Category: Food

474,048 is the number of restaurants and cafeterias in Japan. It is the country in the world with the highest density of restaurants/cafeterias in the world with one restaurant for each 266 people. The second place is for United States with 566,020 and a density of one restaurant for each 547 people. Notice that in Japan there’s almost twice as much restaurants per person than in United States.

474,048 restaurants and cafeterias in Japan.

In Japan it is very common to eat outside a lot, as it is relatively cheap. For example, in Europe the price difference between cooking at home or eating out in a decent restaurant can be quite big. However, in Japan the difference is not so big, supermarket products are in general a little bit more expensive than in Europe but the food in restaurants is usually quite cheaper (even taking into account the current exchange rates). This causes that many people, mostly in big cities, don’t bother cooking (supermarket stuff is quite expensive) and almost always eat out. Because of this, restaurants are easily busy and more and more of them are opening; however I guess that their profit margin is lower than in other countries.

Another common characteristic of Japanese restaurants is their specialization. There are restaurants specialized in practically any kind of dish and in some of them only their specialty is served. For example, only takoyaki, or only gyoza. Clients love this because to their eyes sushi prepared in a restaurant that ONLY serves sushi has to be better than sushi in a restaurant that serves many different dishes.

To conclude, another characteristic of Japanese restaurants is that they are not designed to stay there for a long time. The most characteristic example are ramen restaurants; in some of them they start to give you the evil eye if you stay more than 20 minutes. They are usually very small restaurants for only 10-15 people, so their business is based on serving the highest number of people in the least time possible. Clients have to be fast so that the business is successful.

Ramen restaurant. If there is people lining up, you have to rush!

Sources: Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Japan data), National Restaurant Association (USA data).

“Alcatraz” is a thematic restaurant, advertised as a “Medical Prison”. It’s a quite strange concept but the result is pretty cool. When you enter the restaurant you feel as if you were in a medieval dungeon. Some nurses (waitresses) welcome you and the first thing they do is to ask you about your blood type, they handcuff you and take you to your cell.

The food is not bad but it’s somewhat expensive. All dishes and drinks have interesting names like for example “Flu”, “Morphine” or “Mental Stabilizer”, and some of them are served in test tubes. Moreover, the cutlery reminds you of the one used in prisons in Hollywood movies.

During the dinner there are some actors (waiters) dressed up as monsters that play as if they were mentally retarded running around the cells and scaring you when you go out of the toilet.

It is a great restaurant, but I liked more the Ninja Restaurant! Here you have the map to get to the restaurant.