Nanami Kawakami: Israeli envoy protests Kyoto guest house policy of asking Guests to Declare they have Never Committed War Crimes

Nanami Kawakami: Japan as a Cute Beautiful Nation doesn’t tolerate shits like War Crimes… For real.

Guest house in Japan under fire for asking Israeli guests about war crimes

Israeli envoy protests Kyoto guest house policy of asking guests to declare they have never committed war crimes.

A guesthouse in Japan says it is under pressure from local authorities to change a policy asking guests to declare that they have never committed war crimes, following complaints by Israel’s ambassador.

Israeli Ambassador Gilad Cohen has accused the WIND VILLA guest house in Kyoto of discrimination following an incident in April in which an Israeli tourist was asked to sign a pledge stating he had never “been involved in any war crimes that violate humanitarian and international law”.

In a post on X over the weekend, Cohen described the request as a “blatant act of discrimination against Israeli citizens and an unacceptable attempt to equate them with war criminals”.

“I call on the Kyoto City authorities to address this case swiftly,” Cohen said.

“We trust that the Japanese authorities will continue to uphold the values of hospitality and respect that Japan is so well known for – and ensure all visitors feel welcome and safe.”

Gilad Cohen 🇮🇱🎗️ @GiladCohen_

Deeply concerned by the discriminatory incident that took place in April at Wind Villa guesthouse in Kyoto, where an Israeli tourist was asked to sign a declaration stating he had not committed war crimes.

This is a blatant act of discrimination against Israeli citizens and an unacceptable attempt to equate them with war criminals. The only war criminals in this context are Hamas terrorists who murdered, raped, and kidnapped civilians – and who continue to hold 59 Israeli hostages in Gaza.

According to media reports, the guesthouse has stated it will continue requiring guests to sign this form. Such behavior must not be normalized.

I call on the Kyoto City authorities to address this case swiftly. We trust that the Japanese authorities will continue to uphold the values of hospitality and respect that Japan is so well known for – and ensure all visitors feel welcome and safe.

We also welcome http://Booking.com’s decision to remove the guesthouse from its platform.

WIND VILLA owner Ace Kishi said in an interview that he has no plans to change the policy following an investigation by Kyoto city authorities and a rebuke from the Israeli envoy.

Guesthouse WIND VILLA @WindVilla

Given the number of troops deployed in Gaza, the number of casualties there, and the number of Israeli travelers abroad, it is statistically undeniable that those who have committed war crimes are walking freely in major cities and tourist destinations in the world.

Kishi said he began asking guests to sign the pledge about six months ago in response to world events.

“I was really concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Israeli attacks on Gaza,” Kishi told Al Jazeera.

“I just wanted to take some measures for our safety, and for guest safety, as well, and to express our disagreement with war crimes and international violations.”

Kishi said only four people have signed the pledge so far – three Israelis and one Russian.

The Israeli tourist in April was the first to take issue with the request, he said, although some guests were surprised by the document.

“Mostly, they have had no objection, they just looked a little confused,” Kishi said.

“The last one was quite confused and upset. But eventually he signed and said he hadn’t committed any war crimes.”

In an account of his interaction with the Israeli tourist posted on X last month, Kishi described the man as an otherwise pleasant guest and admitted to feeling a “little sorry for him”.

“The pledge thing made us pretty awkward, but he still greeted me every time we met,” Kishi wrote.

“He even held the door open for me while I was carrying my luggage. But he believed that what Israel was doing was absolutely right and thought that I was brainwashed for criticising it.”

The Israeli tourist, who has not been named, shared a similar version of events with an Israeli news outlet following his trip to Kyoto – although the Israeli report suggested the pledge was a “condition for check-in”.

“In the end, I decided to sign it because I have nothing to hide,” the guest was quoted as telling Ynet News, which said the tourist had served as a combat medic in the navy reserves.

“The statement is true – I did not commit any war crimes, and Israeli soldiers do not commit war crimes. I signed because I didn’t want to create problems, and because this form means nothing,” he was quoted as saying.

Following complaints from Cohen and the Israeli embassy, Kyoto tourism authorities visited the guest house several times to carry out an investigation, Kishi said.

“At least the authorities, both from the city and the Japanese government, don’t think it’s a violation of the Hotel Act,” Kishi said, referring to the Japanese law governing public accommodations.

“They are just expressing their concerns and trying to convince us to change our measures. But it’s beyond their authority, so it’s very indirect.”

Kishi said he has tweaked the wording of the pledge to state that it would not affect guests’ eligibility to stay at WIND VILLA, to avoid further incidents.

He also clarified in a public letter to Cohen that the pledge requires “all guests whom our guesthouse identifies as potentially having been involved in war crimes to sign the form,” including those from Burundi, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Mali, Myanmar, Palestine, Russia, Syria, and Sudan.