Kaneshichi Shoten / Yusuke Sezaki's passion for bonito flakes
"Even a katsuobushi shop can make people happy."
Narrator: Yusuke Sezaki | 瀬崎祐介
The fourth generation of Kinshichi Shoten, a traditional katsuobushi store in Makurazaki City, Kagoshima Prefecture. He continues to make honkarebushi using the traditional method, which is now rare.
The "Honkare-bushi Classic Bushi," made with Mozart's classical music playing during the entire kabi-ing process, which is considered the most important process in making honkare-bushi, won the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Award at the National Dried Bonito Bone Products Fair in 2016.
While producing a wide variety of dried bonito flakes, the company also works to preserve and pass on the tradition of bonito flakes that have been handed down in Makurazaki.
The History of Kinchi Shoten and Myself
Makurazaki has a history of about 300 years since the introduction of dried bonito flakes, but Kinshichi Shoten has only been in business for about 60 years.
There are two types of dried bonito flakes, "arahonbushi" and "honkarebushi," and there are dozens of different types of honkarebushi, as well as different types of fish.
In Makurazaki, a town of 30,000 people 45 years ago, there were about 120 katsuobushi shops, and you could go next door and learn how to make katsuobushi as much as you wanted.
At that time, we were like a "jack-of-all-trades" and we were constantly adding more and more things to our product lineup.
For me, dried bonito flakes have been something I took for granted every day since I was a child. The idea of taking over a katsuobushi shop was actually not that appealing to me.
In fact, my father, who seemed to be busy with the daily production to wholesale dried bonito flakes, seemed more like a business owner than a craftsman. I couldn't see the thoughts of the makers, the flow of life, or the meaning of the dried bonito.
I was rebellious against my parents, schoolteachers, and classmates, so I left my hometown to dive into the world of visual art, a job that makes people happy, instead of taking over the family business, which excited me.
Even a katsuobushi shop can make people happy.
I had to save up money since I wanted to study visual arts.
So when I was working part-time at a stationery shop, I gave away dried bonito flakes sent from my parents' house to everyone, and to my surprise, they all loved them.
That was the first time I realized that even a dried bonito flakes shop can make people happy.
I was once asked, "Why don't you take over the katsuobushi business?" I was told, "Why don't you take over the katsuobushi business?
From that time on, my image of dried bonito flakes started to change. I realized that what was once too commonplace was actually something special.
My dream of "making people happy" could be realized by taking over the katsuobushi shop. With this in mind, I decided to take over Kinshichi Shoten.
Until you can really face the bonito
However, for the first few years after I returned to my parents' house, it was hard to see people's happy faces, and I spent my days just being busy with work, so I didn't think it was fun at all. I often wondered what I was doing.
The only time I had fun was when I was making honkarebushi using the traditional method, making modifications to the product.
Since that time, I have continued to make Honkare Bushi in my own way, and the "Classic Bushi" was born, in which Mozart's classical music is played during the entire kabi-ing process, which is considered the most important part of the kare-bushi process.
Mozart on bonito! ? Discerning classic clause
After handing out the process of the book with the curtail, boil it, pull out one by one and smoke. From there, shave the surface and shave to repeat mold and sun -dried.
The classic clause is made by playing classical music during all the molding process.
Listening to classics is different and the way of affection is different, and the dense mold is attached to deepen fermentation and aging.
After that, just because beautiful music is flowing, you can face the bonito while gently and relaxed.
I wonder if that alone makes sense.
If you can make good quality bonito, do not hesitate.
I think it's a craftsman.
Recently, the number of people who have the image of "classic clause" is increasing, but this naming is directly traded in this bonito, and in fact, 5% of the total. below.
However, if you are seriously facing that 5%, you will naturally become more powerful to other products, and as a result, I feel that the whole section of Kinnichi Shoten is getting better. 。
We make 80 % of the book, but even in a word, there are some things that can be made with the hands of each craftsman, and some have been mass -produced by machines. Is wide.
That's why I always have a collaboration such as this time or a restaurant who wants to buy our products, always come to the factory tour and start trading.
I hope that you can use it by showing what you are actually making and talking all without hiding how you are facing the bonito.
Let's go to the place where we can go
The classic clause we make is mostly for business use, even if you make this much time and time, so the name of Kinnichi Shoten and brand name will not appear.
Bonito is rarely placed at home, so even if you appear on TV, it is not a lot to buy, and it is often said that it sold considerably, but at all.
So I think the bonito shop is very difficult.
I don't want to change this style, and I think that the Kinchi Shoten may be crushed if I change it, but as a general management, I'm going in a bad direction.
There was a conflict for a long time, but I pushed my back to my son's words.
At a certain event, a guest was called by a parent and child, and finally the moderator told his son and handed the microphone.
At that moment, I don't care what I was worried about, this is fine! What? I was able to go to the point where I could really go as it was.
Thanks to that, I have met people who sympathize with my thoughts and commitment, and I am working with the desire to "leave" and "want to know" rather than sell bonito.
