Japan is known for its many themed restaurants. Nowadays, you can find more anime, game, movie and character related restaurants than every before. On top of the many maid cafes of course. But a far more traditional and often overlooked themed restaurant is gaining popularity among foreigners. Go back in time through Japan’s Showa themed restaurants.
What is Showa?
The Showa era, is the period from 1926 til 1989, in which Emperor Hirohito, better known as Emperor Showa, was the 124th emperor of Japan. However, when something is called Showa style, it often refers to the post-war years and the following economic boom in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. This period feels very nostalgic to many Japanese people, making it the perfect theme to attract people of all generations.
Showa Style Ambiance
So basically, a good word to describe this style is ‘retro’. In these Showa-themed restaurants, you can find many retro everyday objects as decorations. Old TVs, radios, toys, and tins are displayed on the shelves while the walls are filled with old movie posters and ads. Add some matching retro music and you feel like you stepped back in time. Some restaurants even have a ‘dagashi’ corner. Dagashi is small and usually a very cheap candy or snack. Back in the Showa era, there were many small local shops that sold candy for as little as 5 yen per piece. Now they still exist here and there and although the prices increased, there is still a lot that you can buy for under 50 yen.
Showa Food
Of course, the menu usually offers many Showa-style dishes too. Some dishes might be very common in most izakaya or restaurants, while others are more difficult to find nowadays. This is also what makes it so interesting for Japanese people, as they can order items from the menu that they might have forgotten about, but are very nostalgic for them. A typical Showa style izakaya will serve timeless Japanese classics such as yakitori, kushikatsu and yakisoba, but also Western inspired food like spaghetti Napolitan, hamburg steak, and more typical Showa food like kinako-pan (kinako covered bread), octopus shaped sausages, hamkatsu and various dishes made from offal.
So if you’d like to experience Japan as it was back in the ‘Golden Years’ I definitely recommend visiting a Showa themed restaurant. This is also a great place to take family and friends who are visiting Japan. Trust me, they’ll love it!
