Interview with Manager Okada Masakazu of Bukkake Udon Furuichi Nakaten
Bukkake Udon from Furuichi, which can be said to be the taste of the hearts of Kurashiki City residents.
It has started to attract attention from tourists and people from outside the city and Okayama Prefecture.
We conducted an interview with the manager of Bukkake Udon Furuichi Nakaten, Okada Masakazu.
The interview is based on the content from the initial coverage conducted in August 2019.
The origin of Furuichi lies in a flour mill in present-day Mabi
Furuichi is a familiar shop for those living in Kurashiki, but does it have a long history?
Okada
Tracing back the origin of Furuichi, it goes back over 100 years.
Its roots lie in the Nima area of Kibi District (present-day Mabi-cho, Kurashiki City).
It originated from starting a flour milling business in Nima.
The current "Furuichi" was founded by the first representative, Furuichi Hiroshi.
Furuichi currently started from post-war ice candy vending
When did you start the shop as Furuichi at the current location?
Okada
It was after the war. In the early 1940s.
Hiroshi started vending ice candy by bicycle, which was the beginning of Furuichi as a shop.
However, ice candy is a summer food.
Thinking about what to sell in winter, he came up with Fuman (steamed buns).
He started a Fuman shop at the location where the current Furuichi Main Store is.
At that time, it was doing business under the name "Furuichi Shoten".
This Fuman became very popular, and the name "Furuichi" became widely known in the region.
So you were selling Fuman at the same location since then!
Okada
Actually, the original main store was much larger than it is now.
However, due to the widening of the old National Route 2 (National Route 429), we had to transfer the land, which is why it became the store as it is now.
The secret story behind the birth of Kurashiki's specialty "Bukkake Udon"
When did you start serving udon?
Okada
We started serving udon around the mid-1950s.
The sales of ice candy had stopped as Fuman became successful.
So, sales dropped in summer.
To sell something easy to eat in summer, we started serving udon around the mid-1950s.
Around that time, Senichi Hoshino from Kurashiki also often came to eat udon at Furuichi.
By the way, we also used to sell okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancakes) in the past.
There is a shop called Furuichi that sells okonomiyaki very close to Nakaten, which was a shop that was separated from Furuichi.
Was the signature "Bukkake Udon" also from that time?
Okada
Bukkake Udon did not exist when we first started serving udon.
Bukkake Udon was introduced in the late 1950s.
At that time, Hiroshi enjoyed playing mahjong after work.
He would eat udon while playing.
He particularly liked zaru udon (cold udon served with dipping sauce) and had his son, Furuichi Ryoichi, who was still small at the time, make the udon.
However, it was very troublesome to eat zaru udon while playing mahjong.
So, Hiroshi told Ryoichi to serve the dipping sauce and condiments on the udon from the start.
While eating this udon, Hiroshi thought, "Wouldn't this be good to put on the menu?"
The next day, he promptly served it as "Bukkake Udon" at the shop.
This was the moment of the birth of Bukkake Udon.
After that, it was gradually improved, and it became the Bukkake Udon we know today.
Bukkake Udon was born from a little idea in daily life.
Okada
However, at first, we only sold about five bowls a day.
The popularity of Bukkake Udon surged when Ryoichi became a high school student.
At that time, Ryoichi was passionate about weightlifting and music activities, and had a wide circle of friends.
As a result, many of Ryoichi's high school friends began to visit Furuichi.
Eventually, it spread by word of mouth among high school students that "Furuichi's Bukkake Udon is delicious".
This became the trigger for the popularity of Furuichi's Bukkake Udon, and people of all ages in Kurashiki began to visit and eat Bukkake Udon.
We are particular about ingredients so that the taste of the dashi can be fully appreciated
Are there any particular features or characteristics of Bukkake Udon?
Okada
Regarding the dashi, I want to provide something that allows the taste of the ingredients to be fully appreciated.
To achieve that, we use good and carefully selected ingredients.
At Furuichi, we source the dashi ingredients from a long-established shop in Kyoto.
Kyoto has historically been a place where various things from all over the country gather.
Therefore, it is our strength to obtain various good ingredients from that shop.
We carefully select ingredients such as bonito, Rishiri kelp, and shiitake mushrooms.
By the way, we are also quite particular about the soup udon, so I recommend it.
First, I hope you enjoy various types of Bukkake Udon, and once you feel you have mastered Bukkake, I would like you to try the soup udon as an "advanced version".
While Sanuki udon often uses iriko dashi, it is also interesting to enjoy the difference from that.
What about the commitment to the noodles?
Okada
If you seek strength and chewiness in udon noodles, using domestic wheat is good.
However, the noodles that match Furuichi's Bukkake Udon are those that are flexible and elastic.
Furuichi's udon noodles mainly use Australian wheat.
The best match for the sauce of Bukkake Udon is Australian wheat.
The characteristic of Nakaten is that it intentionally retains the old-fashioned atmosphere as the "holy land of Bukkake Udon"
Are there any unique features of Nakaten that other Furuichi shops do not have?
Okada
Nakaten is characterized by retaining the old-fashioned atmosphere.
Originally, udon was also sold at the main store, but shortly before the widening of the old National Route 2, it was separated as a specialty udon shop at the current location.
The building remains as it was at that time.
Therefore, among udon fans nationwide, Nakaten is cherished as the "holy land of Bukkake Udon".
