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We eat a meal to remember…at a Japanese police station in Fukuoka

Oona McGee Jan 24, 2019
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Lunch and law enforcement make for a thrilling combination.

There are few things we love more here at Soranews24 than feasting on Japanese food, and when it comes to dining out, the quirkier the dining destination, the better.

So after filling our bellies at the Human Restaurant, a VR airplane, and an old Japanese bathhouse, it was time to visit another weird and wonderful eatery, but unlike many of our other memorable dining discoveries, this one came with a side of trepidation, as it was located inside a police station.

▼ Not your regular restaurant entrance.

After hearing about it through word-of-mouth, our Japanese-language reporter Masanuki Sunakoma set off to visit the prefectural police headquarters in Fukuoka, where he’d heard they serve up a mean katsudon. It’s not a well-known fact, but the cafeteria here is actually open to the public, and all you have to do to try it is enquire at the reception desk and sign in with your name and phone number.

▼ Then you’ll be given an entry badge that directs you to the cafeteria on the basement level of the building.

After making his way downstairs, Masanuki was greeted by a display of the cafeteria meals on offer. There were options like soba, udon, curry, and pasta available, but Masanuki had come here for one thing: katsudon.

Taking a look at the entrance to the dining area, he saw that the place was being run on a meal-ticket system, so he headed over to the machine and made his selection.

Everything here was super cheap, with katsudon actually being one of the priciest items on the menu, at 510 yen (US$4.66).

After picking up his meal ticket from the machine, Masanuki entered the dining area and found he had it completely to himself. Although it was empty, it was strangely thrilling, as images from TV cop dramas danced around in his head, making him think about all the crime-solving action possibly going on in the floors above him.

After a short five-minute wait, Masanuki’s katsudon was delivered, and he couldn’t believe the size of it.

He hadn’t asked for an extra-large serving but this was definitely an extra-large portion. It was so big that if he were in one of the headquarters’ interrogation rooms, he’d be asking the interrogating officer to share it with him.

Still, he wasn’t complaining about the great value-for-money here, and when he took a bite, he found it to be insanely delicious. Sure it might look, and probably taste, like any good katsudon but what really elevated the flavour for Masanuki was the location where he was eating it.

▼ Nothing beats eating katsudon in a police station like a cop.

Living out his dreams of being a police officer with every bite, it didn’t take Masanuki long to finish the entire meal, along with the miso soup on the side as well.

According to staff at the police station, people in custody who are being interrogated aren’t allowed to indulge in such luxuries as katsudon, or any other meal from the cafeteria for that matter. Which is fortunate for Masanuki, as that information should be enough to keep him on the right side of the law.

▼ Masanuki stopped to pick up a box of “Police Manju” steamed bun sweets as a memento of his visit.

After dressing up as a young lout celebrating his coming-of-age in KitaKyushu, an area notorious for yankee-style seijinshiki coming-of-age celebrations, we have to admit we were a little concerned about Masanuki’s future path. But given his love of katsudon, we can rest assured that his future visits to the police station will be motivated by his love of food rather than a love of crime.

Information
Fukuoka Prefectural Police Headquarters Cafeteria / 福岡県警察本部食堂
Address: Fukuoka-ken, Fukuoka-shi, Hakata-ku, Higashikoen 7-7 B1F
福岡県福岡市博多区東公園7-7 B1F
Hours: 7:00 a.m.-7:15 p.m.