Japan’s First “Naked Restaurant” Bans Fat Diners

AFP — Japan’s first “naked restaurant” opens in Tokyo next month with draconian rules of entry — podgy prospective diners will be weighed and ejected if found to be too fat.

Following the lead of establishments in London and Melbourne, “The Amrita” — Sanskrit for ‘immortality’ — also has strict age restrictions, with only patrons between 18 and 60 allowed in, after they check in their clothes and put on paper underwear provided by the restaurant.

“If you are more than 15 kilos (33 pounds) above the average weight for your height, we ask you refrain from making a reservation,” a list of rules posted on the restaurant’s website states, explaining that patrons could be weighed if they do not appear to be within the correct weight range.

Guests found to be “overweight” will be refused entry to the restaurant, which opens on July 29, and will not be entitled to a refund, its website points out. All payments must be made in advance on an online booking page. “In London they allow overweight patrons in and some guests complained they had a terrible experience,” Amrita spokeswoman Miki Komatsu told AFP, denying that the establishment was guilty of discrimination.

“If fat people are allowed in it could be miserable for some guests,” she added. “Guests can see the guidelines clearly on our homepage. We are aiming for a sort of Roman aesthetic, like the beautiful paintings you see in museums.” The list of rules asks visitors not to “cause a nuisance to other guests” by touching or talking to fellow diners. Tattooed customers are barred from entry.

Those who meet the restaurant’s entry requirements will be asked to lock away mobile phones and cameras in a table-top box. Guests will fork out up to 80,000 yen ($750) for tickets entitling them to eat food served by muscle-bound men wearing g-strings and watch a dance show featuring male models. Meal tickets, not including a show, will cost from 14,000 to 28,000 yen depending on choice of menu.