An Indian tourist has alleged that he faced racist behaviour and harassment at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Japan's Shizuoka prefecture, according to NDTV.
The incident came to light after the traveller, identified as Anant, shared a now-viral Instagram video titled, "Japan police saved Indian tourist from racism and harassment," recounting his experience at the store.
According to NDTV, Anant said the incident occurred on his final day in Shizuoka when he visited a 7-Eleven outlet and requested a staff member from Nepal to reheat his food.
The employee reportedly agreed to help, but before the food could be heated, the store manager allegedly intervened and began behaving aggressively.
"While I was in a 7-Eleven, I requested the staff to reheat my food, for which he agreed. But later the store owner shouted at me and made racist reactions," Anant captioned the accompanying video.
According to NDTV, Anant claimed that the situation escalated when the store owner asked about his nationality. After learning that he was Indian, she allegedly called the police and accused him of wrongdoing.
Concerned about the situation, Anant said he began recording the interaction on his phone so he would have evidence of what had taken place.
Police arrived at the scene shortly after the complaint was made. According to NDTV, Anant alleged that after reviewing both the circumstances and the video footage, the officers concluded that he had done nothing wrong. He further claimed that the police treated him respectfully and reprimanded the store owner over the incident.
"Later, she called the police against me, but nothing happened. And the police scolded her and let me go with respect and an apology," said Anant.
The incident has since attracted widespread attention on social media. According to NDTV, the Instagram video had garnered nearly one million views at the time of the report, with many users expressing support for Anant and urging him to locate the Nepali employee who had initially agreed to help him.
Responding to those comments, Anant said he had attempted to speak with the Nepali staff member after the incident but was unable to do so.
"I tried a lot to reach out to the Nepali Guy, but the police and the owner didn't allow me to talk to him. I don't know why they were rude to him; maybe because he didn't lie and tried to stand with the truth," he said.
According to NDTV, the video continues to circulate widely online, sparking discussions about alleged racial discrimination, customer treatment, and the importance of ensuring respectful experiences for international visitors.
The claims made in the viral video have drawn significant public attention, although the allegations are based on Anant's account of the incident.