Japanese cooking YouTuber Ryuji (リュウジ) is facing online criticism after comments dismissing Nagoya’s restaurant scene resurfaced alongside reminders that some of his earliest sponsorship deals came from Nagoya-area businesses.
The controversy traces back to remarks in which Ryuji said, \”I’m sorry, but Nagoya genuinely doesn’t have good restaurants — fewer than Tokyo.\” He later apologized, explaining that his wording made it sound as though he was disparaging Nagoya’s entire food culture, which he said was not his intent.
The apology did not end the debate. X (formerly Twitter) users pointed out that Ryuji’s very first sponsored, or \”anken,\” video years ago was a promotion for Kanesada, a fish cake (kamaboko) maker associated with the Nagoya area, and that he later filmed a collaboration with Umaya, a ramen chain also linked to the region. Critics said the timeline made his comments look like an example of \”biting the hand that feeds you,\” with posts accusing him of forgetting the companies that helped establish him as a paid promoter.
Other users pushed back on the framing. Some noted that Kanesada was originally founded in Osaka and its current headquarters is in Miyoshi, not Nagoya city itself, while Umaya is technically based in Kasugai rather than Nagoya proper. Others defended Ryuji, arguing that speaking bluntly despite past sponsorship ties showed he wasn’t afraid to contradict his own advertisers. A number of commenters also noted that his original remark was aimed at Nagoya’s food culture broadly and did not specifically target chain restaurants like Umaya.
Who is Ryuji?
Ryuji is a Japanese recipe developer and cooking personality known for his YouTube channel focused on simple, ingredient-light recipes designed for home cooks. He has built a large following in Japan for videos that break down familiar dishes into quick, accessible steps, and he frequently partners with food brands and restaurant chains on sponsored recipe content.
As of this report, Ryuji has not issued a separate response addressing the sponsorship-related criticism specifically, beyond his earlier apology for the original comments about Nagoya’s food scene.
