Caf\u00e9 de Ginza Miyuki-kan that was opened by an ex-office worker who yearned for Ginza<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Your caf\u00e9 first opened in 1969, which would make it a year younger than me. That is relatively young for a shop in Ginza, right?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Yes it is. It has been only 34 years since the caf\u00e9 moved to Ginza, so it is just a baby compared to the veterans (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Where was it before Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- We had a shop on the first basement level of the Nihon Building in Otemachi, and moved here after it was open for 10 years. My predecessor originally worked at Nikko Securities, but he worked as a general manager of the Ginza office on the corner of Namiki-dori and Harumi-dori, and experienced the greatness of Ginza there. Apparently he had been wanting to someday open a shop in Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So your father is an escaped office worker?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Yes. He quit his job when he was 40 and started up his own business. I was born the same year as the business.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So you are the same age. By the way, where did the name of the shop come from?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- The name of the building of the main caf\u00e9 is Miyuki-kan.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Now you have as many as six shops in Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- That\u2019s right. Each shop has its own theme and a menu and interior decor that suits its location. A common feature of all the shops is their white walls. The person who designed the interior decor was originally an artist who designed the shops each as their own painting. The customers come in against the white canvass to complete the painting. That is why all the shops have white walls. We maintain Ginza quality while taking care not to lose a sense of unity among the shops.
For the posts and other parts, we use old materials, for example pieces we hauled in that were actually used in old houses in Yamagata.<\/dd>\n - Takashima<\/dt>\n
- No kidding! Seeing the shop again from that perspective makes it all the more wonderful.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_27_01.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_27_02.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_27_03.jpg\")
<\/p>\nCaf\u00e9 de Ginza Miyuki-kan Honten<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nThe secret story behind the prized specialty Japanese chestnut mont blanc and its particular methods for creation<\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Caf\u00e9 de Ginza Miyuki-kan is famous for its Japanese chestnut mont blanc (cream cake). Have you had this on the menu since the shop first opened?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- No, it has only been nine years since we first introduced it.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So you, the second president, came up with the idea?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Well, not exactly. There was a p\u00e2tisserie in Minami-Azabu called La Precieuse (the Minami-Azabu shop is now closed) whose owner, Mr. Yamakawa, once worked at a cake factory we had in Shimbashi. He decided to go independent and open his own shop, and I went to his celebration party where me and my predecessor were given a Japanese chestnut mont blanc. It was so delicious that I asked Mr. Yamakawa if he would let us sell it at our shop, and we were able to make Japanese chestnut mont blanc cakes taught to us directly.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So that is the story!<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Since you are here, please try a Japanese chestnut mont blanc.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I just love mont blanc. So much so that you would think it\u2019s an illness (laughs). The color is a very elegant tone that could only be from a Japanese chestnut. (Takes a bite) Oh, delicious \u2661 Makes me forget about work (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- We may use the most Japanese chestnuts of all the western-style confectioneries in Japan. We use about 15 tons of Japanese chestnuts a year. The mont blanc you usually eat is a paste of French or Italian chestnuts mixed with whipped cream or other ingredients. Ours is simple, with only Japanese chestnut and sugar.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Interesting. Where are the Japanese chestnuts from?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Our Japanese chestnuts are from Kuma in Kumamoto prefecture. If you don\u2019t care where they are from, there are all types of chestnuts, but we searched for a chestnut with a great aroma and mild sweetness that was perfect for sweets, and the Kumamoto prefecture ones were the best. The shade varies slightly with the picking season. This is the season for new chestnuts, so the color is a lovely amber.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I hear that more and more customers are coming specifically for this.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Gratefully, yes. We sell 200,000 a year.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- 200,000! That\u2019s amazing! You must be pleased by the great profit (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Well the cost is pretty high (wry smile). But we refuse to compromise. The meringue is baked for 2 hours by the people at the factory, and we pipe out the unsweetened whipped cream and chestnut paste at the caf\u00e9. We make the meringue twice a day so that it doesn\u2019t lose its crunch.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_27_04.jpg\")
