Interview with owner Imai Yumiko
Manten serves lunches featuring generous portions of main dishes and plenty of vegetables.
We spoke with owner Imai Yumiko about what led her to open the restaurant and the thoughts behind it.
The meaning behind “Manten”
What led you to open the restaurant?
Imai (surname omitted)
After my children were a little older, I rented a field in Yakage and grew vegetables and fruit as a hobby to enjoy in my later years.
While working as a hotel service staff member and in medical administration, I continued to visit the field on weekends when I had time off. Then I decided, “I’m going to live here.” I built a house on the land where the field had been and moved from Kurashiki City to Yakage Town in 2008.
I already had a cooking license, so I put my hobby of baking to use, selling my creations at events and on consignment at roadside stations. At one point, I had my baked goods stocked at five or six locations.
Customers who came to events often started asking, “Don’t you have a shop?” That got me thinking about opening a store, and I opened here in April 2018.
I heard the shop got a new name in June 2025.
Imai
Since opening, it had been called “Manten Chaya.”
Yakage Town is famous for its Daimyo-Gyoretsu. When I thought of the procession, I thought of traditional townhouses, and when I thought of townhouses, I thought of dango, so I sold dango. Since the shop began by selling dango, I gave it the townhouse-style name “Manten Chaya.”
But over time, I began to feel a growing mismatch between the shop’s atmosphere and its name, so I decided to change it.
At the same time, I wanted to keep the name Manten, so I decided to retain it.
In fact, the name “Manten” holds memories of my beloved dog, Chachamaru, a bulldog, who died in 2017.
When he died, I was truly heartbroken. I looked up at the sky through my tears and felt Chachamaru’s presence among the “star-filled sky,” so I chose this name.
I want to keep introducing Chachamaru to everyone, so I also make masking tape featuring him.
We want you to enjoy our homemade sauces and side dishes
Tell us what makes your popular chicken nanban special.
Imai
The tartar sauce is distinctive.
Most people probably use onions, but we use rakkyō (Japanese scallions).
They release less moisture and have a milder flavor and smell.
As with the cutlet in our katsu curry, we marinate the meat in a seasoning sauce before cooking. We prepare it carefully, so the meat turns out tender.
Some customers are surprised by how tender the meat is, and I’ve even found myself asking them, “Is it really that tender?”
Our homemade side dishes and accompaniments are also popular with customers.
These days, we’ve added more items aimed at younger customers, such as cream soda, but when we first opened, many of our customers were older.
That’s why we focus on serving a wide variety of side dishes packed with vegetables.
A flexible business style
Your various initiatives, from changing the menu to making masking tape, are impressive.
Imai
Soon after I opened the shop, work began to bury the utility poles in Yakage Town. The town became quite cluttered, and just as the construction seemed to be settling down, the spread of COVID-19 led to days when we had virtually no dine-in business.
So, thinking, “I can’t keep going like this,” I started offering takeout.
I also prepared chiffon cakes and boxed meals to fill orders from local schools and event organizers, building connections with the community. Our chiffon cake is still served at the cafe in Yakage Machiya Exchange Center.
Speaking of community connections, I sell sushi at the “Shukuba-machi Yakage Sunday Morning Market,” held on the second Sunday of every month. It’s popular because it contains chopped yuzu peel and is only available at the morning market.
I also made original stickers for the baked goods I sell on consignment, to help promote Yakage Town.
What are your plans for the future?
Imai
I want more people to discover Yakage Town’s streetscape and atmosphere.
There aren’t many prominent tourist attractions, but when you wander into the backstreets, it’s a town that can make you feel a little nostalgic.
A new campground is opening in Yakage Town, and Yakageya, a lodging facility in town, will also reopen after renovations in October 2025.
As I see how these changes affect the town, I’ll keep running the shop in a way that makes our visitors happy.
From the Writer
From what Imai told us, we could clearly feel not only her desire to delight customers with her cooking, but also her strong wish to help Yakage Town thrive.
The secret to the shop’s popularity may be its flexibility in adapting its menu and business style to changes in its customers and surroundings.
Be sure to try the distinctive flavors of Manten.
A Sky Full of Information
| Name | Manten |
|---|---|
| Address | 2575-6 Yakage, Yakage Town, Oda District, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 090-6414-2575 |
| Parking | None |
| Business hours | Lunch: From 12 noon until sold out Bento: Orders for same-day pickup must be placed by 10 a.m. |
| Regular closing days | Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Bento orders can be accommodated on regular closing days with advance reservations |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted |
| Seating | 15 seats: 5 counter seats, two 4-person tables, one 2-person table |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Website | Manten Instagram account |
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