Restaurant that serves cold canned food out of the tin trending in Japan

What to Western consumers may just sound like a trip to the local grocery store, has become a trend in Japan where diners pack themselves in at Mr. Kanso, a restaurant chain which plans to open more than a dozen new outlets across the country by the end of the year, reports trendspotting site Rocketnews24.com.

There are no menus at Mr. Kanso. For that matter, nor are there any chefs or waiters. The pitch and appeal, however, is supposed to lie in the more than 300 varieties of canned goods from around the world filled with all manner of strange and exotic foods and flavors which can be chased down with beer and sake.

The first location opened in Osaka in 2002. Currently, there are 17 branches. Given the low start-up costs -- there's no need for trained kitchen staff or even stoves for that matter -- the chain plans to franchise out the brand with 15 new branches throughout the country, including six new branches in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, says Rocketnews24.

Japan is a hotbed for innovative, strange and interesting dining concepts and culinary experiences. While the country boasts the most three Michelin-starred restaurants of any other country, it's also home to wacky theme concepts like the Vampire Café, Ninja Akasaka, and the Wizard of the Opera.