A Japanese pop-restaurant, Ningen, located in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo has attracted no shortage of attention of the last two weeks for their very strange, unique and rather controversial addition to their menu.
Patrons are now given the chance to order the same meals that famous death row inmates requested as their last meal, right before their execution.
The restaurant was opened by a Japanese art collective named Chim Pom, and for two weeks already has been serving the last meals of American criminals such as killer clown John Wayne Gacy, Judy Buonoano, the black widow of Florida, and Gary Mark Gilmore, the armed robber and murderer.
The menu includes items such as steak, potatoes, coffee, and whisky, cheeseburgers, fries, salad, steamed vegetables and fresh strawberries, all of which are items that were requested as part of a last meal.
Other restaurants in fact have used the same concept in the past and have received a great deal of criticism. The Ningen restaurant however, was not faced with the same response. Another London diner with a similar concept was forced to close after a single night of opening due to threatening behaviors, however the Ningen has already been running for two successful weeks.
Perhaps the difference in Japan is that 80.3% of their population supports the death penalty.