We want to spread delicious buckwheat noodle culture around the world.
Ogiso Flour Mill is a buckwheat noodle restaurant that mills its own flour and noodles and offers delicious buckwheat noodles at reasonable prices.
The fresh buckwheat noodles made from buckwheat flour are well received by many customers, and the company has developed franchises in Nagano Prefecture and other parts of Japan.
In order to provide freshly made soba noodles, Ogiso Seifunsho has introduced Yamato Seisakusho’s ‘Bando Taro’ noodle-making machine for soba noodles.
In this interview, Keiji Takasago, who was responsible for setting up the authentic self-serve soba noodle shop Ogiso Seirensho, tells us about his motivation for starting a soba noodle shop, the introduction of the noodle-making machine and his dreams for the future.
The Ohtaki Group, linking three generations
Otaki Corporation
Senior Managing Director
General Manager, Soba Division
Keiji Takasago, Ogiso Flour Mill
How did you get started in the buckwheat noodle business?
We started out as a handmade soba restaurant. My goal was to serve delicious Shinshu buckwheat noodles by hand and to satisfy customers who came all the way to Matsumoto, Shinshu, to eat them. After I had gained some training and established my own shop, I thought of opening a full-fledged self-serve soba shop (Ogiso Mill) as a separate brand.
What challenges did you face before installing the noodle-making machine?
There were no challenges with the noodle-making machine itself; in fact, it was modeled after Marugame Seimen and Hanamaru Udon, so there was a mountain of issues such as how best to operate noodles that boil slowly, and how to handle soba, which is delicate and easily cut, to make it commercially viable.
Was there any internal debate when selecting the first noodle-making machine?
We considered machines from other companies, but we visited the showroom in Nagoya, where we were taught by Mr Shinohara and were impressed by the fact that we could easily produce soba noodles of the highest quality. I remember well how hard I had to work to research and persuade my bosses to make it into a business.
At the time, I was the only person in the company who knew about soba.
What do you feel good about the introduction of the noodle-making machine?
It’s not about labour saving, but about being able to serve the same delicious taste as handmade noodles to as many people as possible.
Why did you choose Yamato Seisakusho?
The trigger was the internet.
I researched everything, even extruded ones.
I even took my boss to the showroom in Tokyo to try out the machine.
My boss was able to make top-quality soba without any problems, and the company’s internal flow changed to a tailwind after that.
What were the challenges in setting up Ogiso Flour Milling?
We thought it would be good if we could slowly gain recognition and gradually increase the number of customers and sales, so we came to a standstill from day one.
We didn’t have the right staff, and our representative joined us in the washing area. (Laughter)
What kind of presence does Yamato Seisakusho have for Mr Ohtaki?
We have been in a relationship with them for about six years, and at first we were just a machine manufacturer and a restaurant, but now I would say that they are our most reliable business partner. They tell me things that I can’t write about here.
I trust them anyway. I am envious of all the excellent staff, probably because of the personality of Mr Rocky, the president.
What is your dream (development) for the future?
I want to spread delicious soba culture around the world.
At first, I wanted people to come to Matsumoto to eat delicious soba, but now I really want to go out to the outside world and let as many people as possible try our delicious soba.
Ogiso Corporation – Information –
HP：https://www.ogiso-seifunjo.com/
Click here for a list of shops：https://www.ogiso-seifunjo.com/shops/
[FCMember shop recruitment]
Click here for more information on the Bando Taro buckwheat noodle-making machine.
