Where Mistakes Are Welcome:

New Approaches to Dementia Inclusion

 

   Introduction

   People with dementia and their families face not only the physical and psychological challenges of the disease but also the additional burden of social isolation and disrupted communication. For those living with dementia, memory loss and cognitive decline gradually narrow the scope of daily life, while family members, in the process of providing care, often encounter restrictions on social activities and heightened psychological stress. Against this backdrop, the concept of the 'Memory Cafe' emerged as a space where individuals with dementia and their families can interact and alleviate social isolation. Also referred to as 'Alzheimer Cafes,' these venues were first established in the Netherlands, offering a safe and welcoming environment for patients and families to spend time together.¹⁾ Over time, Memory Cafes have spread across Europe and the United States and are now steadily increasing in number throughout Asia.

   In Japan, attention has turned to initiatives that take the idea of the Memory Cafe one step further: cafes and restaurants where people with dementia serve customers directly. These venues go beyond simply providing a space for interaction, functioning instead as experimental models that encourage individuals with dementia to reclaim their roles as members of society and reshape public perceptions of the condition. A pioneering example of such a model is the 'Restaurant of Mistaken Orders,' first launched in Japan in 2017.

 

   Restaurant of Mistaken Orders

   The 'Restaurant of Mistaken Orders' is a unique pop-up restaurant launched in Tokyo in 2017 by Shiro Oguni (小国 士朗), a former television producer. Its name is a playful parody of Kenji Miyazawa’s fairy tale The Restaurant of Many Orders.

   At this restaurant, people with dementia work as hall staff, taking orders from customers and serving dishes. Because of the symptoms of dementia, unexpected mistakes frequently occur—meals may be delivered to the wrong table or table settings may take longer than usual—but both customers and staff embrace these situations with the relaxed understanding that 'it is fine to make mistakes' and 'it is fine if things are a little late.'

   This philosophy is also embodied in the logo. In the logo of the 'Restaurant of Mistaken Orders,' the letter 'K' in 'Mistaken' is tilted 90 degrees, accompanied by a playful face sticking out its tongue, representing the bashful expression that often follows a mistake. Conveying the message that small errors by people with dementia can be received with laughter, the logo symbolically reflects the values that the restaurant seeks to promote.

   Even individuals who were once highly active in society often lose their memory and become unable to carry out everyday tasks as dementia progresses. Because of these symptoms, people with dementia find it difficult to continue working in their previous roles, leading them to lose confidence and become socially isolated. The 'Restaurant of Mistaken Orders' offers them both the reassurance that there are still meaningful tasks they can perform and the opportunity to engage with a wide range of people.

   Hall staff at the restaurant are recruited from among older adults with dementia who, despite their diagnosis, remain motivated and wish to continue working, and they receive an honorarium of 1,000 yen per hour. In addition, a manager with knowledge of dementia care volunteers on-site to provide support whenever needed. The 'Restaurant of Mistaken Orders' operates only four hours a day, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., a schedule designed with the condition of people with dementia in mind. Although a resting room equipped with beds is available for the older staff, the act of standing and working continuously for four hours is itself a considerable challenge for individuals living with dementia.

   The order sheet lists both the table number and the menu number, and customers are instructed to circle the name of the dish, making the process easier to follow. Older adults with dementia who take orders may find it difficult to understand them at once or may quickly forget what was requested. For this reason, staff hand the order sheet directly to customers so they can mark their choices themselves. Nevertheless, it is still quite common for a dish different from what was ordered to be served unintentionally. Since customers are informed of this possibility in advance, such occurrences are not regarded as problems.

   In this restaurant, customers also embrace mistakes, creating an atmosphere of shared enjoyment. Under ordinary circumstances, errors made by people with dementia are often regarded as troublesome symptoms that inconvenience others and are therefore something to be corrected or eliminated with outside assistance. Here, however, customers not only accept mistakes as harmless but often view them as a source of entertainment, even anticipating with curiosity what kind of mistake might occur. This shift helps people with dementia live with greater confidence and contributes to reshaping social perceptions of what it means to live alongside them.

