80 years of business in Ginza.<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Beef cutlets, Japanese tiger prawn gratin, beef tongue stew\u2026 I had a glimpse of the menu just before and everything looked delicious! When was the restaurant first opened? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara <\/dt>\n
- Namban Ginentei is celebrating its 45th year since its establishment in Ginza. Our company, Carioca, was founded more than 80 years ago in 1933 (Showa 8). <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Carioca is the name of your company? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- Yes, Carioca was established by my grandfather. Our company started out with coffee shops and bars. The name Carioca was derived from Rio de Janeiro because we used to serve Brazilian coffee. I suppose that was stylish and modern back then. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How many restaurants do you manage now? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- In Ginza, we run the Namban Ginentei, serving Western cuisine, and a bar which is located in the same building. We also have an udon restaurant, a coffee shop, and a restaurant specializing in hamburger steaks in Yokohama. That makes five restaurants in total. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- Did you always run a restaurant in Ginza? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara <\/dt>\n
- Yes, when my grandfather first came out to Tokyo, he opened a coffee shop. He had a weakness for unique and new things and he seems to have been determined to make a name of himself in Ginza. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So your grandfather established the company and also expanded the business. <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara <\/dt>\n
- That is correct. As the name of our restaurant, \u201cNamban\u201d, implies, his goal was to introduce foreign culture to Japan. In our corporate history, we have opened French restaurants, Italian restaurants, and confectionary shops to introduce Western food culture. My father was a more impulsive person. When he visited Thailand 30 years ago, he was deeply inspired by the Thai food culture and opened a Thai restaurant the following year, saying that he was determined to introduce Thai food, which was not yet widely known, to Japan.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Wow! Your father had must have been a very energetic person! <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_47_01.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nLeaving his hotel job in Hawaii to return to Japan to take over the family business. <\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- When did you assume the position of CEO?<\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- I joined the company seven years ago. Until then, I had been working for a hotel.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Come to think of it, you do look like someone from a hotel. (laughs) <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- Even now, if I am standing in the lobby of a hotel, someone will always come to me for directions. (laughs) <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Really! You have quite a talent! Which hotel did you work for?<\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara <\/dt>\n
- I worked for a hotel on the island of Lanai in Hawaii. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What a coincidence. My husband makes it a rule to spend our vacations in Lanai, so we may actually have met before. What brought you back to your family business? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- My father passed away very suddenly. It was not that I had had premonitions about it, but I happened to be in Japan to renew my visa. I had hoped to spend more time working in Hawaii, but I decided to return to Japan after my father\u2019s death. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![\"\u5357\u86ee\u9280\u5713\u4ead](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_47_02.jpg\")
<\/p>\nInside Namban Ginentei <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_47_03.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nTaking the time to tenderize meat after taking orders \u2013 untiring efforts to serve savory dishes. <\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What are some of your featured dishes at Namban Ginentei? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara <\/dt>\n
- We take pride in our stews, including our beef stew and beef tongue stew. Our hamburger steaks and minced meat cutlets are also very good because the meat is tenderized after orders are taken. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Only a restaurant in Ginza could put that much time and effort into preparing a single dish! I had noticed on your menu that it said, \u201cPlease allow us extra time\u201d even for hamburger steaks. Now I see that you start from mincing beef. <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- Yes, the Japanese people are quite familiar with many Western dishes, but we make sure that artisan cooks carefully select each of the ingredients and make an extra effort in preparing each dish. Our wish is to have each of our customers enjoy a perfect plate of something very common. We prepare each dish with a passion for quality. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- Has the menu remained unchanged from your establishment? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara <\/dt>\n
- Our featured dishes have remained unchanged throughout the years. Since the availability of various ingredients can be diversified between seasons, I believe that the value of always serving the same menu items is in discerning such seasonal differences and being able to offer the same taste. Of course, we do explore new dishes, but it is only possible because there is an unchanged value in what we serve. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I see. You must have many regular customers. <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- I am very grateful that many of our customers have dined with us for many years. Some of our regular customers like to sit at the bar and enjoy their meals chatting with the chef. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That is beautiful. And you also run a bar downstairs? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara <\/dt>\n
