Interview with the owner of Bokkodo, Hori Shinji
Please tell us about the history of Bokkodo.
Hori (honorific omitted)
My father, who had been working at a rice cracker shop in Yakage Shopping Street, became independent and started his own rice cracker shop.
In 1985, the shop in front of the Yakage Folk Art Museum became too small, so we moved to a shop in Nishi-machi.
The old house we moved to, which is over 100 years old, was quite dilapidated, but it was around the time when the trend of restoring old houses began, and we transformed it into a rice cracker shop.
What is the origin of the name "Bokkodo"?
Hori
It comes from the Okayama dialect "bokkee," which means "amazing."
When did you decide to take over the rice cracker shop?
Hori
After graduating from high school, I got a job at a local company, but my mother fell ill, and during the busy times at the rice cracker shop, I quit my job to take her to the hospital and back.
After a while, a friend who was attending university in Tokyo invited me to come visit, and while I was relaxing at my friend's place, I thought about taking over the rice cracker shop.
Since I was in Tokyo, I thought I would learn how to make the famous Soka rice crackers and decided to visit the city hall in Soka, Saitama Prefecture, by taking the Tobu Railway.
At the city hall, I was introduced to a hand-baked Soka rice cracker shop, where I was able to live and train.
Looking back, I think it was a bold move. I was 21 at the time.
Soka rice crackers are hard rice crackers made by grinding non-glutinous rice into flour, kneading it like mochi, drying it in the sun, and then baking it over charcoal.
In Kansai, sweet rice crackers made with sugar, wheat flour, and eggs are mainstream, while in Kanto, rice crackers made with glutinous rice are more common.
My family's shop was a Kansai-style sweet rice cracker shop, but working at the Soka rice cracker shop was a valuable experience.
The reason for continuing to preserve the unchanged taste
Bokkodo has many types of rice crackers, but did you all come up with them?
Hori
The recipes and baking methods were all devised by my predecessor, my father.
Especially long-time customers seek the taste of my predecessor, so I have no intention of changing it.
There are various shapes of rice crackers, but are they all baked by machine?
Hori
Thin rice crackers are automatically baked with a new machine at the back of the store, but everything else is hand-baked one by one with the machine in front.
Do you have a commitment to ingredients and their origins?
Hori
I don't have a particular commitment to the origin, but I use high-quality ingredients like flour and sugar.
There have been times when suppliers were surprised, asking, "Do you really use such good sugar for rice crackers?"
My predecessor often said, "If you skimp on the ingredients, you won't make delicious things."
Yakage Shopping Street, a tourist spot and living area
What is the charm of Yakage Shopping Street?
Hori
While the area is gaining attention for tourism, the fact that people live here is the biggest charm.
Many famous tourist areas with similar streets are bustling with tourists during the day but are deserted at night.
Yakage has schools, hospitals, a city hall, and supermarkets, making it a place where people live normally.
It is rare for a place like Yakage to be both a tourist spot and a living area.
Additionally, Yakage has a well-developed childcare support system, such as free medical care until the end of the fiscal year when children turn 18 (senior year of high school).
Creating an environment where children born here can think, "Ah, Yakage is great," is our generation's responsibility.
While it may be difficult to stop the population decline in Yakage Town, I hope to at least slow down the downward trend.
Making Yakage Town a place where shops and people gather
Do you have any future plans for Bokkodo?
Hori
Actually, I bought the house next to the parking lot.
This house is also quite old.
While I could clean it up and do it myself, I am considering having it used as a challenge shop for kids who want to do something in Yakage.
I could lend it to a kid who wants to try running a ramen shop for a week or two, or to a kid who wants to make and sell accessories for a month, providing them with the tools and environment.
Before establishing a physical store, I want them to experience running a challenge shop and fulfill their dream of owning their own shop.
Yakage Shopping Street still lacks restaurants and other shops.
Bokkodo could serve cream soda and baked sweet potatoes at the new shop, or the third generation with izakaya experience could run a shot bar.
If we can establish a shop that can do anything and attract people, it would be great if that leads to more shops opening and new businesses eventually benefiting this town.
Conclusion
As I walk while gazing at the historical buildings and townscape of Yakage Shopping Street, I can certainly feel the lives of the people who live here.
Between national important cultural properties like the Former Yakage Honjin Ishii Family Residence and the Former Yakage Waki Honjin Takakusa Family Residence, there are long-established butcher shops, flower shops, beauty salons, and stylish old house cafes.
If you visit Bokkodo early in the morning, you might see the process of baking rice crackers with the iron machine in front of the shop.
It is a rice cracker shop that continues to preserve its unchanged taste in a historical tourist area where people live normally.
While preserving the taste of Bokkodo, Hori is also actively involved in activities with the DMO General Incorporated Foundation Yakage Town Tourism Exchange Promotion Organization to promote Yakage Town through tourism.
Just as the logo of Tenshoin Tokihime seems to smile, I am very much looking forward to the future of Bokkodo.
Data on Bokkodo
| Name | Bokkodo |
|---|---|
| Address | 3198 Yakage, Oda-gun, Okayama Prefecture 714-1201 |
| Contact | 0866-82-0369 |
| Parking | Available 2 cars on the east side of the store |
| Business Hours | 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM |
| Regular Holidays | Irregular holidays |
| Payment Methods |
|
| Reservation Availability | Not available |
| Restroom | No restroom |
