One of the Chinese restaurants that represents Tamashima is Kouchin.
It has been 67 years since it opened in 1959 in Tomomachi Shopping Street as a Chinese restaurant, something rare in Kurashiki at the time. Today, it operates five restaurants, including four affiliated locations, mainly in Tamashima, and is beloved by Kurashiki City residents as a locally rooted restaurant business.
We spoke with Kouchin, a neighborhood Chinese restaurant, about what led it to branch out into affiliated restaurants serving sushi and udon, and the secret to bringing Kurashiki together to make everyone’s food delicious, even as the company has grown.
The information presented was current when this article was published in June 2026. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About Kouchin Co., Ltd.
Kouchin Co., Ltd. traces its roots to Chinese Restaurant Kouchin, founded in 1953 in Tomomachi Shopping Street by Toshihiro Hori, a Tamashima native who is now the company’s chairman.
Hori was eight years old when the war ended, and his experience of living through the postwar years when there was little to eat gave him a strong longing to “eat until full.” At his father’s recommendation, he trained at Kouchinken, the first Chinese restaurant to open in Okayama.
Then, at the age of 22, he opened his own restaurant, hoping that people in his hometown of Tamashima would “enjoy delicious food, eat even one more piece of meat, and be happy.”
Kouchin moved its restaurant to Sangyo-dori in 2025, but continues to serve local residents food they can truly enjoy and a welcoming atmosphere, carrying on the spirit with which it was founded.
Four affiliated restaurants, each with a different concept
Until the 2010s, Tamashima had almost no nationwide restaurant chains. Kouchin, which opened a Chinese restaurant that had been absent from Tamashima when it first started, has also worked to create restaurants loved by the people of Tamashima.
Kouchin began as a neighborhood Chinese restaurant and incorporated as a company in 1964, the year the Tokyo Olympics were held. After opening Azumaya Tamashima in 1996, it went on to establish the following four affiliated restaurants:
- Azumaya Japanese Restaurant
- Menya Hiro
- Hiromaru
- Chinese Diner Kouchin Hirata
Azumaya Japanese Restaurant
Opened in 1996 as Kouchin’s first franchise, Azumaya Japanese Restaurant (hereafter “Azumaya”) is next door to the current Chinese Restaurant Kouchin. Its franchise agreement ended in 2015, and it now operates as a Kouchin-affiliated restaurant.
Azumaya is known for serving Japanese cuisine centered on sushi and udon, using ingredients with a focus on local production for local consumption.
Menya Hiro
Kouchin’s second franchise opened at Marunaka Shin-Kurashiki as Ramen Ichibantei Tamashima. It also began as a franchise, but in 2013 it reopened under the company’s own brand, Menya Hiro, and continues to operate today.
Menya Hiro also prioritizes ingredients from its hometown of Tamashima, and serves ramen made with authentic seasonings that reflect its roots as a Chinese restaurant. During lunch, one extra serving of noodles is free—a characteristically Kouchin initiative that gives customers a satisfying, filling meal.
Hiromaru
Kouchin Delica opened in Aga-saki, Kurashiki City, in 2013 as Kouchin’s first takeout-only restaurant. It reopened as Hiromaru in 2021 and continues to operate today.
The menu specializes in fried chicken and fresh gyoza. It offers dishes made with carefully selected domestic ingredients to bring “fresh, reassuring, and safe” food to the table.
Chinese Diner Kouchin Hirata
In 2019, when Kouchin marked its 60th anniversary, it expanded beyond Tamashima and opened Kurashiki Tanmen Hiro Hirata in Hirata, Kurashiki City. It reopened as Chinese Diner Kouchin Hirata in 2021 and continues to operate today.
This restaurant serves the flavors of Chinese Restaurant Kouchin in Hirata. In addition to enjoying carefully selected local ingredients, customers can choose from an extensive takeout menu. Its appeal is that you can enjoy the flavors of a Kouchin-affiliated restaurant in Hirata without traveling to Tamashima.
All are affiliated restaurants of Chinese Restaurant Kouchin, but their menus make the most of each restaurant’s specialty, setting them apart from other nationwide restaurant chains.
Community contributions involving customers
Both Kouchin’s founding and its expansion into a chain came about as a result of seeking ways to serve the people of its hometown, Tamashima.
In addition to opening more restaurants, Kouchin actively takes part in local events and engages in community contribution activities.
Participation in the Tamegawa River Cleanup Campaign
The Tamegawa River, which runs from Tamashima Tsumazaki to Tamashima Port, is a Class II river that can be seen from inside Chinese Restaurant Kouchin. Some of the ingredients Kouchin uses, with its focus on local produce, are grown along the river.
Since 1998, Kouchin has taken part in the Tamegawa River cleanup, held every spring and autumn. At first, participants were company officers such as the chairman and president. Eventually employees joined in, and in recent years, customers have also been invited to take part through the company’s official LINE account.
Exhibiting at the Tamashima Fureai Product Fair
Kouchin sets up a food stall at the Tamashima Fureai Product Fair, a community-focused event held every autumn featuring local businesses and organizations selling specialty products and hosting workshops.
With dishes from each affiliated restaurant gathered in one place, Kouchin can offer products that people of all ages, young and old, can enjoy.
Holding cooking classes
Gyoza are a dish often made at home.
Another strength of Kouchin is its ability to offer cooking classes that draw on the specialties of its affiliated restaurants, such as hand-rolled sushi.
Kouchin holds cooking classes on an irregular basis, sharing some of its secret techniques with the public. Classes were suspended for a time as a measure against the spread of COVID-19, but are expected to resume in 2026 or later.
Registration is handled through Kouchin’s official LINE account, so please check it out if you’re interested.
Holding an “Omedeto-kai” celebration at Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Makibi Special Needs School
Kouchin actively welcomes students from local schools for practical training and workplace experience. Through this connection, in March 2026, Kouchin held a “Congratulations Party” at Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Makibi Special Needs School, serving its third-year high school students dishes from Kouchin.
Customers with disabilities or other specific needs also visit Kouchin.
Holding a Congratulations Party at a special needs school gives employees an opportunity to serve people like them. Kouchin values this activity because connecting with the school may also lead to employment at Kouchin.
In this way, Kouchin is a company that continues to evolve from its home in Tamashima to bring everyone something delicious!
We interviewed company president Hori Hiroshi about the initiatives the company is undertaking as it expands its business.
Kouchin Co., Ltd. Information
| Organization name | Kouchin Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food service |
| Representative | Hori Hiroshi |
| Year established | 1959 |
| Address | 4701-1 Otoshima, Tamashima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | Phone: 086-522-5188 |
| Website | Kouchin | For everyone’s “Delicious!” |
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