Interview with owner Bunta Okamoto
We spoke with owner Bunta Okamoto of Yamau Coffee Stand.
How Yamau Coffee Stand opened
How did you come to open Yamau Coffee Stand?
Okamoto
The place where Yamau Coffee Stand is now used to be home to Yamau Kamaboko Shop, a kamaboko shop that had been in business since the Meiji era.
My father ran Yamau Kamaboko Shop as its third-generation owner, and later my older brother took over as the fourth generation.
However, while I was in Australia on a working holiday, I heard from my family that Yamau Kamaboko Shop would be closing.
I had originally planned to travel around overseas using the working holiday program, but I changed my plans and returned to Japan.
Did you decide to open a coffee shop after your family business closed?
Okamoto
Actually, when I heard that my family business was closing, I hadn't yet thought about opening a coffee shop.
But I had always had a vague feeling that I wanted to do something in the Bikan Historical Area, where I was born and raised.
Also, a teacher at the cram school I attended, who had helped me a lot, told me, “If you go overseas, take something from Japan with you, or bring something back to Japan from overseas.” During my working holiday, I kept thinking about what I could do in the Bikan Historical Area.
Then I heard from my family that the shop was closing, and I thought I wanted to do something in its place.
Why did you choose a coffee shop?
Okamoto
At first, I considered opening a crepe shop.
There used to be a popular crepe shop in the Bikan Historical Area.
I also planned to run the shop by myself, and crepes are something one person can make and are easy to eat.
But I decided against it because it would appeal to a limited age group.
Then I realized that there were many cafes in Australia, and coffee culture was firmly established there.
Getting coffee to go is part of everyday life at cafes in Australia.
It was normal to get coffee to go from a cafe on the way to work or when going out, and drink it while on the move.
That made me think that a coffee shop focused on takeout would be a good fit for the Bikan Historical Area, a tourist destination.
I also think coffee is appealing because it suits a wide range of age groups.
At the time, there were no shops around the Bikan Historical Area serving espresso-based coffee, either.
So I decided to open a takeout coffee shop serving espresso-based drinks.
Where did you train in coffee-making?
Okamoto
I decided to open a coffee stand just before returning to Japan.
So I didn't have much time, but there was a school in Australia where you could learn the basics of being a barista in about a week.
I attended and learned the basics.
After returning to Japan, I asked a friend who worked at a cafe to let me practice making lattes and other drinks.
After that, I learned through hands-on experience once the shop opened.
What makes the shop special
I heard that Yamau Coffee Stand is known for its delicious lattes. Why did you make lattes the main focus?
Okamoto
The biggest reason is that I personally love lattes.
Actually, I usually only drink lattes.
Also, espresso and Americano tend to divide opinion.
But adding milk to espresso makes it easier to drink.
That's why we serve espresso and Americano, but I don't intend to make them our main menu items.
There are also many shops around the Bikan Historical Area serving different kinds of coffee, each with its own character.
Yamau Coffee Stand's defining feature is that it's “a place to enjoy a delicious latte.”
I recommend a shop with great espresso to people who want espresso, and a long-established coffee shop to people who like old-fashioned cafes.
If you want a latte, I recommend Yamau.
I think having coffee shops with a variety of specialties gives customers more choices and helps the Bikan Historical Area thrive.
I don't think one shop needs to offer everything.
I hear matcha lattes are popular, too. Why did you add them to the menu?
Okamoto
We're primarily a coffee shop focused on lattes, but we also offer drinks without coffee for when people visit in groups and someone doesn't like coffee.
Matcha latte is one of them.
We also have tea lattes and melon cream soda.
Over time, younger customers, especially high school students, started ordering matcha lattes often, and it became one of our popular items.
High school students weren't originally our target customers.
So the popularity of matcha lattes was unexpected.
Are there any ways you make the shop special beyond the products?
Okamoto
First, there's the name “Yamau” and its crest.
Yamau Kamaboko Shop closed, but I carried on the Yamau name and crest under a different type of business.
In terms of the name, it has been passed down from my great-grandfather to my grandfather, father, and older brother, making me the fifth generation.
I inherited the crest as well as the name because it helps people who knew Yamau from its kamaboko shop days recognize us, while for those who didn't, the unusual crest serves as a landmark.
People passing by see the crest on the cup someone has taken away and immediately recognize it as Yamau. I think it also makes a lasting impression.
Another thing I care about is that we've kept the building almost exactly as it was when it was a kamaboko shop.
This is also the house where I was born and raised, so I'm attached to it.
I also like its old-fashioned atmosphere.
I wanted to make use of the timeworn building, which is part of the charm of a long-established business.
The exterior is almost unchanged.
We also kept the “Kamaboko” sign.
It's a landmark, for the same reason as the crest.
The main changes to the interior were replacing the walls and installing a counter.
Otherwise, the interior is almost unchanged.
We just removed the sheet flooring that had been laid down.
We also kept the ceiling's original look.
The challenge of espresso being affected by the outside air
Are there any challenges in running the shop?
Okamoto
It's difficult to keep the quality consistent when making espresso.
Espresso is easily affected by outside conditions such as humidity.
And since we keep the entrance open, it's affected by the outside air even more.
It's especially difficult when the weather changes suddenly.
It's hard when I have to repeat the process of making it again and again, then tasting it to check.
Also, during spring and summer holiday periods such as Golden Week, cold drinks sell well.
We need a lot of ice, so making it is a lot of work.
Thoughts on the Bikan Historical Area
I hear you were born and raised in the Bikan Historical Area. Has it changed since you were young?
Okamoto
Our home was on the second floor of Yamau Kamaboko Shop, so I grew up in the Bikan Historical Area.
I still live on the second floor of the shop.
I can really feel that the kinds of visitors to the Bikan Historical Area have changed compared with the past.
When I was little, most of the people who came to the Bikan Historical Area were middle-aged or elderly.
Now lots of young people come, too.
There are also many visitors from overseas.
I think the range of visitors has broadened considerably.
As the range of visitors has broadened, the number and variety of shops have increased.
There are denim shops and all kinds of restaurants now, too.
I also feel that the flow of people has changed along with that.
Finally, could you tell us how you feel about your shop and the Bikan Historical Area?
Okamoto
I grew up at Yamau Kamaboko Shop, and although I moved elsewhere when I got older, I feel a strong connection to the Bikan Historical Area.
Even now, there are many people around Yamau Coffee Stand whom I've known for a long time.
This town has done a lot for me, so I want to give back by helping Yamau Coffee Stand thrive with the lattes I love.
From the Writer
Reporting on Yamau Coffee Stand, I could feel owner Okamoto's desire to help the Bikan Historical Area thrive—a feeling rooted in having been born in a long-established shop there and growing up in the area.
I think Yamau Coffee Stand's appeal lies in carrying on and making use of what has been passed down through generations as a long-established business, while spreading the new culture of takeout coffee that Okamoto discovered while living in Australia.
When you visit the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Area, why not get a latte or another drink to go from Yamau Coffee Stand and stroll around the area while enjoying its flavors?
- Model: Riru
- Photography: Ryuuichi Ootake
YAMAU coffee stand Information
| Name | YAMAU coffee stand |
|---|---|
| Address | 5-4 Honmachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | None |
| Parking | None |
| Business hours | March–November: 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. December–February: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. *May also open in the evening when there is a nighttime event in the Bikan Historical Area |
| Regular closing days | Irregular |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Not accepted |
| Seating | As this is a takeout shop, there is no seating. There are three benches. |
| Smoking | Completely non-smoking |
| Website | YAMAU coffee stand Official Instagram |
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