FOOD NEWS
Tokyo’s Restaurant Of Mistaken Orders Has A Distinct And Heartwarming Mission
BY TOM MAXWELL
At The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders in Tokyo, you may order a sandwich and end up with a soup. That’s because its founder, Shiro Oguni, only employs people with dementia.
Japan has one of the highest life expectancies, but 2.3%, or 4.6 million people, of its population suffers from diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Two out of three Japanese people affected by dementia live at home and tend to isolate, which exacerbates the condition and worsens the effects of the cognitive disease.
The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders gives people with dementia the confidence to engage with customers and shifts the public’s mindset around dementia and those who live with it.
Oguni allayed concerns some might’ve had about his workers being exploited, and by all accounts, the vibe in the restaurant has been overwhelmingly positive.
Since the restaurant’s inception in 2017, the employees have gained a sense of independence and fulfillment, while patrons are delighted, inspired, and moved by the staff.
Only 37% of orders at The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders are actually incorrect, and when they are, it is treated as a cause for laughter and celebration.
The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders speaks to the Japanese concept of kintsugi, in which broken pottery is fixed with gold to artfully emphasize its imperfections and not discard it.