Recently, Mizushima has begun to attract attention as a "Yakiniku Town". In particular, local people seem to have their own favorite restaurants.
I have also been wanting to go to Mizushima to eat yakiniku someday, and I discovered the "Mizushima Yakiniku Map".
I spoke with the initiator, Murakami Yuichi.
What is the Mizushima Yakiniku Map
The Mizushima Yakiniku Map is a map featuring 10 yakiniku restaurants selected by Murakami, who is working as a Community Revitalization Cooperation Team member in the Mizushima area of Kurashiki City.
The Community Revitalization Cooperation Team is an initiative based on a national (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications) system that accepts human resources from urban areas, including the three major metropolitan areas, to support local revitalization through the development and sale of local products, while aiming for settlement and establishment in the region.
Quoted from "Kurashiki City Migration and Settlement Promotion Office: What is the Community Revitalization Cooperation Team"
It is a fold-out brochure that includes information about each restaurant, comments from local residents recommending those restaurants, and a memo from Murakami, who was in charge of planning and editing.
The back cover also includes a map of the Mizushima area, so you can understand the spatial relationships.
Since yakiniku makes you want to drink delicious sake, I thought it was great that many of the restaurants can be visited using public transportation.
Check MIZUSHIMA NAVI for more detailed information
The Mizushima Yakiniku Map is a paper map, but since it features 10 restaurants, the introduction for each restaurant is only a few lines with four photos each.
There is enough information to list the restaurants you want to visit among various options, but I also want detailed information such as menus and food reviews.
In such cases, I check the homepage (MIZUSHIMA NAVI). The homepage not only has information about the restaurants but also includes "visit blogs" from when Murakami actually visited.
Not only the menu and taste but also the staff and atmosphere of the restaurant are reported in detail, making it easier to imagine who to go with and when.
There is also a QR code in the Mizushima Yakiniku Map that allows access to the homepage.
Background of the creation of the Mizushima Yakiniku Map
I interviewed Murakami about the background of creating the Mizushima Yakiniku Map.
Can you tell us what prompted the creation of the Mizushima Yakiniku Map?
Murakami (no honorifics)
As a member of the Community Revitalization Cooperation Team, I moved to Mizushima and received various introductions to different yakiniku restaurants from many people. When I actually entered the restaurants, they were all delicious. I wanted to share this excitement with someone.
At that time, a city employee who read "Our School Urihakkyou" from Mizushima Memories suggested, "Why not create a yakiniku map?"
What is "Urihakkyou"?
Murakami
It refers to Korean schools.
During the war, Mizushima was an active area for aircraft manufacturing, and many people came from Korea for that purpose. Even after the war, many people with Korean roots continue to live in Mizushima.
These people opened tonchan and hormone shokudo in post-war Mizushima, and many yakiniku restaurants still remain in this town.
The history of Mizushima and yakiniku is deeply connected, isn't it? Were there any particular points you focused on when creating the yakiniku map?
Murakami
I aimed to create a map that covers the entire area of Mizushima.
Mizushima consists of three main areas: Mizushima, Fukuda, and Tsurajima. Originally, Fukuda was part of Bizen Province, and Tsurajima was part of Bitchu Province, so each area still has its own activities.
However, as a newcomer, I wanted many people to know about the delicious restaurants I found, regardless of the area, so I created a map that covers the entire region.
Did you create this map all by yourself?
Murakami
No. I was only in charge of planning and editing.
The selection of restaurants and interviews were conducted together with the Mizushima Morigaetai team. The map also includes photos and comments from citizens who introduced the restaurants.
Additionally, I requested printing from Houtoku Printing in Mizushima. They provided not only printing but also design advice. I am truly grateful for their help in shaping my vague ideas.
Through my activities as a Community Revitalization Cooperation Team member, I met many people who have a strong passion for Mizushima. I believe this yakiniku map is a collaborative work created together with those who were involved with me.
How do you want people to use the "Mizushima Yakiniku Map"?
Murakami
First and foremost, I want the people living in Mizushima to pick it up.
This is because the residents of Mizushima have become accustomed to the many individually owned yakiniku restaurants, and they do not recognize the abundance and quality of these restaurants as a charm of this town.
Therefore, I hope that when the residents of Mizushima are asked by people from other regions about the charm of this town, they can proudly say, while holding this map, that "there are many yakiniku restaurants."
Kurashiki City is experiencing aging, and Mizushima is no exception. For this reason, I wanted the elderly to also be able to pick it up, so I released it in paper format.
However, I assume that the ones actually going to eat yakiniku will be the children or grandchildren of the residents who received this map. Therefore, I created a hybrid map that allows detailed information about the restaurants to be viewed on the homepage.
Finally, please give a message to the readers.
Murakami
For the people of Mizushima, yakiniku restaurants are not only places to eat meat but also serve as taverns and gathering spots.
Please be sure to visit the yakiniku restaurants in Mizushima along with the night view of the Mizushima Industrial Complex.
Conclusion
You can see individually owned yakiniku restaurants around the town, but it takes courage to enter one for the first time.
In such cases, having the Mizushima Yakiniku Map makes it feel like someone has introduced you by saying, "I came here because I saw the map," allowing you to enter new restaurants.
How about comparing the restaurants you want to visit on the homepage of the Mizushima Yakiniku Map and enjoying yakiniku in Mizushima with the paper map in hand?
