Asakusa (department store)souvenir from Asakusathunderstorm
Kaminari Okoshi is a sweet and savory traditional Japanese snack. Established for more than 200 years, the main store of “Tokiwando Kaminari Okoshi Honpo” is located right next to Asakusa’s Kaminarimon, and as a representative of Asakusa souvenirs, it has continued to bring energy and enjoyment to the area, which is also a booming inbound destination for tourists. What kind of innovation is the company working on and what does it value in its confectionery production?
Mr. Kumeichi Hogari, the third generation owner of “Tokiwando Kaminari Okoshi Honpo” after the war, gave us a valuable talk about his commitment to specific products, current measures he is working on, and historical secrets with the Kaminarimon.
Forest:May I ask for a quick introduction to your store?
Mr. Hokari:We, “Tokiwa-do Kaminari Okoshi Honpo,” are a Japanese confectionery manufacturing and sales company with a store right next to the Kaminarimon gate.
Hayashi: It is a famous restaurant on the left side towards the Kaminarimon.
Hogari-san: Since the company’s establishment, we have been dealing in “thunder koshi,” a confectionary that brings good luck and “can wake up a house and a name.
Could you also introduce yourself, Mr. Hogari?
Mr. Hokari: PresentI am 62 years old, and I have been the head of “Tokiwa-do Lightning Stirrups Honpo” since I was 36 years old. Usually, young masters of long-established businesses go to department stores or banks for training, but in my case, I went straight to work at our factory after graduating from college. My father said, “I feel sorry for the president who has an employee who comes home when he gets tired, so I had no choice but to hire him” (laugh).
I see (laughs).
So I don’t know anything outside of Asakusa. So my weakness is that I am not familiar with markets and markets. However, my father passed away when I was 36 years old, so it was probably a good thing that I got to know the business earlier as a result.
Did you have the support of your employees, people in Asakusa, and other people around you in taking over a long-established business at such a young age?
That’s right. I took over the company in 1996, right after the bursting of the bubble economy. Therefore, I am an “unlucky manager.
There were subsequent hardships such as Corona, but I believe those were overcome because of Mr. Hokari. In this photo here, you are surfing and overcoming waves as well, aren’t you?
This is a picture of me at a tournament in Hawaii about 4 years ago. It looks good, but I lost in the first round at that time (laughs).
You seem to be able to ride it very well, but I see (laughs). Where do you usually surf in Japan?
I am a member of a surfing team at a place called Tsujido in Shonan. The aloha shirt I am wearing today is from the team of Mr. Masanori Komuro, a leading surfing expert in Japan.
You are usually energetically involved in hobbies such as surfing.
Hogari：I surf first thing in the morning on Saturdays and Sundays and come back to the store around noon.。
Surfing is a sport that is enjoyed early in the morning, and by 9:00 a.m., you are exhausted …….
The spirit of “tradition is reform” that changes the taste according to the times.
Is there a family motto at Tokiwando Thunder Stirrers?
I am not sure if it is a family motto, but our motto is the idea that “tradition is reform. Therefore, the contents of thunder roasted rice cake are completely different between the previous generation, my predecessor, and myself. And people 200 years ago and people today do not like to eat the same thing. Then, I think we have to change the taste to match the times.
For example, what are some of the changes?
Hogari-san: In my predecessor’s time, we used coloring agents to make colorful lightning ropes in response to the trend of adding color to sweets. In the days of the predecessors, sweetness was precious, so the “sweetness” was required to be enjoyed for a long time. Therefore, they used a lot of sugar to make it rich and sweet. In my time, we reduced the use of coloring agents, increased the swelling power of rice, and reduced the amount of syrup to the utmost limit to make the product softer to the touch.
Hayashi: I see.
My son is named Raita, and he is now a senior managing director.
The Statue of the God of Wind and Thunder at Kaminarimon and the Historical Secret Story of “Tokiwado Thunder Okoshi Honpo
Hayashi: You have really been reforming repeatedly. Are there any areas other than taste that have changed?
Mr. Hokari: The wrapping material has also changed in my time. Our paper bag has our trademark Wind God and Thunder God and the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate) on it. The person who donated the current Kaminarimon was Konosuke Matsushita, and we also had such a connection with him. That is why we decided to draw the Wind and Thunder Gods on the paper bag.
That’s amazing. On the other hand, are there parts of the tradition that you “don’t change”?
Mr. Hokari: It is the spirit of doing business enthusiastically. We have changed many other parts of the company that appear to be in a different form.
Hayashi: I hope to hear more about such reforms in the second half of the presentation.
People’s tastes change with the times. Sensitive to these changes, Tokiwando Kaminari Okoshi Honpo has continued to produce Kaminari Okoshi that meet the needs of the times. This meticulous attention to detail is what has won the hearts of so many fans.
latter part(temporal or logical sense) follow …
*If you would like to see this dialogue on video.here (place close to the speaker or where the speaker is)
