Asakusa (department store)Denki Bran (brandname)bar
Kamiya Bar” was the first bar in Japan to keep an eye on the changes and bustle of the town in front of Asakusa Station since 1880 (Meiji 13). Restaurant Kamiya on the 2nd floor and Kappo Kamiya on the 3rd floor. We interviewed Naoya Kamiya, the fifth generation owner of Kamiya Bar, about the origins of Kamiya Bar and the innovations it has produced over the years.
*The company is closed at the time of interview (March 2022).
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Can you tell us about the innovations of Kamiya Bar from the first generation to the current generation, such as Denki Bran?
To begin with, there was a manufacturer called “Kamiya Shuzo” until the generation of my grandfather, the third generation, and the first generation also wanted to be in the brewing business. So, until my grandfather, he was the president of a large manufacturer, so to speak. In 1960, we joined forces with Godo Shusei, and “Kamiya Bar” as a restaurant became our main business. So the original main business was the sake brewing business.
First of all, there was innovation during your time as a brewer, wasn’t there?
At that time, at the beginning of the Meiji period, Western liquor was not readily available and there was no custom of drinking wine. In such circumstances, Hachibudo sake and Denki Bran were created with the desire to produce Western-style alcohol that was inexpensive and suited to the Japanese palate.
First of all, in the first generation, you made Hachibudo sake. How about in the second generation?
My great-grandfather, the second generation, was my adopted son, and I heard that it was his work that created the Ushiku Chateau winery in Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture.
You mentioned that the first generation started a sake brewery, which must have been a high hurdle to overcome at the time. What was the background behind this?
According to literature, there is a story that when he was young, he had a physical ailment and his employer gave him a glass of wine to cheer him up.
It really is amazing. I’ve heard a lot about the health benefits of wine.
I think it was the most difficult time for my grandfather, because there was the war and the corporate merger I mentioned earlier. Actually, Kamiya Bar was established by the third generation as a private store. If Kamiya Bar had been part of Kamiya Brewery, we might not be in the situation we are in today.
I see. Because it might be combined with Godo Shusei.
The person who actually ran the store was my great-grandmother. She died on November 23, 1964, and I was born five days later. So I take the liberty of thinking that I am a reincarnation of my great-grandmother.
It is fateful. You have inherited the spirit of your great-grandmother and run Kamiya Bar, where Asakusa people gather. What are some of the innovations that were created during the third generation, when there was also a war?
When they reopened after the war, they apparently built a second floor. Even now, the second floor is a big help for sales. However, the floor was all wooden, probably because it was built in a hurry at that time, so we had to do major work, including earthquake resistance.
You all expanded your sales as you grew Kamiya Bar in your own generation. And the fourth generation is your father’s generation.
What must have been the most difficult task at my father’s time was to consolidate some of the remaining Godo Shusei land rights and other assets to make the company what it is today.
It’s a heck of a lot of work to organize the contract. Amazing. You must have done your best to have a symbolic weapon, the Denki Bran, but you had to properly distance yourself from the brewing business. And the fifth generation is Mr. Kamiya.
We want to take care of the “space” we provide for our customers.
I did some seismic work about 5 years ago. My house faces National Route 6, Edo-dori, which is an emergency transportation road. In other words, it must not collapse. We had a hard time finding a contractor for that work, and we tried to find a way to do it while keeping the original building, so we devised ways to increase the thickness of the pillars and walls.
You worked on improving the safety aspect of earthquake resistance of the building, which has been inherited through gradual renovations since the Taisho era.
As a result, we were able to meet the earthquake resistance standard, but that still doesn’t mean it will never break. It is a standard that says it won’t break in an instant, so you can escape in the meantime. However, I think I did the best I could do, and I hope I was able to pass it on to the next generation.
It is very difficult to build an earthquake-resistant structure while maintaining the traditional structure. Building an earthquake-resistant structure affects the design.
Since the building was built in 1921, there are no drawings from that time. Therefore, it seems that structural calculations were very difficult.
From a construction company’s point of view, it’s like, “If you don’t peel it off, you’ll never know.” ……
Yes, it was. When I peeled it off, it was very sooty.
I feel that our ancestors must have gone through such hardships to keep the restaurant going. Do you have any new prospects for Kamiya Bar in the future?
I just mentioned earthquake-proofing work, but there is a section that was built next door in 1980 that houses a kitchen. I would like to prepare a kitchen that can be used for decades to come while my eyes are still black.
Now that you are a restaurant and have a full menu of drinks and signature items such as Denki Bran, are you conversely thinking of making the building more robust?
The restaurant business that we operate is a business that includes all the space for enjoying food and drink, so we think that it will be difficult to continue as a business unless we take good care of the place.
The restaurant business is like a comprehensive art form. We have been around for five generations because we have cared for all of our customers’ senses. Finally, do you have a message for our readers?
I could go on and on, but there are many really fun stores and places to visit, so please come to Asakusa.
Kamiya Bar has been in existence for five generations, and innovation has occurred in each generation. The current fifth generation is in charge of protecting Kamiya Bar. He will continue to maintain the Kamiya Bar while taking care of it so that visitors can enjoy eating and drinking.
*If you would like to see this dialogue on video.here (place close to the speaker or where the speaker is)
