Interview with Sugichaya representative Masaki Sugimoto
We spoke with Sugichaya President and Representative Director Masaki Sugimoto about the story behind the founding of Sugichaya, the care put into the shop and its products, and why it began selling manju.
This article presents the interview conducted during our first visit in December 2019.
The founder, a flour-milling researcher, opened the shop along National Route 53
What led to the founding of the shop?
Sugimoto
Sugichaya was founded by my father.
He worked as a flour-milling researcher at a flour-milling company.
In a sense, he was an expert in flour, and he was always particular about flour and continued researching it. Eventually, it seems he wanted to try running a business using flour himself.
Sugichaya opened in December 1973.
It was in the Fukuwatari district, in what is now Takebe-cho, Kita Ward, Okayama City.
At first, it was a small udon shop.
The grounds have since expanded and more buildings have been added, but our main shop has always operated in the same location.
There are many dishes made with wheat flour, but it seems udon was the best fit for my father.
As a flour-research specialist, my father probably approached udon-making from a scientific perspective as well.
He noticed there were no shops in Fukuwatari, midway between Okayama and Tsuyama
The main shop is in Fukuwatari, Takebe, Okayama City. Why did he choose that location?
Sugimoto
My father was from what is now Maniwa City.
But he had a clear reason for deliberately opening the shop in Fukuwatari.
When the shop opened in 1973, cars were becoming common in households, with one car per family.
Meanwhile, there were few shops along National Route 53, which connects central Okayama City and central Tsuyama City in the north of the prefecture, outside of Okayama and Tsuyama themselves.
So he decided to open in Fukuwatari, roughly midway between Okayama and Tsuyama along National Route 53.
There is quite a distance between Okayama and Tsuyama, and even driving takes time.
He seems to have thought that people needed a place where they could take a break.
Like today, Fukuwatari was roughly midway along the highway connecting Okayama and Tsuyama during the Edo period, and prospered as a river port and post town.
Fukuwatari was in Mimasaka Province, while across the Asahi River lay the Takebe district in Bizen Province, at the provincial border.
That is why it was sung of as the place where people would say, “Shall I go to Okayama, or turn back to Tsuyama...?”
With the aim of becoming a modern-day equivalent of an Edo-period “teahouse” in historic Fukuwatari, the shop was named “Sugichaya,” taking one character from our family name.
Sugichaya’s Tenmaya Kurashiki store opened in 2008, when Tenmaya Kurashiki moved to its current location and opened there.
At first, he had no intention of taking over the udon shop
Did you intend to take over the udon shop from the beginning?
Sugimoto
Actually, I had absolutely no intention of taking over the family udon business.
I worked in jobs completely unrelated to udon for a long time.
But gradually, I began to feel that I wanted to help out at the shop.
Then I returned home, joined the udon shop, and spent my days training.
I learned a lot from my father and one of his former colleagues at the flour-milling company.
But things didn’t go well, and it was difficult.
Both of them had the approach of “find the answer yourself,” so every day was truly a process of trial and error.
A steadfast commitment to “Okayama udon,” with distinctive characteristics unique to Okayama
What are the distinctive qualities of Sugichaya’s udon?
Sugimoto
We call Sugichaya’s udon “Okayama udon.”
When people think of udon noodles, I think many imagine the firm chew of Sanuki udon.
In Okayama, however, people tend to prefer udon noodles that have not only firmness but also a springy texture that seems to push back a little when you bite into them.
The Okayama dialect word “tanwari,” meaning something like “soft and chewy” or “mellow,” describes it perfectly.
That’s why we deliberately call it Okayama udon and pursue udon with a distinctive, tanwari flavor suited to the character of Okayama.
Every day, we send dough made at our Fukuwatari main shop to Kurashiki, where we cut the noodles in the Kurashiki store.
The key to the deliciousness of Okayama udon is the udon flour (medium-strength flour).
As I mentioned earlier, my father was a flour researcher.
That’s why Sugichaya is particular about its flour.
When the characteristics of flour change over time, we research flour that will let us maintain Sugichaya’s udon flavor while adapting to those changes.
We have changed our flour several times to keep up with the times.
We currently blend flour from several regions in Japan and abroad, and arriving at this blend involved a great deal of trial and error.
For example, even flour from within Japan can vary considerably depending on the region where it was grown.
Our attention to flour is also reflected in the batter for our tempura.
We also use well water from the Fukuwatari main shop for the water in our udon noodles.
That’s another important point.
