Ananova:

A Japanese restaurant has 'employed' two trained monkeys to help wait on their customers.

The Kayabukiya tavern, just north of Tokyo, employs the two macaques to help out their more traditional human waiters.

The macaques, called Yat-chan and Fuku-chan, are tipped by the customers with boiled soya beans, reports Metro.

Yat-chan, aged twelve, is the more experienced of the two - he takes customers' drinks orders and brings them to their table.

Fuku-chan, who is younger, isn't up to taking orders yet, but hands the customers hot towels.

Kaoru Otsuka, 63, the owner of the tavern, originally kept the monkeys as pets - but then noticed how they began copying his actions in the restaurant, and so set them to work as waiters.

Otsuka is currently hoping to train three baby monkeys as the next generation of waiters.