Japan has long had a penchant for the themed eatery.  From the mad din of an Akihabara maid cafe, through to The Amrita’s saucy and exclusive ‘Naked Restaurant’ which opened in Tokyo last year, the diner on these shores can hardly lament a lack of choice.  

They might, however, justify gripes about a lack of class, with many of Japan’s themed establishments seeming to favour terms like ‘novelty’ and ‘bonkers’ above the overall quality of the dining experience, which, by definition, should include the food to some extent.

Those in favor of a more holistic approach to the themed-dining experience might welcome, then, news that a possible game changer in Ginza, Tokyo began taking reservations last month for an immersive dining / art experience, the likes of which, from the press release, look to have thoroughly raised the bar.

‘Worlds Unleashed and then Connecting’ is the name given to a dining experience served up by digital creative ‘teamLab’ and Ginza Saga-gyu restaurant SAGAYA.  One of the restaurant’s dining spaces, Tsuki Hana, features an interactive digital art installation that changes and grows according to the seasons, the type of dishes served, the arrangement of the dishes on the table, and the movement of the diners.  Using words that will likely up the ante for themed dining establishments across Japan, ‘Worlds Unleashed and then Connecting’ allows diners to discover the relationships between food and its setting as well as sample an experience of seasonal influences in Japan.

In more simple terms, when dishes are laid on the table, digital art ‘grows’ out of them. An example given in the press release talks of birds flying away from plates to settle on trees that have formed from the other place settings, all of which combine and grow to encompass the entirety of the dining space, including the walls.  The movement of the diners may influence the art, too.  Stay calm, and that bird may take up a temporary perch on someone’s hand.  More dramatic movement, may cause the same bird to fly away and seek pastures new.

All in, the installation promises an artistic dining experience that will never be repeated no matter how many times one might visit.

‘Worlds Unleashed and then Connecting’ opened for reservations from April 23.  The space is limited to eight diners per day.  Courses are a fixed 12 dishes, although these will change to reflect the season.

For more details, see the original article at www.city-cost.com