Landed from Shiga Prefecture! A popular restaurant that is well-loved in Tokyo!
This time we interviewed Mr Miyagawa, owner of the Tokyo-based ramen restaurant Jyunibunya Waseda.
Waseda has the image of being densely populated with restaurants, but Jubunya is a small, 10-seat restaurant located along a clear road.
The restaurant’s soy sauce ramen has a gentle taste that can be eaten every day, and customers never cease to visit even during idle hours.
– Why did you open a ramen restaurant?
Before I started my ramen restaurant, I worked in factories and restaurants and did field work. The reason I started a ramen restaurant was because I wanted to start something and when I thought about what I could do, I thought that a ramen restaurant might be something I could do… It wasn’t because I was very enthusiastic and liked ramen or anything like that.
– Why did you choose Yamato Seisakusho?
Yamato Seisakusho is the most well-known name in the industry and I felt secure. I wanted to buy a machine in a place where I could have a sense of security because I would be using it for a long time.
– Have there been any changes since the introduction of the noodle-making machine?
We were able to work together to come up with noodles that matched our soup, and we were able to produce ideal noodles that matched the soup even better than before. In addition, the cost has been reduced considerably.
– What have been some of the hardest things you’ve had to do?
When I started the ramen shop, I worked so hard that I didn’t even have time to sleep. Even so, we didn’t make any profit at all, to the point where we couldn’t make a living. I was prepared to work twice as hard and earn half the salary as other people when I started my own business, but I don’t want other people to feel like this and I don’t want them to. The money I make is not at all commensurate with the work I do, but for the first few years I worked so hard in the shop that I didn’t care about that. But now, it’s different from how I felt then, and while it’s OK to be self-satisfied that I’m doing my best when I’m here, I don’t think we should ask others to do that. I think that if we don’t create a more efficient and profitable system, there will be no one left to run a ramen shop.
– About staff.
We are quite careful when it comes to training our personnel. In particular, we make sure that there is no mourning for our customers.
– What kind of presence do you have with Yamato Seisakusho?
They have expertise in noodles and are very supportive and reliable.
– What are your dreams for the future?
First, a national championship!
Then I would like to think about expanding overseas.
– Wishes for the ramen industry
I would like to expand overseas, but it is a difficult hurdle in the current situation. I would like to see various types of business enter the global market and make ramen more major. I think this will make it more accessible for our company to expand overseas.
