Tokyo: Japan’s first “naked restaurant” will be far less inclusive than its London counterpart when it opens its doors next month, imposing strict weight and age limits on its prospective patrons.
And anyone expecting full nudity with their hors d’oeuvres will be disappointed as well; diners are going to be issued with paper underwear for their meal.
The Amrita, which takes its name from the Sanskrit word for immortality, is due to open in Tokyo on July 29, but has listed a number of regulations on its web site that fly in the face of the ethos of other naked restaurants, whose founders say the entire concept is for people of all shapes and sizes to eat out au naturel.
“We ask anyone more than 15 kg [33 lbs] above the average weight for their height to refrain from making a reservation”, the rules for the Japanese restaurant state.
To add insult to injury, the management reserves the right to fetch a pair of scales for anyone they believe is a borderline case and eject the overweight.
And with reservations and payment made in advance, violators of the weight rules will not be entitled to a refund, the website states, Telegraph reported.
The traditional diet of Japanese people – high in vegetables, rice and seafood – means the nation has been one of the most healthy, long-lived and slender, although a more recent shift away from those staples means obesity is a growing problem here. The ideal for women, however, remains the willowy and demure look.
Tattoos are also a no-no, the rules state, an echo of Japanese society’s association of skin art with its “yakuza” underworld groups.
Guests are also asked not to “cause a nuisance” to other guests by touching other diners or making uninvited small-talk.
Diners will, more understandably, be required to lock their cameras and mobile phones, in a box on their table.
Less comprehensible, in a restaurant that describes itself as “naked”, is the insistence on paper underwear for diners.
The organisers behind the pop-up restaurant could not be contacted, but the Rocket News web site claimed the concept was more of an “Adam and Eve-style banquet” enlivened by “men with the world’s most beautiful bodies” as waiters, wearing nothing but g-strings.
Along with the organic menu, the Western waiters will perform a “Men’s Show” on stage during the evening, making the evening sound more like a Chippendale’s extravaganza.
The restaurant has clearly piqued the interest of Tokyo’s diners, however, with tickets – ranging from Y14,000 (GBP91) to Y28,000 (GBP182) – on the opening night and several other evenings already sold out.