Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2010

Funded by the Japan Agricultural Society, Ajinomoto and a variety of other organizations, newly opened Dashi Café (B1 Kotsukaikan, 2-10-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku; 03-6269-9998) serves snack sets of onigiri and soup—entirely for free. The organizers say that the café, which uses Akita Komachi rice in its onigiri and similarly high-quality ingredients for its soup stock, is an attempt to spread the virtues of traditional cooking. The free meal is available for women from 10am-3pm—targeting OLs in nearby Ginza, no doubt—and for both men and women from 3-7pm. To avoid waste, only 200 portions are available per day. Closed Tuesdays.