Interview with Yuko Yokota
Yokota works in the Fan Services Section of the Kurashiki City Boat Race Business Bureau.
Her work covers a wide range of duties, including planning and running events for visitors to the boat race venue.
This interview was conducted during our first visit in September 2022.
Work to make visitors happy
Is promoting the food part of your job, Yokota?
Yokota (surname only)
I had just transferred to the Boat Race Business Bureau this year (2022), and while thinking about what I could do, I made signs promoting the food.
Even after entering the facility, there was no information at all about where to eat.
It wasn’t even on the official website.
To make the food signs, I first wanted to learn about the place, so I tried the food at the cafeteria and talked with the people who worked there.
Was there a particular reason you started focusing on promoting the food?
Yokota
A comedian came to a boat race prediction event and kept saying, “I had some delicious Chinese noodles.”
I wondered, “Are they really that good? Are they famous?” and thought, “Then I have to go try them!” So I did.
That’s what got me started.
Staff had been saying for a while that we needed to promote the food.
But I thought you can’t promote food you’ve never tried, so I visited every restaurant.
When I started focusing on the food, the cafeteria staff also began working hard, saying, “We’ve got a new menu item.”
Suzuran came up with the Katsu Three Brothers, and another restaurant created demi-katsudon.
One restaurant also made spicy fried chicken and kimchi-flavored fried chicken.
The whole cafeteria gradually became more interesting.
Interview with Yumi Ishii
Ishii is the manager of Suzuran, one of the restaurants at the facility.
She spoke with such a big smile that even I, the interviewer, found myself smiling.
Eye-catching menu items created after becoming manager
Have you been manager for long?
Ishii (surname only)
I became manager two years ago (2020).
I’m the second manager.
When the previous manager was running the place, the menu consisted of two main items: boxed lunches and curry.
After I became manager, I added ramen to the curry we had already been serving.
At the time, I thought it might be fun to have one eye-catching menu item, so I decided to make katsu curry ramen.
It’s our most expensive menu item, but surprisingly, people order it quite often.
As I get older, katsu tends to sit heavily in my stomach, but somehow I can eat it when it’s in ramen.
I was surprised by how big the katsu was. I think 870 yen is cheap for this much food.
We want people to eat plenty.
People spend money on the boats, so we do our best to keep meal prices as low as possible, even if that means working with very tight margins.
“Attraction Curry” to draw good luck
What’s your most popular menu item?
Ishii
Katsu curry.
It’s popular with every age group.
After all, lots of people want to bring themselves good luck.
Someone who runs Boat Race Kojima’s official Twitter account saw a person eat the restaurant’s curry and win on their boat-race betting ticket, and said, “That’s Attraction Curry.”
I immediately made a handwritten sign and promoted it as Attraction Curry, officially endorsed by the person behind the account.
One time, I posted on the restaurant’s social media, “Akayoshi Enishi, the comedian who lives and works in Okayama, is filming here.”
I’ve been a fan of Enishi for a long time.
Boat Race Kojima has a program on Kurashiki Cable TV called “Hanamaru PARK Kojima DE Asobo~to.” It features Akayoshi Enishi, a comedian who lives and works in Okayama.
Someone from Kurashiki Cable TV saw my post and introduced me to Enishi.
I thought, “Wishes really do come true.”
When they came to film at the restaurant, they saw the Attraction Curry and said, “Please make a curry in collaboration with our TV program.”
I made the collaboration curry right away.
Win-win menu items and services born from ingenuity
The collaboration curry is “dam curry,” right? How did it come about?
Ishii
The chicken curry we had been serving was advertised as spicy.
It’s delicious, but spicy food isn’t for everyone.
Unlike our beef curry, which sells steadily, sales of the chicken curry vary from day to day.
If we make enough for the days when it sells well, we end up with food waste; if we make less, we run out.
The chicken curry has its loyal fans, so we couldn’t just take it off the menu.
I got the idea from my child putting two kinds of curry on rice at home, and started serving it together with our popular beef curry.
We also take other measures to reduce food waste, such as offering free salad on weekdays that are the final day of a race.
We end up with leftover salad.
But if we give it away, customers are happy, and we don’t have to throw it out.
A race is held over several consecutive days, rather than ending in a single day.
A restaurant nurtured by its customers
I wanted to promote it, so I handwrote “Attraction Curry” on a sign.
Then customers started posting on social media, saying, “I love the sign,” and our followers increased.
People also see the handwritten sign and come over to talk to me.
It makes our customers happy and has led to conversations.
A customer told me that we’re the only restaurant where you can see the racecourse from inside.
So I thought I should promote that.
A customer also told me that we have mild curry, so we’re a good place to come with children.
Our customers teach us and help our restaurant grow.
Ishii’s thoughts on her work
How would you like customers to enjoy your restaurant?
Ishii
I hope they can eat their fill and leave satisfied, all at an affordable price.
Whether they win or lose at Boat Race, I hope they feel glad they came to the racecourse.
Rather than just betting, I’d be happy if they visited a restaurant they’d discovered on social media, chatted with us, and left thinking they’d had a good time.
Since the fan service staff position was created, the restaurants around the venue have gradually changed, thanks to Yokota-san reaching out to them.
Thanks to Yokota-san’s efforts, everyone has started working together to make things more exciting than before.
Seeing the various restaurants come up with new menu items made me happy, too.
We’re taking on one new initiative after another and moving in the same direction together. It’s so much fun.
Is there anything you make a point of doing?
Ishii
I always work with a smile. Because I want the other person to smile.
It’s too late to smile only after the other person smiles, isn’t it?
I have to smile first.
On my days off, I visit spiritual power spots and go mountain climbing.
I want to become someone who attracts happiness.
I hope I can attract it and make the people around me happy.
I hope I win a boat-race ticket or something good happens.
From the Writer
After hearing from Kurashiki City employee Yokota-san and Ishii-san of Suzuran, I learned that they focus not only on the races but also on the food.
Seeing how the two of them go out of their way to make customers happy made me even more curious about the food at Boat Race Kojima.
Boat Race Kojima has three main types of food: restaurants, shops, and food stalls.
This article was only able to introduce three of the five restaurants.
It feels like there are still plenty of delicious dishes to discover.
It may come as a surprise, but you can enjoy a meal without betting.
However, even if you’re visiting just for the food, you’ll still need to pay the ¥100 admission fee.
If this has piqued your interest, go and enjoy the food at Boat Race Kojima.
Articles about Boat Race Kojima
Boat Race Kojima Information
| Name | Boat Race Kojima |
|---|---|
| Address | 6-3 Kojima Motohamacho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-472-5051 |
| Parking | Available |
| Hours | ■Boat race venue 9:45 a.m.–5:00 p.m. *Hours vary depending on race times ■Dining hall Varies by establishment ■Shop From opening until 4:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Irregular holidays |
| Payment methods |
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| Restrooms | Western-style toilets, Japanese-style toilets, accessible toilets |
| Childcare | Nursing room, diaper-changing table, stroller rental |
| Accessibility | Ramps, accessible toilets, elevator, wheelchair rental |
| Website | Boat Race Kojima |
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