Recently, a Japanese eatery made headlines after it was revealed that customers willingly get slapped on their faces before having their meals served. At Shachihoko-ya, located in Nagoya, kimono-dressed waitresses slap a willing customer in the face with their palms, over and over again for 300 Japanese Yen (Rs 170). There’s also a 500 yen (Rs 283) surcharge if patrons request a specific staff member to slap them. The service is popular with both Japanese men and women, as well as foreign tourists. Many even express gratitude to the waitresses for the brutal service. However, after videos of the bizarre practice went viral online, the restaurant took to X to inform that the restaurant does not offer slaps anymore.
In a post on the microblogging website, they wrote, “Shachihoko-ya currently does not offer slaps. We appreciate the attention it has received today, but we cannot accommodate visits with the intention of receiving slaps. We didn’t expect old videos to go viral like this, so please understand before coming.”
Notably, the controversial service, which started in 2012, revived the establishment’s business, attracting an increasing number of patrons willing to try the experience. Initially, only one female staff member did the slapping. As demand grew, management hired several girls willing to dish out some slaps.
It is not clear whether the service has been permanently discontinued or will be back soon.
Meanwhile, Japan has another interesting restaurant where customers receive something which they did not order. This situation is almost a norm, rather than a sign of negligence at the ‘Restaurant of Mistaken Orders’. Here, the waiters don’t find themselves in trouble when they serve a different dish. They are expected to.Â
Japanese television director Shiro Oguni aimed to change people’s perceptions about ageing and the intricate issues it entails. He wanted to explicitly tackle dementia as a cognitive issue. He devised a brilliant plan to challenge people’s beliefs regarding the same. In the concept movie for the project, he explains, “Dementia is so widely misunderstood. People believe you can’t do anything for yourself. And the condition will often mean complete isolation from society.” Â When one attends a pop-up of the restaurant, one will find that the waiting staff is solely composed of people suffering from dementia. Diners are thus obliged to interact and confront their preconceptions about this condition.
The waiters might decide to eat with the customers, present orders unexpectedly, or even forget what was ordered. It is suggested that diners react with warmth and humour. The project fully embraces the humorous aspects of sometimes getting the order wrong.