   Shiro Oguni, who planned the restaurant, first conceived the idea while working as a television producer and covering a group home for people with dementia. There he observed residents selecting menus, shopping for ingredients, and preparing meals themselves. Although hamburger steak had originally been planned for lunch, what was actually served turned out to be boiled dumplings. Surprised at first, he noticed that no one regarded it as a problem, and from that moment he thought, 'this is fine too.' That experience eventually inspired him to create the 'Restaurant of Mistaken Orders.' He then brought together experts from diverse fields, including design, media, fundraising, dementia care knowledge, and caregiving skills, as well as cooking and restaurant management, to establish the 'Restaurant of Mistaken Orders Executive Committee.' With the necessary funds raised through crowdfunding, the project was formally launched.²⁾

   Following a pre-opening event in June 2017, the first official session of the 'Restaurant of Mistaken Orders' was held in Roppongi, Tokyo, in September of the same year. The initiative quickly attracted media attention and went on to receive awards such as ‘READY FOR OF THE YEAR 2017’ and the ‘Japan Marketing Association.’ In March 2019, the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare hosted the session. Inspired by this vision, a range of similar initiatives emerged, including the 'Kindest Restaurant in the World' (世界一やさしいレストラン; Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture; Toyota, Aichi Prefecture) and 'Happening Ramen' (ハプニングラーメン; Sukagawa, Fukushima Prefecture).³⁾  Most of these projects involved short-term events lasting one or two days, although in some areas they were organized on a more regular basis, two to four times a month, depending on local conditions. Beyond these, countless other cases influenced by the 'Restaurant of Mistaken Orders' have appeared, and such campaigns continue to unfold across Japan today. 

   In 2018, a public interest incorporated association was established by the original members of the 'Restaurant of Mistaken Orders.' The association was headed by Yukio Wada (和田 行男), a dementia care specialist who had worked alongside Shiro Oguni since the restaurant’s inception. The group organizes short-term events across Japan in which people with dementia serve as hall staff in restaurants, while also conducting fundraising activities to raise public awareness of dementia. In addition, they provide consulting services for organizations interested in pursuing similar initiatives.

 

   A Related Case: The 'Memory Cafe' of the Seoul Dementia Relief Center

   In South Korea, where rapid population ageing is underway, similar efforts are being made to foster a dementia-friendly social environment. A representative example is the 'Memory Cafe' (short for 'various ways to preserve memory') operated by the Seoul Dementia Relief Center. This initiative has been carried out since 2018 as part of a dementia awareness campaign jointly organized by Handok Pharmaceuticals, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Seoul Metropolitan Dementia Center, and the dementia relief centers of all 25 districts in Seoul.

   At this venue, older adults diagnosed with mild dementia or mild cognitive impairment work as cafe staff, taking orders and preparing beverages. In the same spirit as the 'Restaurant of Mistaken Orders,' it is a rule that customers respond with understanding if the drink served differs from what was ordered or if service is somewhat delayed.

   The Memory Cafe operates either as a mobile cafe in the form of a food truck at dementia-related events or as a permanent cafe located within district Dementia Relief Centers. Permanent Memory Cafes were first introduced in 2021, and as of 2024, they are in operation across 10 districts, including Gangdong, Guro, Geumcheon, Dongjak, Mapo, Seodaemun, Seocho, Seongbuk, Songpa, and Eunpyeong.⁴⁾  In 2024 alone, the Memory Cafe was held 888 times in total—859 as permanent cafes and 29 as mobile cafes—serving 32,138 cumulative visitors and demonstrating strong operational outcomes.⁵⁾

   Such initiatives create opportunities for people with dementia and community members to interact naturally in daily life, helping restore the self-esteem of those with dementia while also reducing social stigma. Although the operating hours and scale remain limited, these efforts are gaining attention as a model of dementia care built collaboratively within local communities.

 
<Memory Cafe at the Seodaemun-gu Dementia Relief Center, Seoul

(Photo source: Seoul Metropolitan Government press release)>

 

   Conclusion

   The 'Restaurant of Mistaken Orders' is more than just a restaurant. It stands as a symbolic space demonstrating that individuals living with dementia can continue to play meaningful roles as members of society. By embracing mistakes with generosity and turning them into moments of shared laughter and enjoyment, this initiative helps to break down prejudices about dementia and serves as a small but significant step toward building a society where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

   These initiatives carry significant implications not only for Japan and Korea but also for other countries experiencing rapid population ageing. Even short-term events that create opportunities for people with dementia to reconnect with society can have positive effects not only on the individuals themselves but also on their families and the wider community. The spread of experimental and compassionate projects such as the 'Restaurant of Mistaken Orders' and ‘Memory Cafe’ will serve as a foundation for building societies where no one is excluded.
 

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1) Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) website
2) Oguni, Shiro. Restaurant of Mistaken Orders. ASA Publishing Co., Ltd.
3) 'Restaurant of Mistaken Orders' official website 
4) Handok press release, "Handok holds 'Memory Cafe' campaign at Heo Jun Festival," 2024-10-14 
5) 2024 HANDOK CSR Report