Why ride a packed train to the office when you can work in luxurious seclusion while dining on sukiyaki?

A large number of Japanese companies have instituted telecommuting policies over the past few weeks, under the logic that the crowded conditions of commuter trains and enclosed offices are high-risk environments for the transmission of coronavirus. However, with Japanese houses and apartments being decidedly on the small side, most people can’t designate an entire room to use exclusively as a home office, and that’s especially true for dual-income families where both spouses are now telecommuting, or families with kids who are home because of cancelled classes.

As a result, many people are grabbing their laptops and heading to their local coffeehouse to get some work done, but if you’d rather have your telecommuting accompanied by a pot of sukiyaki than a cup of java, gourmet restaurant group Mihaku is ready for you.

Mihaku manages three restaurant chains, Hyoki, Kasuitei, and Hyoto, with a total of 13 branches, 10 in Tokyo and three in Kyoto. In addition to mouthwatering traditional cuisine, the restaurants all boast elegant interiors with optional private dining rooms.

However, many of those banquet rooms are empty these days, as people are postponing their large-scale socializing. So Mihaku has decided to make the rooms available as private teleworking spaces, allowing customers to stay for up to seven hours while providing free Wi-Fi and power outlets to keep their devices connected and charged.

The service is available for Hyoto customers ordering lunchtime meals priced at 2,300 yen (US$22) or more, and Hyoki and Kasuitei customers with meals of 2,500 yen or more.

You’re also provided with a pot of green tea, and the same relaxed, classical Japanese music that serves as the restaurants’ ordinary background music is piped in. While it’s a little pricier than what you’d likely spend for a day of telecommuting at Starbucks or a karaoke box, considering the quality of the food and interior, this is a great deal, and since many of the banquet rooms have old-school tatami reed floors that you sit on, there’s always the option of just stretching out and enjoying a leisurely mid-work nap, since it’s not like your boss is there to catch you snoozing during your shift.

Related: Hyoki location list, Kasuitei location list, Hyoto location list
Source: Mihaku via IT Media
Top image: Kasuitei
Insert images: Hyoki, Hyoto, Hyoki (2)
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