Japanese Restaurant's "Free Baby Food" Sparks Customer Backlash... "Dislike Crying Babies"

"Customer Discrimination" Backlash Spreads to Boycott Movement
Part of Low Birthrate Policy... Both Companies and Government Flustered

A major Japanese franchise specializing in soup announced that it would provide free baby food to customers accompanied by infants, only to be engulfed in a boycott movement. Existing customers, mainly unmarried office workers, strongly opposed the policy as discriminatory, while the Japanese government, which had welcomed it as part of its low birthrate policy, appeared embarrassed.

Photo of baby food provided free of charge by Soup Stock Tokyo. (Photo by Soup Stock Tokyo website)

According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 2nd, the Japanese soup specialty store 'Soup Stock Tokyo' announced on the 18th of last month that it would provide free baby food for children aged 9 to 11 months to customers who ordered in-store with their infants. After receiving positive feedback from some stores that had previously offered the service, the company expanded it to all locations, providing one cup of homemade baby food per infant free of charge.

In a notice on the day of the announcement, the company stated, "Since our founding, we have held the value of 'Soup for all.' Soup is a food loved regardless of age, gender, or nationality." It added, "As the number of customers visiting with children has increased, we want to enjoy mealtime together, so we are starting to provide baby food." Soup Stock Tokyo also posted the same message on its official social media accounts.

Immediately after the announcement, controversy spread rapidly on social media. While some voices welcomed the policy, a large-scale boycott movement erupted with declarations such as "We won't go to stores that prioritize children" and "Aren't customers without children the main customer base?" On social media, phrases like 'Not going to Soup Stock' became trending search terms, and harsh criticisms such as "Are singles not welcome?" and "It will get noisy because of children, so I won't go" appeared. Major Japanese media outlets like Asahi and Sankei Shimbun began covering the issue.

Photo posted along with the announcement of free baby food provision at Soup Stock Tokyo. (Photo by Soup Stock Tokyo website)

After the controversy, the company announced on the 26th, "Since the announcement of the new policy, we have received various opinions. We want to once again convey the spirit with which we started this." It added, "We are promoting food barrier-free initiatives to help those who find it difficult to dine freely for various reasons. We offer gluten-free and vegan soups and services for those who have difficulty chewing."

It continued, "We do not intend to discriminate against customers based on age, gender, or whether they are accompanied by children, nor do we intend to favor specific customers." The company added, "Society faces various challenges. We believe there are small things we can do. We will continue to take small steps to address these issues."

However, the 'soup controversy' is unlikely to subside easily. As the Japanese government presents various policies to address the low birthrate issue, this boycott movement is seen as a reflection of social awareness. Similar controversies have occurred repeatedly even before the soup issue. Last year, the Aokijima amusement park in Nagano City began demolition due to repeated complaints from some residents that "the noise from children playing is loud."

In response, the minister in charge of low birthrate measures stepped in to calm the situation. On the 28th, after a cabinet meeting, Masanobu Ogura, the Children's Policy Minister of the newly established Children's and Families Agency, said in a press conference, "Social understanding of the burden of childcare must deepen, and society should become one that supports those involved. We will strive to encourage more understanding and action," delivering a message of support.

Despite the government's response, the controversy seems to persist. There are calls for social awareness improvement before implementing low birthrate policies. Sankei Shimbun quoted Taeko Matsuda, representative of the Setagaya Childcare Network, saying, "It has become a society where it is difficult to have contact with children unless you are directly involved in childcare," and pointed out, "Childcare is something everyone should be involved in and support, and creating a society tolerant of children is also part of childcare."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.