In Episode 3 of the Shenmue anime, the exterior of a restaurant called "Xuhe Hall" is shown in a short flashback scene in which Lan Di and his men shake information out of the unfortunate owner regarding the whereabouts of the mirrors.
In a previous post, we saw that the restaurant's name in the anime is a small Easter egg of sorts, with the Chinese characters in its name actually being a subset of those in the word "Yokosuka".
How about the appearance of the restaurant itself? Thanks to the sharp eyes of Kohji on Twitter, it has been identified as a real-life Chinese restaurant called Heichinrou in Yokohama's Chinatown. Features such as the bamboo, decorative statues, signboard and even the positioning of the menu boards all match closely.
A New Pilgrimage Spot Is Born... But Not For Much Longer?
It seems that Lan Di and his men scared the owners to such an extent that they have made the decision to move out from the present building! A recent notice on the restaurant's homepage advises that the Yokohama Heichinrou will be closing on 15th May 2022 and will be reopening elsewhere. This is unfortunate news for Shenmue fans wanting to visit the restaurant at its original location as part of their Shenmue pilgrimage on a future visit. If you living in Japan and able to make a visit to Yokohama, now would be a great chance to head along before it closes.
Update 15th May, 2022: plans regarding a potential reopening have not yet been announced.
Other Shenmue The Animation vs Real Life comparisons:
- Dobuita Street
- Yokosuka Road Tunnel
- MOUNTAIN Shop & Tunnel #2
- Karate Tournament Venue: Interior
- Karate Tournament Venue: Exterior
- Ryo Farewells His Teammates
- Mikasa Park
- Yokosuka High School
- Motorcycle Ride Tunnel
- Peninsula Hotel
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