Following the opening – and success – of London’s first naked restaurant in June, Tokyo is set to launch its own version at the end of July.
But there are a few key differences to note between Bunyadi in the UK, and Amrita in Japan. While both seem to have captured an unexpected gap in the restaurant market (Bunyadi reportedly has a waiting list of up to 30,000 people, and tickets for Amrita have been selling fast), and both serve a candlelit raw and organic dinner, Tokyo’s naked restaurant comes with a couple of restrictions.
Firstly, you won’t actually be entirely naked: according to their website, guests will be given “paper underpants,” which we’re assuming will be similar to the kind of modesty underwear you are given when you visit a beauty spa. Secondly, overweight people aren’t allowed. Sounds harsh? They’ve played it down a little by saying you will be judged on your body mass index, but the message is clear: you won’t be allowed in, and you won’t get your ticket refunded, if you arrive and they weigh you and discover you are 15 kg above “average weight.” Also, people with tattoos, or who are younger than 18 or older than 60 are also not welcome.
Another point of difference introduced by Tokyo’s version is the “Men of Amrita” show, which will be held on the opening night and promises to entertain you with G-string-clad “foreign muscle men.” It’s not giving quite the same message as Bunyadi, which, as one employee told CNN, is “about being comfortable with nudity … It’s nice to help people feel that way. It’s not a sexual thing.”
Still, none of the above seems to be deterring Tokyoites from snapping up tickets, which cost from ¥14,000 to ¥28,000, and have already sold out for the opening night on July 29 – the venue is still to be announced, and we’re still waiting to hear if this is a pop-up restaurant for a few nights only or if they’ll be opening indefinitely. All guests will be asked to lock away cameras and mobile phones for the night, and are asked not to “cause a nuisance” by touching fellow diners.
More information (in Japanese) at www.theamrita.com.