And, of course, we’re particular about our dashi too.
First, we use kombu from Rishiri, Hokkaido.
Then we make dashi with three kinds of katsuobushi.
We have been particular about kombu from Rishiri since the shop was founded.
We also use custom-made soy sauce from Ibo, Hyogo Prefecture.
Making use of its location midway between Okayama and Tsuyama, he developed manju as souvenirs
Why does an udon shop sell manju and karinto?
Sugimoto
I’ve heard that we started selling manju about five years after opening the shop.
As I mentioned earlier, there were few shops along National Route 53 between Okayama and Tsuyama at the time, so many customers said, “It would be nice if you sold souvenir sweets too.”
Since Sugichaya was particular about flour, my father seems to have come up with the idea of making manju using flour.
Manju are generally made with cake flour.
He thought that using udon flour (medium-strength flour) to make manju would create something interesting.
The idea of “manju made with udon flour by an udon shop that cares about its flour” seemed interesting.
It would also make use of the knowledge about flour he had gained through making udon.
What’s more, the wholesaler from whom Sugichaya bought flour also dealt in sugar.
When my father consulted the wholesaler, they introduced him to “Awa Wasanbon,” made in Tokushima Prefecture.
Awa Wasanbon is made in Tokushima Prefecture and is a very rare, high-quality sugar.
So they decided to make manju using black sugar syrup made with Awa Wasanbon.
After much trial and error, today’s Sugichaya manju was born.
How did nama karinto come about?
Sugimoto
In my father’s time, Sugichaya manju was the only confectionery we made.
Nama karinto was developed after I became the representative.
Thanks to our customers, Sugichaya manju has been loved by many people for many years.
But there are many competitors, and I also felt a sense of urgency that we needed to develop new products.
So I wondered if there was something we could make using the same Awa Wasanbon black sugar syrup as Sugichaya manju.
Actually, I have a very sweet tooth.
When I thought of sweets made with brown sugar, karinto was the first thing that came to mind.
And after much trial and error, nama karinto was born.
That was in 2015.
Today, it has grown into a popular product alongside Sugichaya manju.
There is no finished ideal; he researches every day to adapt to daily changes
What is challenging about your work?
Sugimoto
Adapting to subtle changes from day to day.
We have continued to refine our udon noodles and dashi through trial and error, and we adjust them to account for subtle daily changes.
For example, temperature and humidity.
Even such subtle factors can change the taste.
So we need to make adjustments to those changes to achieve Sugichaya’s usual flavor.
That’s why I think there is no finished ideal for Sugichaya’s udon.
It feels like we’re experimenting every day.
I feel like I’m researching udon every day, and I enjoy that.
My motto is that those of us working at the shop need to enjoy what we do.
If we aren’t enjoying ourselves, it shows in the taste and our customers can tell.
That’s why we need to enjoy our work and get along well with one another.
Thankfully, I enjoy my work every day, and I’m grateful for that.
From the Writer
Sugichaya was founded by a flour-milling researcher and expert.
The passion and spirit of research devoted to making udon, starting with the flour, have been firmly passed down to current representative Sugimoto.
“Okayama udon,” developed in pursuit of local flavor, is delicious udon that lets you appreciate that dedication.
Sugichaya manju and nama karinto, which also reflect that commitment to flour, are sweets you should try at least once.
Be sure to visit Sugichaya and enjoy its carefully crafted Okayama udon, Sugichaya manju, and nama karinto!
Sugichaya Tenmaya Kurashiki Store Information
| Name | Sugichaya Tenmaya Kurashiki Store |
|---|---|
| Address | 6th Floor, Tenmaya Kurashiki Store, 1-7-1 Achi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-426-2637 |
| Parking | Available Use the affiliated parking lot of Tenmaya Kurashiki Store ※Two hours free with purchases of ¥3,000 or more |
| Hours | 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Open daily ※Follows the holidays of Tenmaya Kurashiki Store |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted |
| Seating | 44 seats in total ・Four 2-person tables ・Two 4-person tables ・Three 6-person tables ・10 counter seats ※ Table seating arrangements can be changed |
| Smoking | Completely non-smoking |
| Restrooms | Western-style restroom, accessible restroom |
| Families with children | Nursing room, diaper-changing table Strollers permitted Children's chairs available Children's tableware available |
| Accessibility | Accessible restroom, elevator Wheelchair access available Please use the restroom on the 6th floor of Tenmaya |
| Website | Sugichaya Tenmaya Kurashiki Store Official Facebook Page |
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