Interview with Mr. Fujii, Representative Director of Shinta Co., Ltd.
Asamade-ya began as a food stall in front of a home.
We spoke with its founder and Representative Director, Mr. Fujii, about his thoughts on the restaurant.
The beginnings of Asamade-ya
Tell us about the restaurant's history.
Fujii (honorific omitted)
I opened it 23 years ago, in 2000.
At the time, I had bought a house in Tsurajima with a mortgage.
When I was thinking of ways to make money without spending much, so I could pay off the mortgage, I noticed the garage in front of my house.
I thought, “That's it! I'll serve ramen here.”
That was the start of Asamade-ya's history.
How was it when you first started?
Fujii
I thought of various ways to make a profit.
However, I couldn't cook anything at all.
So I gathered part-time workers and told them to imitate whatever was popular.
For example, Taiwanese mixed noodles, which were popular at the time.
Since I started with such a casual attitude, the food didn't taste good at all.
Then how have you managed to keep going all this time?
Fujii
When it comes to people running restaurants, about 10 out of 10 compete on taste.
That's why I decided to compete on something other than taste.
That something was “time.”
Specifically, I named the restaurant “Asamade-ya” and, just as the name says, stayed open until morning.
I wouldn't compete on taste, but I wouldn't serve anything bad.
And I would create a welcoming space for everyone.
We started the restaurant with that concept and achieved higher-than-expected sales in our first month.
I was surprised, too.
Even more surprisingly, sales stayed steady the following month and the month after that.
About Asamade-ya Terrace 102
Tell us about your new restaurant, Asamade-ya Terrace 102.
Fujii
Asamade-ya Terrace 102 is a restaurant that brings together the traditional Asamade-ya and Achi Terrace 102 Soup Curry Dining.
Until now, Asamade-ya's customers tended to be people working on-site.
But Asamade-ya Terrace 102 has attracted women and families, broadening its customer base.
Why do you think your customer base has broadened?
Fujii
I think it's because we created a place where customers can enjoy conversation.
The traditional Asamade-ya's selling points were “time” and “space.”
We added “conversation” to that.
Asamade-ya Terrace 102 is a place to enjoy time, space, and conversation.
One of our initiatives is “Chat Time.”
Chat Time is the period between lunch and izakaya service, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
We can't serve food during that time, but plan to offer a drink bar and sweets.
We hope people will enjoy conversation in a cafe-like atmosphere.
What other features does the restaurant have?
Fujii
The highlight is barbecue on the terrace.
With the windows open, the indoor and outdoor areas become one, allowing us to host parties of around 70 people.
We provide a barbecue set, and customers cook for themselves.
We believe that bringing people together and letting them move around freely creates “conversation.”
A barbecue where everyone sits still is just like yakiniku.
I think the best part of a barbecue is being able to move around and chat freely.
Popular items
What are your most popular items?
Fujii
Our most popular items are soup curry and okonomiyaki.
I came up with both of them.
When I went to the Okayama City Central Wholesale Market, I found a small soup curry restaurant.
It was called “Soup Curry Watanabe.”
It wasn't a big restaurant, but it was popular and bustling with customers.
I thought it was interesting, so I went straight home and learned about soup curry on YouTube.
These days, YouTube can teach you anything.
That's how I came up with the soup curry served at Achi Terrace 102 Soup Curry Dining.
However, soup curry alone doesn't bring in drink orders.
Also, soup curry itself wasn't very well known among people in Kurashiki.
So I came up with okonomiyaki.
I thought okonomiyaki would make it easy for anyone to come in.
The okonomiyaki we serve is Kansai-style.
That's because Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki requires someone to tend it constantly while it cooks, whereas with Kansai-style, you can cook it and
leave it alone with the lid on.
That means you can do other tasks in the meantime.
However, Kansai-style okonomiyaki can end up too floury, so I adjusted the amount of flour and refined the recipe to prevent that.
Is there anything you'd like to try in the future?
Fujii
Next, I want to open a taiyaki shop.
At first, I was thinking of making takoyaki, but an acquaintance recommended taiyaki.
They told me that no one buys three or four takoyaki, but people who like taiyaki might buy as many as 10.
When I went to see “Nihonichi Taiyaki” in Takebe-cho, Kita Ward, Okayama City, I saw people buying several taiyaki.
That convinced me, and I decided to open a taiyaki shop.
But rather than ordinary taiyaki, I want to make taiyaki as gifts.
Usually, people buy taiyaki because they want to eat it themselves.
But by making it a gift, I can change the reason people buy it.
I'm currently thinking about how to make the people receiving them happy.
I want to expand this taiyaki shop nationwide.
From the Writer
Asamade-ya Terrace 102 opened on June 30, 2023.
What stayed with me was founder Mr. Fujii's comment that he “doesn't compete on taste.”
After hearing Mr. Fujii speak, I realized that he is always thinking carefully about what he does.
That's why I think he's been able to run Asamade-ya for 23 years.
The interior is bright and open, and the menu offers a wide variety of dishes.
If you're visiting Mizushima or want to drink until morning, why not stop by sometime?
Asamade-ya Terrace 102 Information
| Name | Asamade-ya Terrace 102 |
|---|---|
| Address | 15-17 Mizushima Nishisakae-cho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-444-0770 |
| Parking | Available 13 parking spaces |
| Hours | 11:00 a.m.–3:00 a.m. [Breakdown] ・11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.: Lunch ・3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.: Chat time ・5:00 p.m.–3:00 a.m.: Izakaya time |
| Closed | Wednesday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted Call the restaurant directly to make a reservation. |
| Seating | 40 seats indoors The terrace and indoor area can be combined to accommodate 70 people. |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking (outdoor smoking area available) |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Website | Asamade-ya │ Official Instagram |
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