The popular soba restaurant “Kawamuraya” in CIAL Sakuragicho (1 Sakuragicho, Naka-ku, Yokohama), which sadly closed on March 31st, reopened on September 1st.
6th generation Mr. Kasahara (left) and 7th generation Mr. Kakamoto (right)
Established in 1900 History of Kawamuraya Integrated with Sakuragicho Station
Kawamuraya is a long-established soba restaurant with a history of 123 years, which opened on April 1, 1900 (Meiji 33) on the premises of Sakuragicho Station (then called Yokohama Station). It is said that the business license was obtained through Hirobumi Ito.
The first step of Kawamuraya
After that, in 1965 (Showa 40), he obtained a restaurant business license, and in 1969 (Showa 44), he obtained a business license for standing noodles and milk bread.
Kawamuraya may seem to have built up its history as a long-established store with smooth sailing, but in reality it has overcome many hardships. In 1989 (Heisei 1), due to the “Yokohama Expo” held in the same year and the relocation of “Sakuragicho Station” according to the MM21 plan, the business license for standing noodles and milk bread was temporarily revoked.
Kawamuraya from 1969 to 1989
Photo of the store at the time pasted inside the store
In the following year, 1990, the old Sakuragicho station moved to the current Sakuragicho station. At the time, Kawamuraya was approached with the idea of moving to Yokohama Station, but he firmly refused, saying, “Kawamuraya is one with Sakuragicho.” From April of the same year, we decided to use the restaurant business license to continue business as a restaurant, soba stand, and milk bread in the place where the “Tourist Information Center” is currently located.
Kawamuraya from 1990 to 2014
Business as a soba restaurant at the current location started in January 2014 (Heisei 26). Of all the CIAL Sakuragicho stores that were scheduled to open in July of the same year, Kawamuraya was the first to start independently, saying, “I don’t want to take a long break.”
Current Kawamuraya in CIAL Sakuragicho (exterior)
Current Kawamuraya in CIAL Sakuragicho (on the ticket gate side)
The 6th generation decided to close the shop while he was still in good health.
Mr. Shigemoto Kasahara, the 6th owner who joined the company in 1988 and has supported the restaurant for 35 years, and his wife, Reiko. The staff worked hard to manage the store, but the temporary closure on March 31 this year was due to the aging of the staff, who were all over 70 years old, and the fact that they could only take five days off during the year-end and New Year holidays. Then again, it was because I didn’t have time for myself.
The contract period for the store is 10 years. He was able to continue until next July, but he himself will turn 70 in September this year. “I wonder how old I’ll be until I’m healthy in life,” she wondered.
Guidance posted after the store closed at the end of March
In fact, Mr. Kasahara spent a year in Australia when he was in high school. I couldn’t attend the reunion there, and when I finally attended it four years ago, I said, “When I told him that I could only take a day off from December 30th to January 3rd, my friends from all over the world, including England and Canada, came to me. They gathered in Sydney on December 30th at the end of the year according to their schedule.”
Kawamuraya also has an English menu
He made the decision to close while he was still in good health, thinking that he wanted to be able to move around freely in terms of time.
However, I still felt apologetic and lonely about ending the history of the store that the predecessors had continued to cherish. Even when the store was closed, he said, “If someone wants to inherit the business…”
The 7th generation is the second daughter of the three sisters.
Under such circumstances, from the announcement of the closure in February to the closing date of March 31st, there was a constant flow of customers from early morning until closing time, and many people felt nostalgic, thanking and saying goodbye to Mr. Kasahara. When Kasahara’s second daughter, Aiko Kagamoto, saw him greeting them, she said to Kasahara, “I want to take over this restaurant.”
However, Mr. Kasahara at the time refused.
Second daughter Aiko Kakamoto
“I was happy, but I have spent my life without rest except for the year-end and New Year holidays, and while opening a store, I experienced many difficulties in business, such as the difficulty of relocating and applying for extension of continuation. I had a strong feeling that I didn’t want to let him go,” recalling his anguish at the time.
