lot of interaction with clients and they thought her breasts size would be too distracting!
Welcome to things only Japanese companies can still get away with doing.
Shonan Girl
One time I was worried about this company was in 2013 when they said they would buy their produce from Fukushima in 2013, two years after one of the biggest nuclear boo boos ever. Why? To support Fukushima? To buy cheap products? To try and blow their trumpet? Who knows? I dislike all of these beef bowl places. Have a look around at how gritty these places are. I don't think health and safety inspections happen much here. On the good side, I think we are immune to bacteria in restaurants here because they are mostly pig pens. Spot the bugs on the wall. It's all good. Adds to the character.
https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2013/10/yoshinoya-to-use-rice-and-vegetables-grown-in-fukushima/
Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne
@Meiyouwenti
Native born ?
No Japanese aren't Natives.
But there are tribes in Japan.
The beef-bowl chain are being blamed for being unfairly discriminatory towards a Japanese national for assuming they are a foreigner without a work permit.
I suggest you educate yourself what the differences are between Native ,Indigenous or Japanese Nationals.
Being prejudice towards foreigners in Japan for any reason isn't condusive to accomplishment of anything positive.
Antiquesaving
Are you serious, it will blow over and they will do it again this time they will not make the mistake of sending a email.
It will be verbally no evidence.
And the government????
You mean the place that hires basically only people from elite schools with the right family connections and that passed a law forbidding and government entity whether municipal, prefectural, national ( this includes public schools) from hiring non Japanese nationals.
In short, it does care and does the same.
Alan Harrison
Yoshinoya refused to let 'foreign' student attend recruitment event
Not an unusual occurrence in Japan.
Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne
@antiquesaving
Are you aware of the fact that Saudi Arabia is the Middle East and part of Asia ?
They are Asians !
Russia is part of Europe and also Asia .
Who has got things mixed up huh ?
kennyG
How come they are interviewing as students without working visa. You people are completely misunderstanding
Antiquesaving
Now interesting!
I seem to remember commenting a few times about my 2 adult children when graduating from University ( 2 different universities) both being given by the school job placement section a list (verbally none dates write it down) of companies that will not hire foreigners or mixed Japanese.
And I was told by certain people here such things don't happen!
So now what to you people say?
Not the part "screening the background information "
Guess we got to be careful might get the wrong blood type also!
So what if they are Japanese nationals it's the purity of the blood that is important, Right?
Antiquesaving
Seriously?
Of course not because Japan has no protection against discrimination of non citizens.
But what do you think happened read again:
If you cannot understand this is one of 2 situations a mixed nationality or a naturalized citizen.
Lest be honest they thought this person was a foreigner and the information provided would have in most cases indicated Japanese national but it also screamed foreign decent or connection.
Peter14
An example of racism in Japan. This "anti foreigner" sentiment is on the very surface in Japanese society and is for the most part silently tolerated and encouraged. It is only now, that attempts to minimize and remove such outdated views are gaining pace and support.
No nation is the center of humanity. No single people are at the center of civilization. Trade can for a time be centered on one or two nations, but that does not make those any better than the rest.
Sexism is also still ingrained in Japanese society with women expected to serve men, even when eating out it is women who prepare plates and pour drinks for the men.
Japan needs to get itself out of the funk of the past and realise that women are not servants of men, unless they want to take that role for their own pleasure. Foreigners are as capable as any Japanese in work and in science and can provide a point of view that differs and enhances science and work in general.
Dont just talk the talk, you need to walk the walk and accomplish your goals of inclusiveness. Doing so will provide advantages and benefits that would otherwise elude you.
thepersoniamnow
Well I am a Caucasian looking Japanese. Was born here and have a Japanese name.
Seems normal that people wouldn’t assume you are Japanese and treat you different,as this happens to me daily. What’s the big deal?
In_japan
Japanese immigration does not recognize Japanese restaurant's/Izakaya's hall staff/kitchen job eligible for work visa. All those employed are mostly hired illegally as IT-technician or R&D staffs and work inside kitchen-Hall. Unfortunately this is very true.
kurisupisu
Discriminating against foreigners is not unusual in Japan-Yoshinoya just doing what comes naturally…
Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne
@antiquesaving
Caucasian isn't correct either.
Unless your from the Caucasus mountains ?
Your white.
Personally i don't care were all humans.
Lord Dartmouth
Not surprising really. The Eikaiwa where I work is doing its best to phase out gaijin entirely. They prefer having Japanese teachers teaching absolute drivel to students with the most atrocious pronunciation imaginable rather than let the foreigner have a crack. Have you ever heard of an Eikaiwa where Japanese teachers outnumber foreigners by two to one? It's happening. Good luck with your English studies, Japan!
WA4TKG
Now I know to not eat there...they sure like to TAKE Gai' ji' ¥; huh ?
kennyG
If I am the owner of the company and recruit proper SHAIN 社員, not as part-time staffs 、I would avoid unstable applicants which whatever means to anyone.
In_japan
I think lot of JT readers are confused here.
To get work visa in Japan:
Step 1- Find a company that is ready to hire you and okay with all the paperwork.
step 2 - Apply at immigration (no lawyers needed) but depends on company/individual.
step 3 - Immigration will compare academic qualification/ vocational degree with offered job. If they match you'll get visa if they don't visa will be denied.
***Let's say Mark-san has business level Japanese and vocational course in tourism/hospitality and would be great asset to cash register/ hall staff / Kitchen staff at izakaya X or restaurant Y, Yoshinoya, McDonald, KFC etc. Visa will be denied, no matter what. So Yoshinoya probably saved his/their time by just denying entry.
Hopefully this info will help someone.
Meiyouwenti
It’s up to individual companies to decide who to employ and who not to employ. Employees in the food industry are some of the hardest hit by the coronavirus-induced recession. You can’t blame the beef-bowl chain for favoring native born job applicants over foreigners.
Hiro
Just get the work visa then. Problem solved. Making a big deal out of nothing.
Rodney
This is a company that uses Fukushima products that have high radiation levels because they are cheap. Nice company. Take your kids.