At this Japanese restaurant, people pay to get slapped

While restaurants across the world are experimenting with innovative themes to attract customers, an eatery in Japan has adopted a bizarre practice to captivate the attention of people. At an eatery called Shachihoko-ya in Nagoya, people willingly get slapped on their faces before having their meals served.

For a mere 300 Japanese Yen (Rs 170), kimono-dressed waitresses slap a willing customer in the face with their palms, over and over again. There's also a 500 yen (Rs 283) surcharge if patrons request a specific staff member to slap them. The service is popular with Japanese men and women, as well as foreign tourists.

Taking to the X, a user shared a video of the famous restaurant and wrote, "This is Shachihokoya - a restaurant in Nagoya where you can buy a menu item called 'Nagoya Lady's Slap' for 300 yen."

The video has garnered thousands of views with hilarious reactions and comments from internet users.

"The harder the female staff slapped them, the more excited the patrons became. Not only were the patrons not angry, but they appeared to feel more relaxed after getting hit. They would even thank the staff member who smacked them," said a YouTube video narration.

Notably, the controversial service, which started in 2012, revived the establishment's business, attracting an increasing number of patrons willing to try the experience.

However, the establishment is contemplating discontinuing its face-smacking service after some videos of the bizarre service went viral.

In a post on X, the restaurant urged people not to come by expecting to get slapped. The post read, "We appreciate the attention it has received today, but we cannot accommodate visits with the intention of receiving a slap.