Hello. Twenty years of concept-cafe pilgrimages, fifteen years of producing them. I'm Yama, a living witness of the industry.
Diving even "deeper" from the ground floor of Blue Egg Okinawa, you reach a mystical space that completely shuts out the bustle of Kokusai-dori. This time I visited the deep-sea city that also sits on the second floor of Don Quijote: Abyss la portée OKINAWA.
This is a sanctuary where a story unfolds about mermaids training so that one day they can become human. From my perspective as someone who has built shops for fifteen years, I'll give you a thorough report on its meticulous setting and surprising system.
1. Overwhelming Immersion: An "Abstract" World Traveling the Deep Sea
Beyond the door lies a world of silence and brilliance based on blue and silver. Guests take on the role of "travelers" who watch over the growth of the mermaids living in the deep sea.
From the interior and lighting to the mermaids' careful role-play, the consistency of the "deep sea" concept is extremely high. Even I, who have been involved in producing these places for fifteen years, found the immersion so strong that it instantly made me forget my memories of the "surface."
Kurage @Abyss la portee OKINAWA wasn't just named after a jellyfish; her hairstyle and movements were jellyfish-like too.
2. The Original Currency "Pearls" Weaving a Deep-Sea Economy
At Abyss la portée, time flows not in surface currency but in an original unit called "Pearls."
Soft drink course: 30 minutes, 1,200 Pearls Alcohol course: 30 minutes, 2,200 Pearls
What's especially noteworthy is the first-time-only set menu. With offerings like the "Cheki Set" where you can take a photo with your favorite mermaid, and the "Drawing Set" where a mermaid shows off her art right before your eyes, it's a design that condenses the essence of concept cafes.
3. "Silver Coins" and "Musical Notes": Meticulous Game Mechanics That Stir the Urge to Collect
What impressed me most as a living witness of the industry was the depth of its grind elements.
Silver coins: One handed out per hour of stay. Musical notes: A rare item obtainable under specific conditions such as rainy days.
By combining these, you can exchange them for premium items that money can't buy, like a "mermaid's handmade bento" or a "limited-edition acrylic stand." Furthermore, the "score card" that accumulates for every 1,000 Pearls spent leads to legendary titles surpassing one million medals (points). This feeling that "the more you visit, the more you become a resident of this world" is truly the work of a pro.
Nagisa, still in training, was handing out cards to new customers. You could tell the guidance she'd received was thorough.
4. Resounding Singing Voices and the Mystery of "Atlantis"
The true highlight of Abyss la portée is the requests on the stage set up inside the shop.
Karaoke request: A mermaid in training shows off her singing voice. Stage request: The mermaids' singing and dancing gorgeously color the deep-sea night.
This very performance is an important ritual for them to draw closer to becoming human. And there's even a special menu called the "Atlantis Set," which only seasoned travelers who have visited a certain number of times (around ten) are allowed to order. The very depths of the deep sea. Once you dive in, you'll want to know that "deeper abyss". It's a truly splendid design.
As an aside, it's quite moving that the "karaoke request" I came up with fifteen years ago has spread all the way to Okinawa. It started from my personal selfishness of not wanting to hear men sing at snack bars and the like, but it was also a measure taken to avoid violating the Entertainment Business Act, which I confirmed with the Ikebukuro Police Station and others. If you build a stage but create an environment where customers can't sing, you don't need to obtain a Type 1 entertainment license. It's also a tipping mechanism for nurturing voice actors and idols. It was meant to bring into Japanese pop culture something common in Europe and America, where, like the Beatles performing cover songs at pubs before they made it big, performers continued their activities that way.
[Overall Review] For Those Who Want to Become Part of the "Story"
Abyss la portée OKINAWA is not merely a restaurant. It's an experiential entertainment that perfectly embodies the concept of the "deep sea" through currency, titles, and performance.
Even from my perspective of building shops for fifteen years, a place with such a high level of consistency in its worldview, one that elegantly satisfies a guest's "urge to collect" and "desire for recognition," is rare. If you want to shed your daily life and dive into a new story during a night in Okinawa, by all means visit this deep-sea city.