In the Japanese service industry, hospitality and kindness towards the customer are highly prioritized, even to the point where losing your personal goods is not always the end of the world. While many visitors from abroad return home quite impressed with the extent to which the customer is valued in Japan, sometimes that hospitality, or omotenashi it is called in Japanese, is expressed in quirky ways. As Japanese Twitter user Ramuko (@syuwasyuwa000) recently found out, popular Japanese ramen chain Ichiran is a great example of that.

On a recent trip to Ichiran, Ramuko encountered one of the worst scenarios a customer can run into in the bathroom, which this picture should explain for itself.

Source: @syuwasyuwa000

Running out of toilet paper in a ramen restaurant is understandably an emergency situation, but fortunately Ichiran has a toilet contingency plan in the form of this note.

Source: @syuwasyuwa000

As you see, ICHIRAN strives to make sure that you will never run out of toilet paper. If by any chance these toilet papers magically disappear, don't worry! We still got you covered.

While it's cut off in that picture, the Japanese text explains, "If by any chance the toilet paper runs out, please tear this paper." One would normally think this is a cruel joke asking you to use the note provided, but it's actually the first step for their emergency toilet paper plan.

As it turns out, in Ichiran restaurants with this note (not yet torn), the popular ramen joint keeps an emergency stash of toilet paper behind the message to customers that they can "break out" much like an "in case of fire, break this case" for an ax.

If you ever visit Ichiran in Japan, feel at ease in the restroom. Unless you see a torn note.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.