<\/p>\nUltra-popular Japanese chestnut mont blanc<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_27_05.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nMy experiences at the Ginza Merchant\u2019s Association and the people I met there are my great treasures<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I hear you were the Planning Director of the Ginza Merchant\u2019s Association.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I think it was around the second year of planning the Yukata de Gin-bura Festival. I was involved in setting up ice pillars on Ginza-dori and planning events that included figuring out what to do with the street from 1- to 8-Chome.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Everything from planning to running the events must be a lot of work. It\u2019s like a gigantic school festival!<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I was involved in nothing else but its planning from February to August. I spent more time at the office than at the caf\u00e9 (laughs). But I am glad I did it. At the Ginza Merchant\u2019s Association, the shop presidents and owners come out themselves so you meet people that you don\u2019t usually see. It was a great treasure to have everyone share common goals. We could establish relationships that surpassed age and were not simply work-related.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- There are many people in Ginza that are very unique and intriguing.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Yes, certainly. They are earnest about nurturing the younger generation. When there is something I am unsure of, I can talk to them about it, They taught me quite a lot.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_27_06.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nI want to firmly carry on the sentiment of my seniors to create a safe Ginza that is free of worry<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Do you feel grateful to your father for opening a shop in Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Yes, I am very grateful. But it is very difficult to keep customers coming. In this day and age, if you want something to drink, you can easily buy it at a convenience store or vending machine. You have to have something that stands out.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How about developing a new hit product? I would love for you to make cream puffs. I love them.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- We actually do make them\u2026..<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What\u2019s in them?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Custard.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I like them filled with half custard and half whipped cream. Please make some like that (laughs)!<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I\u2019ll do my best (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Finally, can you tell me your thoughts on Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I learned the sincere desire to create a safe Ginza that is free of worry from my seniors that I met through the Ginza Merchant\u2019s Association. They strive daily for that aim and love Ginza with all their heart\u2026\u2026 I don\u2019t think there is any other place like this. I want those of us in the younger generation to firmly carry on their sentiment.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_27_07.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_27_08.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nThe next guest will be\u2026<\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Could you tell us about the next guest?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Could you tIt\u2019s Munehito Matsuzaki, the president of Ginza Matsuzaki Sembei. The shop has a long history going back to the Edo period. I am sure you will hear very interesting stories.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_27_09.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\nChisako 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
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Your caf\u00e9 first opened in 1969, which would make it a year younger than me. That is relatively young for a shop in Ginza, right?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Yes it is. It has been only 34 years since the caf\u00e9 moved to Ginza, so it is just a baby compared to the veterans (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Where was it before Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- We had a shop on the first basement level of the Nihon Building in Otemachi, and moved here after it was open for 10 years. My predecessor originally worked at Nikko Securities, but he worked as a general manager of the Ginza office on the corner of Namiki-dori and Harumi-dori, and experienced the greatness of Ginza there. Apparently he had been wanting to someday open a shop in Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So your father is an escaped office worker?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Yes. He quit his job when he was 40 and started up his own business. I was born the same year as the business.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So you are the same age. By the way, where did the name of the shop come from?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- The name of the building of the main caf\u00e9 is Miyuki-kan.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Now you have as many as six shops in Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- That\u2019s right. Each shop has its own theme and a menu and interior decor that suits its location. A common feature of all the shops is their white walls. The person who designed the interior decor was originally an artist who designed the shops each as their own painting. The customers come in against the white canvass to complete the painting. That is why all the shops have white walls. We maintain Ginza quality while taking care not to lose a sense of unity among the shops.
