Akabeko

The Akabeko is a popular restaurant in Tokyo specializing in Sukiyaki beef and other "Western-style" dishes. The Akabeko is owned by the Sekihara family and managed by the owner's daughter, Sekihara Tae. Other employees of the Akabeko include waitress Sanjō Tsubame and part-time errand boy Myōjin Yahiko.

History[]

Tokyo Arc[]

As Tae is good friends with Kamiya Kaoru, the lodgers of the Kamiya Dōjō often end up spending a great deal of time at the Akabeko and use it as a base of operations for many of their celebrations. Sagara Sanosuke is also a regular customer at the restaurant, though he is notorious for rarely (if ever) paying his bill.

Kyōto Arc[]

When Himura Kenshin leaves Tokyo and goes to Kyōto to fight against Shishio Makoto, Kaoru falls into depression from being alone. People like Tae, Tsubame and Megumi help her realize she wants to go to Kyōto to follow Kenshin.

Since Kaoru and Yahiko do not have relatives at Kyōto, Tae informs them that the Akabeko has a twin restaurant in Kyōto called Shirobeko owned by the Sekihara family and managed by Tae's twin sister, Sekihara Sae, and Tae writes a letter to Sae asking her to help Kaoru and Yahiko once they arrive in Kyōto.

Jinchū Arc[]

In midsummer of 1878, due to its affiliation with Himura Kenshin and his friends, the Akabeko is struck by a shell from an Armstrong cannon fired from the nearby Mt. Ueno by Kujiranami Hyōgo and Yukishiro Enishi. The restaurant was badly damaged by the attack, but fortunately, no one was inside at the time. The damage was repaired and the restaurant continued to flourish,

Hokkaido Arc[]

By the events of the Hokkaido Arc (in 1883), the Akabeko had a maid-cafe-style.

Layout[]

The Akabeko place had a couple of areas.

Restaurant Area[]

The restaurant area per se. It has several divisions to create isolates spaces in which tables surrounded by places to sit down.

Backlot[]

The backlot area of the Akabeko was shown once, and it featured a well from where water was taken to be used at cooking.

People Related[]

Mr. Sekihara - He is the owner of the Akabeko, although he is never present in it. He was seen just once in the Jinchū Arc of the manga.
Sekihara Tae - The manager of the Akabeko, Tae is a woman with a talent for business and management.
Sanjō Tsubame - One of the waitresses of the Akabeko, Tsubame is a small kid with a nice predisposition towards customer service.
Myōjin Yahiko - Yahiko sometimes works part time at the Akabeko.

Trivia[]

Akabeko in Japanese means "red cow".
- Originating from the Aizu region of modern day Fukushima Prefecture, an akabeko is an early bobble head toy of a red cow, and is said to originate from a legend in where a red cow helped to build Enzo-ji Temple in northwestern most Yanaizu, and turned into a statue upon its completion.
- Along with commemoration of this event, it is said that shortly after, children who owned an akabeko were spared from a smallpox infection that occurred, further cementing the figure as a talisman against disease.