The taste of Yokohama loved around the world: An interview with Yoshimura Minoru of the Yoshimura family
Soy sauce soup based on tonkotsu and chicken bones. Thick noodles that are firmly entangled in the soup. Topped with spinach, char siu, and seaweed. Iekei ramen has now been established as a genre of ramen. Its origin and pinnacle is Yoshimuraya, the head temple of Iekei ramen, which opened in Shinsugita in 1974. It is currently a popular restaurant in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, with a constant line of customers every day and night. We spoke with Yoshimura Minoru, chairman and creator of this Iekei ramen. He candidly shared his thoughts about how he started the ramen shop and his own thoughts on ramen.
--What made you decide to open a ramen shop?
My family was poor, so I wanted to be rich. I only graduated from junior high school, so I basically had an inferiority complex. When I was a student... I guess you could call it when I was a student, I felt like I lost then, so I wanted to win in society. That's all. So I didn't want to lose to people who graduated from university or had good jobs. I just wanted to win in life, and I just wanted to win when I die. That's why I run a ramen shop.
-- Do you teach people how to make Ie-style ramen?
The word "iekei" means "family." I teach because I am "family." On Sunday, six ramen shop owners came from Yamaguchi Prefecture, and I taught them without receiving any payment. I don't teach that much, so that rarely happens. The word "iekei" means "family." That's why I hope that everyone I teach becomes rich.
── Could you tell us how you ended up opening your shop in the center of Yokohama?
Because I wanted to be famous. When I was in Shinsugita, my rent was 180,000 yen, but when I came to Yokohama, it was 2 million yen. I didn't know if I could compete there, but now, 40 years later, I've built a building here worth 230 million yen. Even so, the land isn't that big, only about 25 tsubo. That's partly because I worked hard, but I think it's also because I got to know a lot of different people.
--Please tell us about a typical day when making ramen.
I usually wake up at midnight, start work at 2am, and go to bed at 5pm. I eat dinner at 3pm and breakfast at about 7pm. I only eat two meals a day. I don't exercise, and if I eat, I get fat. But I'm 76 years old, so I think I'm healthier than the average person. I only eat ramen about three times a month, but now I can't eat that much. I mostly eat vegetables and light foods. And on Sundays I go out to play. I can't tell unless I go and see a lot of different restaurants. I go to 2-3 ramen shops and things like that. But 99% of the restaurants that used to be good have become bad. That's because my father isn't there, and the proprietress isn't there. You see, I've been there all this time, so even if the taste gets better, I don't think it will get worse. But I don't know when it's my son's generation. For now, both my son and daughter are passing grades. They might be able to win even if they go out into the world.
--What is the appeal of Yokohama to you, Mr. Yoshimura?
Customers are always open to new things. That's what's great about Yokohama customers. It's the same with politics, but surprisingly, Kanagawa and Yokohama are always ahead of the curve. I think this is the spirit of Yokohama citizens and Kanagawa prefecture residents. They don't mind taking on new challenges. They're not really swayed by the media. They just try it for themselves and if it suits them, that's fine. That's why it was great to open in Yokohama.
-- Ramen is a popular food all over the world right now, so do you have anything to say to ramen fans?
You have to wait two to three hours, so if you don't like waiting, you should go to another ramen shop. That's because it's a Japanese taste (laughs). This (Yoshimuraya's ramen) is not a Japanese taste. My ramen is made with three bottles of that much soup (pointing to a stockpot) and I make new ramen every day, so it's fresh and has a lot of different ingredients. It doesn't taste like additives. But it seems to be accepted all over the world.
But there is a daily limit. If we make 1000 meals, we won't have enough soup. So I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but there aren't many shops that make it in a pot that big and keep three bottles in stock all the time. They just make it little by little, heat it up, and that's it. That's not a ramen shop, it's called a vending machine.
We don't make our ramen in a factory, it's 99% handmade. We make our own vinegar and ginger. It seems like there aren't many ramen shops in Japan that have a lot of private brands. It seems like we're the only one that does. I think because of this characteristic, we have a lot of foreign customers. Foreigners must know the taste really well. It's giving me a headache, because you can't fool them anymore. They're getting more and more used to ramen. You can't fool these people with just a little trick.
"Thank you for the perfect interview," concludes Chairman Yoshimura, who flashes the biggest smile of the day. Regarding the future of Yoshimuraya, he says, "It's still to come. It's only been around 47 years. If I keep going for another three or four years, I'll be... 80. I can't help but think about it. But I still feel like I have a long way to go." The flavor of Yoshimuraya, which was born in Shinsugita, now fascinates people all over the world. It is likely that they will continue to make memorable bowls of ramen that represent Yokohama and Kanagawa.
As you can see, Kanagawa Prefecture has a variety of fascinating food cultures that can only be experienced here. Why not enjoy Kanagawa's unique gourmet food, seasonal ingredients, alcohol, and other food culture while interacting with local people in conjunction with cultural and artistic appreciation and events?
