At Japan’s Restaurant of Mistaken Orders, people living with dementia serve guests. Menus and the level of assistance are adjusted so staff can take orders and hand over meals themselves.
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At one restaurant, the meal ordered at a table may arrive at another. Japan's Restaurant of Mistaken Orders announces that possibility in its name. Its serving staff are people living with dementia. Guests understand the premise before sitting down, and the staff take orders and carry food. The work of running a restaurant still happens, with room for mistakes.
A trial event took place in Tokyo in June 2017, followed by an event at RANDY in Roppongi that September. The project brings people and a venue together for a set period rather than operating a permanent restaurant. Founder Shiro Oguni became interested in everyday life with dementia through his documentary work. People from restaurants and care services helped put the events together.
For the 2017 event, Ippudo prepared brothless tantanmen instead of ramen with hot soup. The person responsible explained that the choice considered the possibility of spills during service. Support for the idea extended to a practical menu decision. Participating restaurants developed special dishes in the kitchen, and the serving staff carried plates to guests. The food itself was prepared carefully even when an order might reach the wrong table.
Another event took place at FAMiRES in Tokyo's Harakado on September 20–21, 2025. Serving staff also added finishing touches, such as ketchup drawings on omurice or flags on hamburger steaks. One asked a guest's name and wrote it on the rice omelet. These moments left space for staff and guests to talk directly and for staff to add something of their own to the service.
The way help was provided needed adjustment too. An account of the event records a guest's observation that student helpers were stepping in so quickly to prevent mistakes that the serving staff had less to do. Organizers changed the support accordingly. Taking over to eliminate every error was different from staying nearby while someone took an order and delivered food at their own pace.
Many plates reach the right table, and staff add their own touches through conversations with guests. Event photographs show apron-wearing staff carrying trays and handing over plates. The menu and the amount of assistance are arranged so that they can complete that act themselves.
Sources and editorial notes
Restaurant of Mistaken Orders — Official project information and event history
Editorial note: Facts were checked against the sources above; interpretations reflect MUADAILY’s editorial perspective. Photo: Ichiko Uemoto / Ippudo Official Event Record.
Machine-translated from Korean. Read the original.
