A young Israeli traveler in Japan was required to sign a form declaring that he had not committed war crimes during his service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a condition for checking into a local hotel.

The incident occurred a few days ago at the “Wind Villa” guesthouse in Kyoto. The Israeli, who requested anonymity, made an online reservation and presented his Israeli passport upon arrival for check-in. At that point, the Japanese clerk handed him a form and asked him to sign it as a condition for receiving the room. The form required the Israeli to declare in writing that he had not committed war crimes during his IDF service.

The form read:

Pledge of Non-Involvement in War Crimes

I hereby pledge the following:

1. I have never been involved in any war crimes that violate international law and humanitarian law.
2. I have never committed war crimes, including but not limited to:
   • Attacks on civilians (children, women, etc.)
   • Killing or mistreating those who have surrendered or been taken as prisoners of war
   • Torture or inhumane treatment
   • Sexual violence, forced displacement, or looting
   • Any other acts that fall under Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)
3. I have never planned, ordered, aided, abetted, or incited war crimes, nor have I participated in such acts.
4. I pledge to continue complying with international law and humanitarian law and to never engage in war crimes in any form.

The Israeli, who served as a combat medic in the Navy reserves, said: “I’ve been traveling in the East for four months—Nepal, Vietnam, and now Japan. You always show your passport when checking into a hotel. I’ve never encountered anything like this before. The Japanese clerk asked me to fill out this form and explicitly said that if I didn’t sign, I wouldn’t be allowed to stay. I read it and saw it wasn’t an official document but something he printed. I told him it was ridiculous and quite funny. I read out the clauses to him—that I didn’t rape, murder people who raised a white flag, or commit war crimes. I said, ‘We don’t kill women and children. Why would we do that? What benefit would it bring us?’”

Declaration for Israeli guests.

The Israeli objected to the form and initially refused to sign, even considering persuading the clerk to drop the requirement. “The clerk was actually nice to me and said he gives this form to anyone who is Israeli or Russian. I told him I prefer not to get into politics, I just want to enjoy my trip, and we avoided further discussion. In the end, I decided to sign because I have nothing to hide. This person doesn’t have anything specific against Israel; he’s just a strong supporter of the ICC and peace. I also don’t think he’s antisemitic—he’s just not informed by the right information.”

Following the incident, Israel’s Ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen, sent an outraged letter to Kyoto Governor Takatoshi Nishiwaki, describing the disturbing event, which raises concerns about discriminatory practices in Kyoto’s hospitality sector against Israeli tourists. “This discriminatory act, based solely on nationality, caused significant emotional distress and discomfort to the guest. We view this incident as extremely serious and unacceptable. It constitutes a blatant violation of Japan’s Hotel Business Law and the values of equality and non-discrimination that we believe are shared by our two nations. It is particularly concerning that this is not an isolated incident.”

The Kyoto Governor informed the Israeli Ambassador that the matter had been referred to the Kyoto Municipality, which dispatched an official to investigate the incident for possible violations of the Hotel Business Law.

Wind Villa Guesthouse in Kyoto.

A similar incident in Kyoto was reported by Ynet a year ago. At the time, following a letter from Ambassador Gilad Cohen, the Kyoto Governor publicly instructed that such violations must not occur, Japan’s then-Foreign Minister Yōko Kamikawa announced it in a press conference, and the hotel employee was fired.

Ambassador Cohen stated: “There is and will be no place for discrimination against Israelis, not in Japan or anywhere else. Japanese authorities have zero tolerance for such cases, and in the past, they took severe measures in a similar incident at another Kyoto hotel. We will continue to remain vigilant at the embassy and ensure that Israeli tourists can continue to enjoy the Land of the Rising Sun.”

The Israeli who was forced to sign the form said: “In the end, I stayed at the same hotel because I didn’t have the money to move to another one. I agreed to sign because the declaration is true—I haven’t committed war crimes, and no IDF soldier commits war crimes. I signed because I didn’t want trouble, and also because this form is worthless.”

The hotel manager responded: “I don’t think it’s ridiculous. Military service is mandatory in your country. Since October 2023, Israel launched a military operation in Gaza, and we don’t know who was involved in that operation because young Israelis are required to serve in the military. We can’t distinguish between our guests. In any case, we believe we have the right to verify what kind of people we host in our hotel. This is also a step to ensure our safety. For us, war is a distant concept, and we’ve never met people who killed women and children or bombed schools. It’s beyond imagination. This is my personal decision to require the form to ensure our security. We have not violated any Japanese hotel business laws. A city official has already visited our hotel and opened an investigation, asked me questions, and I responded. I am confident we haven’t broken any law.”

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