Japanese restaurant reopens its doors to business

Japanese Izakaya restaurant chain Kichiri has been exploring new ways to protect its diners as Tokyo reopens its doors to business.

The restaurant in the heart of Shinjuku has been closed since April 8th, after Japan's Prime Minister announced a national state of emergency as the country was hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

But under new guidelines, the restaurant will be reopening on May 14, with new policies in place.

Diners are first greeted by a receptionist - but only through a monitor - and are then given detailed instructions on how to proceed with safety. These include disinfecting hands, taking their own temperature, and finding their own table using a map. Orders are taken using an online menu via phone.

Shota Kidokoro, General Manager of Kichiri Holdings, said: "I think there may still be customers worried about eating at restaurants. We want to create a restaurant for such customers to enjoy themselves with maximum peace of mind."

The only time a customer is served is when dishes are brought in. Contraptions are also placed on dining tables to minimize aerosols spreading between diners.

Nana Igarashi, who was dining at Kichiri said: "While getting seated at this table, we didn't meet any staff so I think measures are thoroughly enforced."

Igarashi's colleague Nanami Sato also said: "If the restaurant takes measures like this, I feel like I can eat out safely."

The dining experience is one that prioritizes minimal interaction between diners and restaurant staff to prevent infections.

"I believe that looking after customers without contact in itself is omotenashi (Japanese hospitality)," said Kidokori.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on May 25 declared an end to a 7-week pandemic state of emergency, lauding "the power of the Japan model" and winning World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus's praise as a "success."

Experts say it's unclear exactly how Japan's soft approach to social distancing has managed to keep outbreaks in check.

What's certain is that it needs to use the reprieve to beef up testing and healthcare systems to better find, isolate and treat patients to minimize future waves of infections, they say.