{"id":1670,"date":"2013-06-03T10:00:05","date_gmt":"2013-06-03T01:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ginzaofficial.sakura.ne.jp\/?p=1670"},"modified":"2015-06-26T17:59:27","modified_gmt":"2015-06-26T08:59:27","slug":"%e7%b4%b0%e9%87%8e-%e4%bd%b3%e4%bb%a3x%e9%ab%98%e5%b6%8b-%e3%81%a1%e3%81%95%e5%ad%90","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ginza.jp\/en\/connective\/1670","title":{"rendered":"Kayo Hosono\u00d7Chisako Takashima"},"content":{"rendered":"

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After the war, my grandparents opened the shop in the burnt ruins of Ginza<\/h4>\n
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Takashima<\/dt>\n
To start, could you tell me the origin of the name, Ginza Akebono?<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
Yes. Ginza Akebono was given that name to mean a new dawn in Japan, because it was opened in 1948, just after the war.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
Was it founded in Ginza?<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
Yes. I heard that Ginza was just burnt ruins at the time. My grandparents happened to procure some sugar and wondered if there was some way to share it with others. They made oshiruko (sweet red-bean soup) and sold it here, which was the start of the shop. There was a shortage of supplies, so they went around buying the adzuki beans in small cloth beanbags for juggling to make it.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
What vitality! Your grandparents opened the first shop together? Now there are shops all over the country.<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
My grandparents opened the first shop together, and my father expanded the business nationwide. Now we have about 90 shops from Hokkaido to Kyushu, mostly in Tokyo.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
That is amazing. Japanese sweets are wonderful because all generations love them. As a present to commemorate the birth of my child, I gave out manju (sweet bean-filled buns) stamped with an original violin mark. They were very well-received.<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
I am very glad to hear they are used this way. Our \u201cMochidora\u201d (bean-jam pancakes) that is a long-seller can also be stamped with a seal.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
Really? I want to get some! Let me ask next time.<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
By all means! I look forward to it.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
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Inside the Ginza Akebono Ginza Main Shop<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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The shop logo was written by my sister who had Down syndrome<\/h4>\n
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Takashima<\/dt>\n
Were you always planning to take over the shop?<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
Not at all. I originally wanted to be a teacher, but I became disheartened during teaching practice (laughs). I thought, that\u2019s it, and had my dad let me join the company. I figured I would get married and become a housewife.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
And the rest is history\u2026<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
Yes. Here I am 27 years later (laughs). My first post after joining the company was the factory making sweets. I joined the company with a totally noncommittal attitude, so my father probably put me in the factory to discipline me.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
There were different posts? The company must have been quite big even from back then.<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
No, it wasn\u2019t so big. When I first started working at the factory, over half the staff were disabled people. She passed away 3 years ago, but at the time my younger sister who had Down syndrome was already working at the factory. So, I started working together with her.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
My younger sister also has Down syndrome.<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
Yes, I saw your family story on TV. I felt we were similar there. My sister actually wrote the \u201cGinza Akebono\u201d logo used on our sign and wrappers.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
No kidding! Your sister was very talented. She was very different from mine, who is an expert at chatting (laughs). How was it working with your sister?<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
The factory I was assigned to is a small one my father built for my sister to work at. On the first day, I thought I could probably help out somehow, but I was completely battered. Everyone was so quick at their job. My sister even taught me some things. I felt embarrassed at my simple attitude, and thought I would just have to try as hard as I can, and eventually I started enjoying it.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
So, you can make Japanese sweets yourself!<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
Yes, I completed my training. I put on a white coat and gloves and made sweets every day. I worked in shop management, product development, sales, and other posts after that.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/p>\n