Because it is as it was in the past, the ordering method is full service with payment after, which is unique to Nakaten.
Other Furuichi shops are basically self-service.
Also, the menu is slightly different from other branches, and there are unique menu items exclusive to Nakaten.
As the birthplace of Bukkake Udon, we want to preserve the old atmosphere as much as possible.
However, it is a drawback that it is difficult to accommodate barrier-free access and people with small children.
If you need barrier-free access or have small children, there are other Furuichi shops in the suburbs of the city, so I recommend using those shops.
Mabi is the root of Furuichi, so we actively cooperated during the heavy rain disaster of 2018
I heard that the first representative of Furuichi is from present-day Mabi. Mabi suffered significant damage during the "Heavy Rain Disaster of July 2018". What are your thoughts on that?
Okada
Since Mabi is the root of Furuichi, I have a strong desire to help because a disaster occurred in a nearby area.
Three days after the disaster occurred, Furuichi decided to provide udon to the affected areas.
In fact, during the Great East Japan Earthquake, we formed a volunteer team with local volunteers, including Furuichi, to help.
We also acted during the disaster in Mabi with this volunteer team.
We made udon at Furuichi Nakaten and the volunteer team transported and distributed it to the affected areas.
We provided udon until September when temporary housing was established.
In total, we provided about 7,000 servings.
The charm of Furuichi's udon is its deliciousness that can be eaten every day
From Manager Okada's perspective, what are the charms and good points of Furuichi?
Okada
I think the good point of Furuichi is its "deliciousness that can be eaten every day".
I have eaten udon from various other shops.
There are some shops that are really delicious.
However, when it comes to whether I want to eat that every day, it's a bit different.
But I think Furuichi's udon is "delicious every day and can be eaten every day".
Since I work at Furuichi, I always eat udon on the days I work.
But I always think it's delicious no matter when I eat it.
Udon that you want to eat every day and think is delicious every day.
That is Furuichi's udon.
Bukkake Udon is not a specialty of Furuichi but a food culture of Kurashiki. We want to promote that more
Please tell us about your future prospects and what you would like to do.
Okada
I believe that Furuichi has been able to continue thanks to the support of the local community.
Furuichi started from ice candy vending to selling Fuman, and has sold various items.
Among those, we provided udon and received evaluations from everyone, which led us to become a udon shop.
The popularity of Bukkake Udon and its recognition as a specialty of Kurashiki is also thanks to the local community.
Furuichi did not make Bukkake Udon a specialty; rather, the local community of Kurashiki nurtured Bukkake Udon as a specialty.
Bukkake Udon is not a specialty of Furuichi, but a specialty of Kurashiki and a food culture born from Kurashiki.
That is why the shop's name is "Kurashiki Udon Bukkake Furuichi".
I believe Furuichi's mission is to spread the Bukkake Udon, which is a food culture of Kurashiki, even more.
I think that will be a way to give back to the Kurashiki community that has loved Furuichi until now.
I want many more people to know about "Kurashiki Udon Bukkake".
That is why we decided to participate in the "Udon Tenkaichi Ketteisen".
Thanks to that, we have been able to achieve good results in the competitions every time.
I think we have been able to contribute to Kurashiki.
Also, I want to promote it not only within Japan but also overseas.
Fortunately, many tourists from abroad have learned about Furuichi through the internet and have visited our shop.
Japan has many regional food cultures that are still not well known.
Wouldn't it be interesting if various interesting food cultures from different regions became more widely known?
I hope that Kurashiki's Bukkake Udon can be one of those triggers.
Conclusion
For those who grew up in Kurashiki and its surroundings, Bukkake Udon is something familiar.
I have also eaten it often since I was a child.
It seems that it has become quite known that "Bukkake Udon" is something to eat when you come to Kurashiki.
I was impressed by the fact that Furuichi, the creator of Bukkake Udon, considers Bukkake Udon not as a specialty of the shop but as "a food culture of the Kurashiki region".
I believe that experiencing the food culture nurtured in the region is a great opportunity to learn about the area.
When you visit Kurashiki, be sure to try the Bukkake udon at Buruiichi Nakaten.
Also, in autumn and winter, why not enjoy the traditional "Fuman" at the Buruiichi main store?
Data for Kurashiki Udon Bukkake Buruiichi Nakaten
| Name | Kurashiki Udon Bukkake Buruiichi Nakaten |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-3-23 Achi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-422-2389 |
| Parking | None |
| Business Hours | 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM |
| Regular Holidays | Irregular holidays |
| Payment Methods |
|
| Reservation | No |
| Seats | 43 seats |
| Smoking | Completely non-smoking |
| Toilet | Western-style toilet |
| Childcare | Children's dishes and side plates available. However, if you need to bring a stroller or require children's chairs, it is recommended to use the nearest stores in the city (Nakajima store, Horinaka store, Aeon Mall Kurashiki store, Matsushima store, Mizushima store, etc.) ⇒<a href="https://www.marubu.com/shop/">Store Details</a> |
| Barrier-Free | If you need barrier-free support, it is recommended to use the nearest stores in the city (Horinaka store, Nakajima store, Aeon Mall Kurashiki store, Matsushima store, Mizushima store, etc.) ⇒<a href="https://www.marubu.com/shop/">Store Details</a> |
| Website | Kurashiki Udon Bukkake Buruiichi |
