The bubble of privileges for content creators has just burst in one of Japan’s most exclusive tourist areas. The luxury Grand Terrace Le Lien Hakone, a hotel famous for its exquisite seasonal dinners and hot springs, has hung a giant digital sign (metaphorically speaking) with a clear message: zero tolerance for influencers begging for free things.

The blatant extortion of “creators”

This frustration didn’t come out of nowhere. The chef and manager of the hotel, Takayuki Imada, revealed that the final straw came years ago due to the arrogance of four Australian tourists. The group arrived at the reception, flashed the old reliable “we have tens of thousands of followers” card, and demanded that their meals during their stay be gifted in exchange for “exposure” on their social media. When Imada, with legendary Japanese courtesy, refused to participate in the circus, the tourists flew into a rage and threatened to cancel their reservation.

Since they couldn’t bypass the cancellation policy, they stayed for one night, biting their tongues. Their revenge? Leaving a wave of false destructive reviews on tourism portals, calling the staff rude and the hotel old. This childish tantrum cost the establishment a drop in its overall rating and the painful loss of approximately one million yen (around $6,600) in canceled sales.

A plague in Japanese tourism

The problem escalated to such an extent that the hotel started receiving messages demanding free meals or stays at least once a week (half Japanese, half foreigners). The most absurd part is that some shameless individuals no longer even ask for exchanges, but demand sums of hundreds of thousands of yen in cash not to speak ill of the place. Faced with this digital mafia, the hotel updated its website with a stern warning: “We will not respond at all to any requests for free meals or stays from people claiming to be influencers.”

As of this March 2026, the policy of the Grand Terrace Lurian Hakone has gone viral in Japan, earning massive applause from other business owners who suffer the same extortion but fear speaking out for fear of being “canceled.”

The culture of paying with “visibility” is hitting a concrete wall in Japanese tourism. Do you think more hotels and restaurants should join this initiative and ban influencers who demand special treatment?