Interview with Hashimoto Kengo, owner of Hashimoto
Kasho-an Hashimoto suffered extensive damage in the torrential rain disaster, but managed to reopen after about two and a half years.
We spoke with its owner, Hashimoto Kengo.
This article presents the interview conducted during our initial visit in March 2021.
From the financial industry to helping out at a Japanese confectionery shop...
How did you come to open the shop?
Hashimoto (name omitted)
My older brother opened the shop.
Our uncle was a Japanese confectioner in Osaka, so my brother went to work at his shop there, relying on him.
I had also moved to Osaka, but unlike my brother, I worked in a completely different field, at a financial institution.
At one point, due to family circumstances, both my brother and I had to return to our hometown of Mabi.
Naturally, we had to quit our jobs, but my brother wanted to continue working in Japanese confectionery here, too.
So he decided to start his own Japanese confectionery shop.
At that time, my brother asked me to help out at the shop as well.
I wasn't interested in Japanese confectionery and planned to look for another job, so I was at a loss (laughs).
In the end, I was won over by my brother's passion and agreed to help.
And so, in 1981, the shop opened in Arii, Mabi, as “Kyogashi-dokoro Hashimoto.”
In 1986, it moved to its current location and was renamed “Kasho-an Hashimoto.”
Working at a financial institution and at a Japanese confectionery shop must have been completely different and challenging, wasn't it?
Hashimoto
It sure was tough (laughs).
The shop was run by my brother, his wife, and me.
My sister-in-law handled customer service, so I had to make Japanese sweets too.
My brother taught me various things, and I somehow managed to keep going.
Over the years, I developed my strengths, and I became better than my brother at baked sweets such as castella.
Sadly, though, both my brother and sister-in-law passed away.
Now I run the shop by myself.
Hit by torrential rain disaster just as he was getting used to running the shop alone
Could you tell us about when you were hit by the “July 2018 Torrential Rains”?
Hashimoto
The “July 2018 Torrential Rains” occurred just as my sister-in-law had passed away, leaving me on my own, and I was getting used to running the shop alone.
Almost all the tools and machinery needed for making sweets and running the shop were ruined.
The shop was covered in mud and rubbish.
At first, all my relatives and acquaintances pitched in to clean up, but I continued the detailed work by myself, so it took more than six months to finish clearing everything away.
At first, I was in despair and couldn't think about the future.
But the support of people in the neighborhood, who asked things like “When will you reopen?” and “I can't wait to eat your Japanese sweets again,” strengthened my resolve, and by about six months after the disaster, I was determined to reopen.
Even after the shop was cleaned up, the smell wouldn't go away.
There were also hygiene concerns, and I braced myself for a long road to reopening the shop.
Meanwhile, various shops and facilities that had also been hit began reopening, and honestly, I felt some pressure.
People also worried, “Has Hashimoto given up on reopening?”
Fortunately, though, I run the shop alone now.
My children are also independent adults, living on their own.
So I realized that there was no need to rush.
I just steadily prepared, taking care of what needed to be done one thing at a time.
Reopened two and a half years after the torrential rain disaster
When did the shop reopen?
Hashimoto
The shop reopened on December 5, 2020.
We hadn't targeted that date. As I mentioned earlier, we simply worked through the necessary preparations in order, and it just so happened that we were ready to reopen in December 2020.
It took about two and a half years after the disaster.
We had initially planned for November, but some unexpected things came up and pushed the date back.
More customers than we expected came when we reopened, and I was surprised.
So from the second day onward, we prepared more than planned. It was hard, but a happy problem to have.
My children and acquaintances spread the news of the reopening on social media and elsewhere.
In addition, quite a few customers said, “I didn't know you'd reopened; I just happened to be driving along the national highway in front of the shop, saw it was open, and stopped by”...
I felt grateful to realize that so many people had been passing by and thinking about the shop.
Aiming to bring back the popular warabi mochi and run the shop as a “reason to live”
Could you tell us about your future plans or anything you'd like to try?
Hashimoto
For now, my goal is to bring back one of our popular products, warabi mochi.
The machine for making warabi mochi was damaged in the disaster, so I'd like to get a replacement soon.
We haven't decided when sales of warabi mochi will resume, but ideally, we'd reopen in time for summer, when it sells best.
Our warabi mochi is heat-treated, so it's available all year round.
It's popular even in winter.
There's also demand for it as a gift, so I'd like to meet our customers' wishes.
My other goal is to run Hashimoto as my “reason to live”.
While he was alive, my brother used to say, “If you lose your work and your sense of purpose, life becomes difficult. A Japanese confectioner's work involves many delicate tasks, so you don't get senile. It's the perfect thing to continue as a reason to live.”
After actually being unable to work for about two and a half years following the disaster, I felt like my body was going to fall apart, and my daily routine was out of sorts.
I experienced my brother's words firsthand.
Now that my children are independent, it's enough for my wife and me to get by.
So rather than pushing myself to run the shop, my goal is to continue making Japanese sweets and running the shop as a “reason to live” while enjoying the rest of my life.
Hashimoto is a community-rooted Japanese confectionery shop with an appealing selection
As it happens, my family buys the sweets for memorial services and religious gatherings at Hashimoto.
It's a familiar shop, so I was worried about whether it would reopen, and I'm very glad it did.
I can't wait to try the popular warabi mochi.
Please try Hashimoto's carefully crafted Japanese sweets.
Kasho-an Hashimoto Information
| Name | Kasho-an Hashimoto |
|---|---|
| Address | 134-4 Kawabe, Mabi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-454-8688 |
| Parking | Available About 4 cars |
| Hours | 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Irregular holidays |
| Payment methods |
|
| Website | Kasho-an Hashimoto |
What would you like to know about Kurashiki?
Enter a word to search articles on this site
