Donkey Surprise!!

BIKKURI DONKEY(which means Suprise Donkey) is the name of this restaraunt in Kobe and it was a hamburger joint with a Japanese Twist. The tractor and the American numberplates in the background are obviously the signs of an external cultural influence...

But then, BIKKURI! theres a donkey running the show!

This funny little character is done in the typical Japanese kawaii (cute)

style with the big eyes and a cheezy grin, and smells like a formulaic marketing ploy to me...

Step 1. Food - Hamburgers (everybody likes hamburgers!!)

Step 2. Exotic Cultural Paraphenalia (Barn style room, tractor, liscence plates, wooden barrels... yeah that oughtta do it)

Step 3. Cute Character (lets use a donkey!! no one else has a donkey...)
Step 4. Profit

Senior Donkey wasn't the only surprise, the hamburgers were available on a hotplate with your choice of rice, salad, spaghetti, cheese, egg, steak or chips but not a hamburger bun in sight!

Even traditional japanese side dishes were done with an American twist (notice the takoyaki balls smothered in melted cheese and mayo).

So where does this cullinary, amalgamation of cultures sit within our idealized, authentic food experience expectations? I'm sure that not many people think about the incredible amount of cultural and historical events that transpired for Donkey Surprise to come into existence as they're chowing down on their chiizu hanbaaguu. Besides theres more important things to think about like the beautiful view of Kobe harbour, or trying to impress your date by not getting oily, hamburger drippings all over your shirt, and the table.

I guess this place is not really Japanese or American, but a mixture of ideas that creates a new exotic cultural experience, and after all, havn't humans been doing this for as long as we have existed anyway? Nothing new is created without knowledge, and experience of the things prior, and cultures don't just suddenly appear and stay the same for thousands of years. Cross-cultural interaction and the exchange, and blending of ideas is what makes us such an inventive and successful species. I think globalization has existed long before the roman letters used to spell it were ever invented, and it seems like the only difference about the way Japan imports and uses cultural ideas, is that they don't get so hung up about keeping the idea in its original format. Japan grabs what it likes and integrates it into its existing culture without a second thought, and its all right there on the surface. Or is it?.........

http://www1.kobe-mosaic.co.jp/en/shop_dining.html