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Selling brand new products is characteristic of Ginza<\/h4>\n
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Takashima<\/dt>\n
Your father must be happy that you have succeeded the business.<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
I\u2019m not so sure about that (laughs). My father is a very intense person, and he is always getting angry with me. You need to increase sales more! This is different from when I ran the shop! We are always fighting (laughs).<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
Your father-daughter relationship sounds like a TV drama!<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
One time he saw our sales and got so worried he tried to intervene, and we got in a major dispute. Afterwards he gave me a letter apologizing. If you are going to apologize, don\u2019t do it to begin with, right? (laughs).<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
Your father is very amusing. My father is 77 years old, but he is so healthy and has far too much energy\u2026 But I have never received a letter of apology from him (laughs). He still travels around the country to produce concerts.<\/p>\n

So you took over the family business while observing how your father worked?<\/dd>\n

Hosono<\/dt>\n
My father does not talk about his feelings as president of the company or his ideas concerning products, but when you look at the products he makes, you can see the intention he had when developing it. I try not to ruin that.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
What kinds of products has your father created?<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
Our \u201cAji no mingei\u201d that is okaki (baked mochi snacks) with cheese inside is a hit product that my father created. I remember often seeing my father doing research on cheese when I was little. He was told that combining cheese with okaki was very wrong, but I think he must have felt that doing research to develop new products is characteristic of Ginza. He would only say things like, \u201cas long as it sells,\u201d and never talked about his true feelings (laughs).<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
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My treasure is having met people that truly love Ginza<\/h4>\n
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Takashima<\/dt>\n
Ginza Akebono has many shops. What do you strive for at the main shop?<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
The main shop is the best place for us to express our goals. Our vision is of a \u201cGinza Akebono that satisfies your heart.\u201d I want our shop to be a place that fills the hearts of not only customers, but also of those working here with us and my own heart.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
That is lovely!<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
I want it to be a shop that not only pleases customers, but also makes us happy through interaction with customers. The image I have is that the main shop is the core, and this atmosphere spreads outwards to all the other shops.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
That sounds wonderful. Lastly, could you tell me your thoughts on Ginza?<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
Sure. Something I learned while doing various jobs with people in Ginza is that everybody really cherishes this district. There are some people who even devote more effort to Ginza than to their jobs (laughs). Meeting these veteran Ginza people is my treasure, and I have learned many things I could only learn in Ginza.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
If there are people like that, Ginza will surely develop even more.<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
Not just the veterans, but also the younger people are really working very hard, so I look forward to seeing Ginza in the future. To me, Ginza is a place that straightens me up and inspires me to work hard. I hope to continue incorporating new things into Ginza Akebono and watch it evolve.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
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The next guest will be\u2026<\/h4>\n
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Takashima<\/dt>\n
Could you tell us about the next guest?<\/dd>\n
Hosono<\/dt>\n
It\u2019s Mitsuru Saito, president of Ginza Sembikiya. He runs a long-standing upscale fruit shop that has been around for many, many years. I am sure you will hear many interesting stories about requirements for quality fruit and other topics.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/p>\n
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Chisako Takashima<\/h4>\n

Violinist. Started playing the violin at age 6. After playing abroad, she moved her home base to Japan, and gives concerts all over the country. Although her current focus is on performing music, she also appears on TV and radio programs. Thanks to her much-loved personality, she is appearing in more and more venues.<\/p>\n

Chisako Takashima\u2019s official website<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

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Kayo Hosono<\/h4>\n

Third generation president of Ginza Akebono, a Japanese style confectionery.
\nAfter graduating from university, began working at Ginza Akebono. Worked in factory production, shop retailing, product planning, and others. A hit product Ms. Hosono developed is the summer refreshing \u201cKuchi doke mizu yokan\u201d (jellied red bean paste that melts in your mouth). On the weekends, she spends time with her husband raising crops using the \u2018natural farming\u2019 method that involves letting the crops grow in natural weather conditions.<\/p>\n

Website of Ginza Akebono<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

Writer: Mizuho Takahashi\u3000\u3000Interview location: Ginza Akebono Ginza Main Shop<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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