Enjoying a Japanese cafeteria alone

Sitting alone in a Japanese cafeteria is something that everyone needs to experience at least once. And it's the best way to clear your head on a busy trip. I'm in Ashia, a small city whose north side has one of the most affluent neighborhoods in all of Japan.

But that's boring, so I went south. And that led me to Kofuru Shoko, roughly translated to a cafeteria. It's a place that serves all of your home-cooked favorites to people who don't have the means to do it themselves.

Nothing is prepared ahead of time, which means you get to watch your meal being made from start [music] to finish. And there's something cathartic about that. You get to see each and every loving move that goes into making a meal.

I ordered the beef and vegetable sauté, and there was no pictures on the menu, so I had [music] no expectations.