144ab506

In Japan the loneliest day to be single isn’t Valentine’s Day but Christmas Eve. And the staff at this restaurant doesn’t want to see any happy couples!

If you’re feeling lonely because you don’t have a date for Christmas Eve, you could always try heading to the Philippines to see if you can catch the eye of one Maria Ozawa. Or, if you’re stuck in Tokyo, you could just resign yourself to a lonely night eating spaghetti, which, actually, doesn’t sound all that bad!

Why spaghetti? One restaurant will (once again) be refusing entry to all those happy, shiny couples on December 24!

▼ “Amazing!”

“Notice: As it would cause great psychological damage to our staff, we are refusing entry couples on December 24. ~ Spaghetti Pia Pia”

Long-time readers will probably remember Spaghetti Pia Pia from when they exploded online with the above tweet last year. As you may already know, Christmas Eve in Japan is basically Valentine’s Day, but with more lights and cake. While in some countries, this is the season of gathering with family, in Japan, it is the season of loooooooooooove.

Which is probably annoying if you’re single and you have to work at a popular restaurant on Christmas Eve! How would you like if we came to your work and reminded you of how miserable and alone you are?

▼ “What the hell is going on with this spaghetti restaurant?!”

“Notice: Thank you for turning this into a hot topic last year. This year, again, we will be refusing entry to couples on December 24 for health reasons, as it upsets our staff. ~ Spaghetti Pia Pia.”

Whether it’s a marketing stunt or simply genuine concern for the mental health of their staff, Spaghetti Pia Pia has posted a sign stating that they will be refusing to serve couples on Christmas Eve this year too. A cynic might assume they’re just in it for the viral marketing (and, hey, it worked!), but we have to admit that we respect them for considering the well-being of their staff.

And plenty of commenters agreed!

“They did it again!”
“Best of luck to the entire staff!”
“It seems like there would be a lot of couples here in Japan who would take this seriously and just stay away.”
“I bet they won’t have any customers.”
“My wife is inside my computer, so is it okay if I bring her in with me?”

We’re pretty they’ll make an exception for you, computer guy. You seem like you could really use a lonely plate of spaghetti on Christmas Eve…

So, if you’re feeling lonely this week and you need some carbohydrates, it looks like Spaghetti Pia Pia is the place to be. Just try not to fall in love between now and the 24 or you’ll have to let your reservation go to waste!

Restaurant Information
Spaghetti Pia Pia
Address: 2F DC Building, 1-1 Azuma-cho, Hachiouji, Tokyo
東京都八王子市東町1-1　DCビル2F
Phone number: 042-648-1925
Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. (Monday – Saturday) / 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Sunday)
Website

Sources: Hamusoku, Twitter/@Kazahane, Twitter/@kdjtr
Featured image: Twitter/@Kazahane, Twitter/@kdjtr