Get a taste of Chinese food in the appropriate Communist garb now in this Cultural Revolution-themed restaurant, which is apparently now open in Ikebukuro.
Ikebukuro is one of the most multi-cultural parts of Tokyo, though that’s not saying much. There is a large contingent of Chinese people but we’re not sure if they are behind this latest gimmick.
Well, in theory this kind of restaurant shouldn’t surprise anyone, given that there seems to be a themed eatery for almost any hobby or idea somewhere in Japan. Maids? Of course! Thunderbirds? Yep, there’s a cafe for that. Rabbits. Yes, one for those too. Robots and girls in bikinis? Check. Hypnosis?! You’d better believe it.
The staff at “The East Is Red” restaurant are supposed to dress in Red Army uniforms, while the menu is a (large) Little Red Book. Needless to say, the wall has plenty of Chairman Mao pictures.
Kitsch? Yes. Irreverent? Perhaps. Genuine? Not so sure.
So far, the only major media to pick up on the story has been the Xinhua network and a few 2chan-related blogs. Brian Ashcraft at Kotaku did some digging but even has not been able to ascertain if the restaurant actually exists or not.
We have also not been able to find the actual restaurant so are leaning towards thinking it must be a fake post.
In true Cultural Revolution style, could this just be a propaganda stunt by Chinese netizens or a late Halloween joke?
If anyone knows any better, please share in the comments section!
