In Tokyo’s quiet district, an ex-engineer runs , a restaurant that lets customers work for 50 minutes in exchange for a meal.
Since the , around 500 people have given a hand to owner in her 12-seater venue. “I wanted to help people that didn’t have much money,” she tells SBS.
How does it work?
You need to eat at Mirai Shokudo once before signing up for your first shift, which you can do at lunch or dinner.
You could end up welcoming customers, serving food or cleaning up after closure. There’s (available in English) to help you out before your first shift. It’s pretty straightforward; you’re asked to be there 10 minutes early, to wear a bandana and to speak English slowly.
I wanted to help people that didn’t have much money.
Speaking Japanese is not mandatory, but it would definitely help to at least know a few words.
“I mostly get students and people who are interested in opening a restaurant and want to learn the ropes,” says Kobayashi. If the volunteer doesn’t need the free meal, they can leave a coupon at the restaurant for somebody else to use.
A taste of a traditional Japanese meal
The food is no-frills, with the main dish changing daily. It could be grilled salmon, (deep-fried pork cutlet), , (fried chicken) or braised mackerel. The main always comes with a , rice, and other side dishes like a or tamago egg, and a dessert.
If you’re keen to eat, but not to work, the set meal is available for 900 yen, so just a bit over $10.
From engineering to hospitality
Kobayashi used to work as an engineer, but always had a passion for food. She ran a cafe at her university, before working in , a Tokyo area famous for its alleys lined with tiny bars.
While working for recipe website , her colleagues, who loved the lunches she prepared for them, encouraged her to open her own place. She briefly went back to school and opened Mirai Shokudo in 2015.
Kobayashi hasn’t let go fully of her past career. She took inspiration from software design to adopt an open-source model, meaning that her restaurant’s business plan and finances are posted on . People can let her know how she could improve or they can get some tips to start their own restaurant.
"Sharing something with others means supporting those with ambition. That underpins my approach to work," .
Japan, 〒101-0003 Tōkyō-to, Chiyoda-ku, Hitotsubashi, 2 Chome−6−2, 日本教育会館 (Inside Japan Education Center)
Tuesday - Thursday 11am - 4pm, Friday - Saturday 11am - 10pm
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