- Yes, we have an authentic bar where you can enjoy aperitifs and digestives. The menu served at the Namban Ginentei is also available at the bar, so I would recommend the bar if your priority was enjoying a few drinks. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_47_04.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"\u770b\u677f\u30e1\u30cb\u30e5\u30fc\u306e\u30d3\u30fc\u30d5\u30b7\u30c1\u30e5\u30fc\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_47_05.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe beef stew, one of the Namban Ginentei\u2019s most popular dishes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_47_06.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nA continuous passion for quality with hopes to further increase Ginza\u2019s value<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Before we close, could you please tell me about your thoughts about Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- Ginza is home to many long-established businesses, so having been here for only 80 years, we are still a newcomer to this town. We are fortunate to have been granted the opportunity to run a business in Ginza, one of the finest towns in Japan, and therefore we are also determined to continue to pursue high quality. We hope to contribute to introducing Japanese food culture, including Western-style food and bars, to the world.\u6d0b\u98df\u3084\u30d0\u30fc\u306a\u3069\u65e5\u672c\u306e\u98df\u6587\u5316\u3092\u4e16\u754c\u306b\u7d39\u4ecb\u3059\u308b\u304a\u5f79\u306b\u7acb\u3061\u305f\u3044\u3068\u601d\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What do you think is your role in running a business in Ginza? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- Let me see. I would say that my role is to provide the kind of environment that supports personal growth. At our company, we have employees who have worked for us for 50 years and I am aware of the importance of taking time in fostering human resources. If we compromise for second best, then we will have no future. Just as in cooking, I will continue to \u201cbe careful and make untiring efforts\u201d in my work, running a business in Ginza with the dream of contributing to further increasing Ginza\u2019s value. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have been told that you are also involved in the activities of Gimikai, an association for young entrepreneurs in Ginza. <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara <\/dt>\n
- Yes, since you must be 40 years old or younger to be a member, this is my last year of membership, and thus I am particularly committed to Ginmikai\u2019s activities this year. I feel that it is my mission to pass down what I have learned from my seniors. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- Ginza is blessed with people like you who are dedicated to the town. I am sure that Ginza will continue to be full of energy in the future. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_47_07.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_47_08.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\nChisako Takashima<\/h4>\n
Violinist. Takashima started taking violin lessons from the age of 6. After a successful career abroad, she moved her home base to Japan, where she currently performs in concerts across the country. Highly noted for her character in TV and radio appearances, she has currently opened up her career to more diverse fields with an unchanged focus on her profession.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Beef cutlets, Japanese tiger prawn gratin, beef tongue stew\u2026 I had a glimpse of the menu just before and everything looked delicious! When was the restaurant first opened? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara <\/dt>\n
- Namban Ginentei is celebrating its 45th year since its establishment in Ginza. Our company, Carioca, was founded more than 80 years ago in 1933 (Showa 8). <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Carioca is the name of your company? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- Yes, Carioca was established by my grandfather. Our company started out with coffee shops and bars. The name Carioca was derived from Rio de Janeiro because we used to serve Brazilian coffee. I suppose that was stylish and modern back then. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How many restaurants do you manage now? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- In Ginza, we run the Namban Ginentei, serving Western cuisine, and a bar which is located in the same building. We also have an udon restaurant, a coffee shop, and a restaurant specializing in hamburger steaks in Yokohama. That makes five restaurants in total. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- Did you always run a restaurant in Ginza? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara <\/dt>\n
- Yes, when my grandfather first came out to Tokyo, he opened a coffee shop. He had a weakness for unique and new things and he seems to have been determined to make a name of himself in Ginza. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So your grandfather established the company and also expanded the business. <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara <\/dt>\n
- That is correct. As the name of our restaurant, \u201cNamban\u201d, implies, his goal was to introduce foreign culture to Japan. In our corporate history, we have opened French restaurants, Italian restaurants, and confectionary shops to introduce Western food culture. My father was a more impulsive person. When he visited Thailand 30 years ago, he was deeply inspired by the Thai food culture and opened a Thai restaurant the following year, saying that he was determined to introduce Thai food, which was not yet widely known, to Japan.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Wow! Your father had must have been a very energetic person! <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
Leaving his hotel job in Hawaii to return to Japan to take over the family business. <\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- When did you assume the position of CEO?<\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- I joined the company seven years ago. Until then, I had been working for a hotel.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Come to think of it, you do look like someone from a hotel. (laughs) <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- Even now, if I am standing in the lobby of a hotel, someone will always come to me for directions. (laughs) <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Really! You have quite a talent! Which hotel did you work for?<\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara <\/dt>\n
- I worked for a hotel on the island of Lanai in Hawaii. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What a coincidence. My husband makes it a rule to spend our vacations in Lanai, so we may actually have met before. What brought you back to your family business? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- My father passed away very suddenly. It was not that I had had premonitions about it, but I happened to be in Japan to renew my visa. I had hoped to spend more time working in Hawaii, but I decided to return to Japan after my father\u2019s death. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\n
Inside Namban Ginentei <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nTaking the time to tenderize meat after taking orders \u2013 untiring efforts to serve savory dishes. <\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What are some of your featured dishes at Namban Ginentei? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara <\/dt>\n
- We take pride in our stews, including our beef stew and beef tongue stew. Our hamburger steaks and minced meat cutlets are also very good because the meat is tenderized after orders are taken. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Only a restaurant in Ginza could put that much time and effort into preparing a single dish! I had noticed on your menu that it said, \u201cPlease allow us extra time\u201d even for hamburger steaks. Now I see that you start from mincing beef. <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- Yes, the Japanese people are quite familiar with many Western dishes, but we make sure that artisan cooks carefully select each of the ingredients and make an extra effort in preparing each dish. Our wish is to have each of our customers enjoy a perfect plate of something very common. We prepare each dish with a passion for quality. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- Has the menu remained unchanged from your establishment? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara <\/dt>\n
- Our featured dishes have remained unchanged throughout the years. Since the availability of various ingredients can be diversified between seasons, I believe that the value of always serving the same menu items is in discerning such seasonal differences and being able to offer the same taste. Of course, we do explore new dishes, but it is only possible because there is an unchanged value in what we serve. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I see. You must have many regular customers. <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- I am very grateful that many of our customers have dined with us for many years. Some of our regular customers like to sit at the bar and enjoy their meals chatting with the chef. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That is beautiful. And you also run a bar downstairs? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara <\/dt>\n
- Yes, we have an authentic bar where you can enjoy aperitifs and digestives. The menu served at the Namban Ginentei is also available at the bar, so I would recommend the bar if your priority was enjoying a few drinks. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\n
The beef stew, one of the Namban Ginentei\u2019s most popular dishes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nA continuous passion for quality with hopes to further increase Ginza\u2019s value<\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Before we close, could you please tell me about your thoughts about Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- Ginza is home to many long-established businesses, so having been here for only 80 years, we are still a newcomer to this town. We are fortunate to have been granted the opportunity to run a business in Ginza, one of the finest towns in Japan, and therefore we are also determined to continue to pursue high quality. We hope to contribute to introducing Japanese food culture, including Western-style food and bars, to the world.\u6d0b\u98df\u3084\u30d0\u30fc\u306a\u3069\u65e5\u672c\u306e\u98df\u6587\u5316\u3092\u4e16\u754c\u306b\u7d39\u4ecb\u3059\u308b\u304a\u5f79\u306b\u7acb\u3061\u305f\u3044\u3068\u601d\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What do you think is your role in running a business in Ginza? <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara<\/dt>\n
- Let me see. I would say that my role is to provide the kind of environment that supports personal growth. At our company, we have employees who have worked for us for 50 years and I am aware of the importance of taking time in fostering human resources. If we compromise for second best, then we will have no future. Just as in cooking, I will continue to \u201cbe careful and make untiring efforts\u201d in my work, running a business in Ginza with the dream of contributing to further increasing Ginza\u2019s value. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have been told that you are also involved in the activities of Gimikai, an association for young entrepreneurs in Ginza. <\/dd>\n
- Hoshihara <\/dt>\n
- Yes, since you must be 40 years old or younger to be a member, this is my last year of membership, and thus I am particularly committed to Ginmikai\u2019s activities this year. I feel that it is my mission to pass down what I have learned from my seniors. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- Ginza is blessed with people like you who are dedicated to the town. I am sure that Ginza will continue to be full of energy in the future. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/p>\n\n
Chisako Takashima<\/h4>\n
Violinist. Takashima started taking violin lessons from the age of 6. After a successful career abroad, she moved her home base to Japan, where she currently performs in concerts across the country. Highly noted for her character in TV and radio appearances, she has currently opened up her career to more diverse fields with an unchanged focus on her profession.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_cd.jpg\")
<\/p>\n