“Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.” – Barbara De Angelis

Kindness – it’s the one thing we all have to give, that requires so very little of ourselves. And in return, the blessings you get back are immeasurable. 

In one restaurant in Tokyo, Japan, kindness infuses each order placed, each customer’s gentleness when dealing with the servers. No one complains when the food is wrong, or late to the table. Or doesn’t come at all.

In fact, in the ‘Cafe of Mistaken Orders’, they embrace the chaos and blunders – because the servers all have one thing in common: they have dementia.

The 12-seat cafe, known also as Orange Day Sengawa, hires elderly people once a month to work as servers. The former owner of the cafe had a parent who had suffered from the disease, which affects more than 55 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. A number, they say, that increases by 10 million each year.

Morita’s relative observes as he takes an order, assisted by another staff member. Photo by Irwin Wong

So when the new owner took over, a deal to allow the restaurant to continue helping those with dementia work once a month was struck. 

For Toshio Morita, an 85-year-old who got the chance to work as a server, it’s lifesaving.

“It’s so much fun here,” Morita said. He started developing signs of dementia more than 2 years ago.

I feel like I’m getting younger just being here.”

Morita greets guests at the start of his shift – “Irasshaimase!” or “Welcome!” And when he goes to take orders, they don’t mind if things get a bit fumbled.

For example, at one table, he forgot the order forms. At another, he gave them the wrong cake.

Instead of being angry, customers join Morita in laughing at the confusion. They all expect it at this cafe that forgives all mistakes.

The program, which kickstarted in 2017, has a single goal: to provide the seniors with a chance to be productive and needed, which studies have shown can help slow down dementia’s progress.

And for Japan, where more than 125 million of its population is 65 and older, dementia is a growing problem that needs tackling.

One customer and her daughter visited the cafe, to help others because of the loss of a family member who had dementia.

Tomomi Arikawa, 48, and her 16-year-old daughter, Sayaka, came in for dessert. After interacting with the server, Sayaka knew their visit was the right thing to do. “It felt really special,” she said.

A dementia patient brings out an order at the Cafe of Mistaken Orders. Photo by Irwin Wong

“There are always a lot of difficult things for both sides [the patients and their families] … but there are these moments where you know a real connection has been made,” Arikawa said.

When we saw (our server) smile after our ‘thank you’ earlier, it reminded us of those moments we had [with my father], which nearly brought me to tears,” she said.

To keep track of the dementia patients, they are given bright orange aprons, so people know to keep a closer eye on them in case they need anything. There is a chair set aside for them to rest in between orders.

Order forms are simple and color-coded. Tables have a single flower, instead of a number, to make it easier for servers to find the right table.

The goal, the cafe managers said, is to help keep dementia patients at home and active as long as possible.

“A lot of elderly people are either in nursing homes or are just sort of shut away in their homes, so I hope that our initiative will give people with dementia something to look forward to,” said Yui Iwata, who helps run the cafe. “If people get a deeper understanding, it would become easier for people with dementia to go out, as well.”

For a look at the restaurant and its employees, watch the documentary below.

Sources: Washington Post | Kyodo News