Listening to my father’s concern with a serious look
At the time, Ms. Kakamoto was raising children while working at an IT company. It is decided to take over. Mr. Kasahara will also provide support for the time being.
When I told CIAL Sakuragicho, my family welcomed me to take over, and about half of the staff who had been supporting the store for a long time returned to work. .
The secret natural soup stock is back
“Opening!”
The menu and taste that have been handed down for a long time will be resumed without changing. They said they weren’t thinking about a new menu, but they revised the price a little so that they could continue the restaurant after calculating the cost.
Due to the recent surge in raw materials and utility costs, the overall price has been raised by about 50 yen, but only the price of kake soba has been raised by 20 yen. Mr. Kasahara says, “I want as many people as possible to eat it.”
You can see the thought for customers from the price list
They had announced that they were recruiting staff at the store for a while, but both of them were surprised at the reaction, saying, “We were able to replenish the capacity, so even now that we have removed the posters, we are thankfully receiving applications.”
Guidance posted during the opening preparation period
The first day of opening has finally arrived with the addition of various new staff members, including two people in their twenties and someone with extensive restaurant experience.
The store opened at 7:30 in the morning, and Kodai Takeda (82), who was the first to arrive, rushed from his home in Gumyoji at 5:00 and lined up at the storefront at 6:00. A line of people formed around 7:10, and a line of about 20 people when it opened at 7:30. People coming and going through the ticket gates also stopped to look around and take pictures.
Already a long queue at 7am
Inside the store, preparations proceed in a hurry, and the popular tempura is lined up.
Veteran staff will guide you while preparing quickly
Mr. Kasahara repeatedly asked each person in charge, “Is it okay? Can we open the store?”
The atmosphere suddenly changed when Mr. Kasahara said, “We’re opening!”
The restaurant was filled to capacity in no time, and there was a long line of people waiting at the order counter all the way to the entrance.
When you open the lid, it’s a great success with a full house
Unchanging taste “A historic day for me”
Mr. Takeda, who was the first to arrive, happily picked up the soba, saying, “It’s a historic day for me.” I was there. I ordered tempura soba.
A smile spills over the taste for the first time in half a year
We asked Mr. Kanno, who was second in line, about his impressions. “I’ve been going there for a long time, and I’ve seen the closing ceremony, so I’m happy that it’s reopened so quickly,” she said with a smile.
Mr. Kanno topped the chicken with squid tempura.
When asked what was the most difficult part of taking over the restaurant, Mr. Kazumoto said, “It is difficult to inherit the management know-how and taste, but above all, I can finally give priority to my private life, so I let go of the restaurant. I feel a strong sense of responsibility for the fact that half of the staff members who once left my father once again helped out in the business, and that if the family resumed business, they would definitely come back. I couldn’t have made it happen on my own, so I’m more grateful to everyone around me.”
The result of the preparations made by all the staff
A customer who finished the meal said, “I’m happy that my daughter has inherited it, and the taste hasn’t changed.”
The popular inari is prepared at a rapid pace
For a while, the 6th generation Mr. and Mrs. Kasahara and the 7th generation Mr. Kakamoto will continue to run the restaurant hand in hand. I think many people, including the staff, will continue to enjoy the taste that is created by the family.
Highly recommended chicken meat soba
Editor’s Note
The courage to take down the weight of 123 years of history and the courage to inherit it is immeasurable. However, the support of those around him exceeded that, and he reached this day.
Kasahara and his wife will continue to support him for a while. Many people, including the staff, will continue to enjoy the taste of the family.
Kawamuraya
Business hours / weekdays = 7:30 to 20:15 (Sundays and holidays = 8:30)
Closed: December 30th to January 3rd
Minoru Takashima + Yokohama Economic Newspaper
A 5-minute video of the first day
The thoughts of the 6th generation in the video
2023-09-02 11:28:35
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