Do you ever long for the simplicity and innocence of elementary school? If so, the Rokunen Yonkumi Pub is just the place to soothe your heart’s yearnings and stir up warm memories!
The literal translation of Rokuen Yonkumi is “6th Year, 4th Class” and this izakaya (Japanese-style pub) pulled out all the stops in an effort to transport our staff back to the good ol’ days. With crayon-scribbled art on the walls, the hallway leading through the pub so perfectly resembled those of our youth that we could almost hear the teacher scolding us as we resisted the urge to run down it, laughing and shouting to one another.
The rooms of the pub also had that standard classroom look, complete with 4 wooden desks pushed together just like they would have been during lunch time.
And that was just the beginning! The pub’s menu, while replete with the usual pub drinks, was chock full of classic school lunch items such as powdered milk, agepan (a fried bread, 280 yen/US$2.80), and kujira katsu (whale meat cutlets, 780 yen/$7.74). One taste of these and the memories came flooding back.
▼Agepan (fried bread)
▼Kujira katsu (fried whale cutlets)
Knowing that one does not often get the chance to revisit their childhood in such a fashion, we decided to take the experience one step further with cosplay! For some of us, milk and agepan just don’t taste the same without the discomfort of regulation gym shorts.
As we ate our school lunch together, garbed in the apparel of our yesteryears, another strange transformation began to take place. Instead of our usual intense and thought-provoking conversations (for example about cats who eat cucumbers or dogs who eat corn), we naturally began talking about what boys of any age like to talk about – girls!
At this point, there was only one thing left to make our return to our elementary school days complete: a pop quiz. That’s right, no nostalgic school-themed pub visit would truly be authentic without a 100-point assessment…besides, it was free and there is a prize if you get all 100 points!
▼ “Did someone say prize?!”
Sadly none of us scored above 80, but it seems that one person in particular might have some more studying to do:
▼ Yoshio only scored 40 points.
Maybe he can ask the teacher for some homework help the next time!
Our bill totaled about 8,000 yen (US$79.40) for the four “students,” but the biggest thing we took away from our experience is that nothing is more valuable than the time each and every one of us spends together during our school years.
▼ Though some of us never leave our school years, apparently…
▼ …and thus have to stand in the hall as punishment.
If you’re curious about Japanese school lunches, be sure to check out “Itadakimasu! A brief history of the evolution of Japanese school lunches.”
Restaurant Information
Roku-nen Yon-kumi/6年4組
Address: 1-16-3 Kabukichou, Shinjuku, Tokyo
東京都新宿区歌舞伎町1−16−3
Phone number: 03-5292-0640
Hours: 5 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Website
Photos © RocketNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]
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