The ‘state of emergency’ implemented to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has hit the Japanese economy hard. One of the sectors hardest hit is the restaurant trade. Customers are too worried about catching the coronavirus to enter the confines of a restaurant and sales have plummeted.

Some establishments are still open, at least during the day, but most are struggling to cover their costs. As a result, scores of eating and drinking establishments across Tokyo have pulled down their shutters for the foreseeable future, and thousands of staff have been laid off.

The only way for most eateries to survive during the lockdown is to offer takeaway meals, but they are often hampered by a lack of delivery staff.

This is where CXO comes in. CXO is a business networking provider that has recently launched a service that matches struggling restaurant managers with jobless restaurant staff. Managers can recruit delivery staff, who then deliver bento meals to homes and offices in the surrounding area. The cost of delivery – 500 yen – goes to the delivery staff, who are paid on the spot. It’s a win-win situation for all concerned.

Since CXO launched its matching service on May 7th, thousands of restaurant managers have come forward to lend a helping hand to restaurant staff who find themselves out of a job. CXO says that it already has 1800 registered companies on its books.

The CXO scheme is currently operating only in certain districts of Tokyo. To find a restaurant that will deliver bento meals in your neighbourhood, follow one of the following links. You’ll find a list of restaurants registered with the CXO scheme. CXO provides the service completely free of charge. There is no need to register, so ordering a meal from your favourite local restaurant is just a click away.

• Shinjuku Eats
• Gotanda Eats
• Koenji Eats