For the posts and other parts, we use old materials, for example pieces we hauled in that were actually used in old houses in Yamagata.<\/dd>\n - Takashima<\/dt>\n
- No kidding! Seeing the shop again from that perspective makes it all the more wonderful.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/p>\n
Caf\u00e9 de Ginza Miyuki-kan Honten<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nThe secret story behind the prized specialty Japanese chestnut mont blanc and its particular methods for creation<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Caf\u00e9 de Ginza Miyuki-kan is famous for its Japanese chestnut mont blanc (cream cake). Have you had this on the menu since the shop first opened?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- No, it has only been nine years since we first introduced it.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So you, the second president, came up with the idea?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Well, not exactly. There was a p\u00e2tisserie in Minami-Azabu called La Precieuse (the Minami-Azabu shop is now closed) whose owner, Mr. Yamakawa, once worked at a cake factory we had in Shimbashi. He decided to go independent and open his own shop, and I went to his celebration party where me and my predecessor were given a Japanese chestnut mont blanc. It was so delicious that I asked Mr. Yamakawa if he would let us sell it at our shop, and we were able to make Japanese chestnut mont blanc cakes taught to us directly.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So that is the story!<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Since you are here, please try a Japanese chestnut mont blanc.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I just love mont blanc. So much so that you would think it\u2019s an illness (laughs). The color is a very elegant tone that could only be from a Japanese chestnut. (Takes a bite) Oh, delicious \u2661 Makes me forget about work (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- We may use the most Japanese chestnuts of all the western-style confectioneries in Japan. We use about 15 tons of Japanese chestnuts a year. The mont blanc you usually eat is a paste of French or Italian chestnuts mixed with whipped cream or other ingredients. Ours is simple, with only Japanese chestnut and sugar.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Interesting. Where are the Japanese chestnuts from?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Our Japanese chestnuts are from Kuma in Kumamoto prefecture. If you don\u2019t care where they are from, there are all types of chestnuts, but we searched for a chestnut with a great aroma and mild sweetness that was perfect for sweets, and the Kumamoto prefecture ones were the best. The shade varies slightly with the picking season. This is the season for new chestnuts, so the color is a lovely amber.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I hear that more and more customers are coming specifically for this.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Gratefully, yes. We sell 200,000 a year.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- 200,000! That\u2019s amazing! You must be pleased by the great profit (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Well the cost is pretty high (wry smile). But we refuse to compromise. The meringue is baked for 2 hours by the people at the factory, and we pipe out the unsweetened whipped cream and chestnut paste at the caf\u00e9. We make the meringue twice a day so that it doesn\u2019t lose its crunch.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\n
Ultra-popular Japanese chestnut mont blanc<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nMy experiences at the Ginza Merchant\u2019s Association and the people I met there are my great treasures<\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I hear you were the Planning Director of the Ginza Merchant\u2019s Association.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I think it was around the second year of planning the Yukata de Gin-bura Festival. I was involved in setting up ice pillars on Ginza-dori and planning events that included figuring out what to do with the street from 1- to 8-Chome.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Everything from planning to running the events must be a lot of work. It\u2019s like a gigantic school festival!<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I was involved in nothing else but its planning from February to August. I spent more time at the office than at the caf\u00e9 (laughs). But I am glad I did it. At the Ginza Merchant\u2019s Association, the shop presidents and owners come out themselves so you meet people that you don\u2019t usually see. It was a great treasure to have everyone share common goals. We could establish relationships that surpassed age and were not simply work-related.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- There are many people in Ginza that are very unique and intriguing.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Yes, certainly. They are earnest about nurturing the younger generation. When there is something I am unsure of, I can talk to them about it, They taught me quite a lot.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
I want to firmly carry on the sentiment of my seniors to create a safe Ginza that is free of worry<\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Do you feel grateful to your father for opening a shop in Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Yes, I am very grateful. But it is very difficult to keep customers coming. In this day and age, if you want something to drink, you can easily buy it at a convenience store or vending machine. You have to have something that stands out.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How about developing a new hit product? I would love for you to make cream puffs. I love them.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- We actually do make them\u2026..<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What\u2019s in them?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Custard.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I like them filled with half custard and half whipped cream. Please make some like that (laughs)!<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I\u2019ll do my best (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Finally, can you tell me your thoughts on Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I learned the sincere desire to create a safe Ginza that is free of worry from my seniors that I met through the Ginza Merchant\u2019s Association. They strive daily for that aim and love Ginza with all their heart\u2026\u2026 I don\u2019t think there is any other place like this. I want those of us in the younger generation to firmly carry on their sentiment.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
The next guest will be\u2026<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Could you tell us about the next guest?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Could you tIt\u2019s Munehito Matsuzaki, the president of Ginza Matsuzaki Sembei. The shop has a long history going back to the Edo period. I am sure you will hear very interesting stories.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/p>\n\n
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