Japanese restaurant bans couples on Christmas Eve to stop single customers feeling lonely
A hand-written message in the Tokyo restaurant advises couples could also cause staff 'severe emotional trauma'
![The PiaPia restaurant [NOT PICTURED] in Tokyo placed the handwritten message in the window of the venue last week](https://static.the-independent.com/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2014/12/12/14/japanese-restaurant.jpg)
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Japanese restaurant has erected a sign saying it will not serve couples on Christmas Eve because they will make other patrons feel lonely.
The PiaPia restaurant in Tokyo placed the handwritten message in the window of the venue last week.
According to a translation by The Telegraph, the message reads: "We will be refusing entry to all couples on December 24, with no exceptions!"
The message also states that any couples would cause their staff “severe emotional trauma”.
Christmas Day is typically a normal working day in Japan, where Christianity is a minority religion. However, many Japanese people often celebrate on Christmas Eve and couples will often go out for meals and exchange gifts.
Takashi Kyozuka, an employee of PiaPia, said the sign was put in the window because single customers would "feel sad that they are by themselves".
"To start with, someone said we should ban couples as a bit of a joke, but then we realised that it's true," he said. "If you are single on Christmas Eve, then it's easy to get down."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments