The history of Bunmeido, a long-established castella cake shop founded in 1990 <\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- When was Bunmeido established? <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- In 1900, my grandfather\u2019s older brother, Yasugoro Nakagawa founded Bunmeido in Nagasaki, and in 1922, my grandfather brought it to Ueno Kuromon-cho in Tokyo. However, he lost his shop in the fires of the Great Kanto Earthquake, after which he returned to Nagasaki for a while. He eventually made a fresh start in Azabu-Tansumachi and our company has continued since. We are relatively new to the castella cake industry. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- A newcomer founded more than 100 years ago! <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- The oldest castella cake manufacturer is Shououken in Nagasaki. Nagasaki is still home to many castella cake shops. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- That is very true. Nagasaki is full of castella cake shops. <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- Bunmeido Sohonten, the origin of the Bunmeido group is still located in Nagasaki. Once every few years, all of us who have evolved from Bunmeido Sohonten gather in Nagasaki for a reunion. We hold tastings of the castella cakes made in each of our shops and exchange ideas for new products.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How interesting! That gives me the impression that you find peers amongst yourselves before you consider yourselves rivals. <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto <\/dt>\n
- That\u2019s right. Nagasaki has a very open attitude to business activities. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_49_01.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"\u6587\u660e\u5802\u9280\u5ea7\u672c\u5e97\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_49_02.jpg\")
<\/p>\nGinza Bunmeido main store<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_49_03.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIt takes ten years to become a professional castella cake baker<\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have heard that baking a castella cake requires a great deal of special skills. <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto <\/dt>\n
- Although only the simplest ingredients go into a castella cake, its quality is determined by the mixing and baking skills involved. It used to be said that it took ten years to become a professional at baking a castella cake. Our artisan bakers were granted the opportunity to improve their skills thanks to Koshiro Mori, who was designated a Living National Treasure for foods. As chief artisan, he shifted from the conventional approach of \u201cstealing skills by watching one\u2019s masters” to a tailored instruction approach and guided his apprentices individually. Therefore, many of our employees heightened their artisan skills significantly. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What kind of person is cut out to become an artisan baker? <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- I would say, people who are patient and relaxed. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- Oh, that is not for me (laughs). <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- You may be right (laughs). If you wanted to bake a castella cake in a limited amount of time, it would be possible to bake one at high temperatures in perhaps 20 minutes. However, in order not to let the moisture escape, it would require 40-50 minutes in a slow oven. Minor adjustments are made every day to the time spent on mixing and baking. These decisions are based on high artisan skills. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I had never realized that they were so difficult to make. We enjoy your castella cakes very often at home, because my children are great castella fans. \/dd><\/p>\n
- Okamoto <\/dt>\n
- Thank you. Castella cakes do not contain butter and other fats, so they have fewer calories than often imagined. Yet, given their carbohydrate and protein content, they have high nutritional value. Many professional athletes enjoy them too. I can recommend them to people of all ages, from children to the elderly. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Free of additives, they are healthy treats. <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- The best way to eat a castella cake is to break it with your fingers in order not to squish it. The last thing you should do is press on it with your fork. I have been told that Ryunosuke Akutagawa said that the right way to eat a castella cake was to break it with your fingers. Because a castella sponge becomes dry within a few minutes, it is best to finish a cake as quickly as you can once you have opened a box. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_49_04.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_49_05.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nThe Go-san Castella \u2013 the masterpiece of trial and error<\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Do you still use your original recipe, or have you made some alterations since your establishment? <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- We have basically stayed with our original recipe for most of our main products, but we use honey in our high-grade product, the Go-san Castella. Even the smallest hint of honey can have a tremendous impact on the taste, and it was a great challenge to find the perfect honey. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Which honey do you use? <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- We use multifloral honey from the Cotswolds in England. It has a distinctive sharp taste, which pairs perfectly with castella cakes. I was overwhelmed with joy when I discovered it.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have heard that the Go-san Castella is a rare masterpiece that is very difficult to make. <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto <\/dt>\n
- Yes, it is a product of continuous trial and error. It was quite a challenge until we arrived at the perfect balance. I was still in school back then, but I recall eating tons of trials before the recipe was completed in 1974 (laughs). Honey is not the only selected ingredient used in our Go-san Castella. In pursuit of a moist texture and rich flavor, we use the best rice starch extracted from sticky rice, fine Wasanbon sugar, which adds an elegant sweetness, and fresh eggs from selected farmers. As we rely on eggs, instead of baking powder, to leaven the cake, the quality of the eggs we use is very important. For the Tenka Bunmei Castella, which is available only in our Ginza and Higashi-Ginza stores, we use free-range eggs from an area where fireflies can still be seen. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Why is it called the Go-san Castella? <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- There are various stories about the origin of the name. One is that the approximate ratio of egg yolks to egg whites is 3:5. Another is that it was named after the Paulownia crest, or \u201cGosan-no-kiri\u201d because the finest quality castella cake is usually bought as a special gift and thus comes in a Paulownia box.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![\"\u4e94\u4e09\u30ab\u30b9\u30c6\u30e9\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_49_06.jpg\")
<\/p>\nGo-san Castella<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_49_07.jpg\"\/)
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n Ginza\u2019s future outlook – preserving traditions and yet thriving to become an even more attractive town <\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- Please tell me what you find attractive about Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Okamamoto<\/dt>\n
- Ginza has its main streets and its alleys, all lined with department stores, high-end boutiques and independent stores. I find the diversity wonderful. Surrounded by the most luxurious brands from around the world, we cannot survive competition if we are not top class. We have several branch shops, but we make it a rule to serve the best quality at our Ginza store. We make sure that the facilities, products and staff at our Ginza shop are the finest of the finest. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I guess some of your challenges are unique to Ginza. How do you envision Ginza in the future? <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto <\/dt>\n
- As chair of the Ginza Town Planning Committee, I often ask major developers not to let one facility seize all the customers. If there is only one entrance and customers can get all of their shopping and dining done in the same building, then the rest of the town, including other shops, will diminish. My wish is for Ginza to be the kind of town where strolling in the streets is an entertaining activity in itself. Shopping can be done on the Internet. I believe that customer satisfaction can be achieved when people come to Ginza and enjoy shopping in a sense of safety. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- You are implying that what is important is not only the goods available but also the service offered.<\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- Yes, and safety and reassurance are no less important. Ginza should not be the kind of town where people become more and more reluctant to approach as they grow older. There is an urgent need for us to make Ginza a friendly town where people can enjoy taking walks, instead of being a destination that people are compelled to leave once their errands are finished. We will need benches for people to rest in and trees to provide shade. I also hope that we can eventually develop a barrier-free town. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_49_08.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_49_09.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
- When was Bunmeido established? <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- In 1900, my grandfather\u2019s older brother, Yasugoro Nakagawa founded Bunmeido in Nagasaki, and in 1922, my grandfather brought it to Ueno Kuromon-cho in Tokyo. However, he lost his shop in the fires of the Great Kanto Earthquake, after which he returned to Nagasaki for a while. He eventually made a fresh start in Azabu-Tansumachi and our company has continued since. We are relatively new to the castella cake industry. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- A newcomer founded more than 100 years ago! <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- The oldest castella cake manufacturer is Shououken in Nagasaki. Nagasaki is still home to many castella cake shops. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- That is very true. Nagasaki is full of castella cake shops. <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- Bunmeido Sohonten, the origin of the Bunmeido group is still located in Nagasaki. Once every few years, all of us who have evolved from Bunmeido Sohonten gather in Nagasaki for a reunion. We hold tastings of the castella cakes made in each of our shops and exchange ideas for new products.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How interesting! That gives me the impression that you find peers amongst yourselves before you consider yourselves rivals. <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto <\/dt>\n
- That\u2019s right. Nagasaki has a very open attitude to business activities. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\n
Ginza Bunmeido main store<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIt takes ten years to become a professional castella cake baker<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have heard that baking a castella cake requires a great deal of special skills. <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto <\/dt>\n
- Although only the simplest ingredients go into a castella cake, its quality is determined by the mixing and baking skills involved. It used to be said that it took ten years to become a professional at baking a castella cake. Our artisan bakers were granted the opportunity to improve their skills thanks to Koshiro Mori, who was designated a Living National Treasure for foods. As chief artisan, he shifted from the conventional approach of \u201cstealing skills by watching one\u2019s masters” to a tailored instruction approach and guided his apprentices individually. Therefore, many of our employees heightened their artisan skills significantly. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What kind of person is cut out to become an artisan baker? <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- I would say, people who are patient and relaxed. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- Oh, that is not for me (laughs). <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- You may be right (laughs). If you wanted to bake a castella cake in a limited amount of time, it would be possible to bake one at high temperatures in perhaps 20 minutes. However, in order not to let the moisture escape, it would require 40-50 minutes in a slow oven. Minor adjustments are made every day to the time spent on mixing and baking. These decisions are based on high artisan skills. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I had never realized that they were so difficult to make. We enjoy your castella cakes very often at home, because my children are great castella fans. \/dd><\/p>\n
- Okamoto <\/dt>\n
- Thank you. Castella cakes do not contain butter and other fats, so they have fewer calories than often imagined. Yet, given their carbohydrate and protein content, they have high nutritional value. Many professional athletes enjoy them too. I can recommend them to people of all ages, from children to the elderly. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Free of additives, they are healthy treats. <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- The best way to eat a castella cake is to break it with your fingers in order not to squish it. The last thing you should do is press on it with your fork. I have been told that Ryunosuke Akutagawa said that the right way to eat a castella cake was to break it with your fingers. Because a castella sponge becomes dry within a few minutes, it is best to finish a cake as quickly as you can once you have opened a box. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\nThe Go-san Castella \u2013 the masterpiece of trial and error<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Do you still use your original recipe, or have you made some alterations since your establishment? <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- We have basically stayed with our original recipe for most of our main products, but we use honey in our high-grade product, the Go-san Castella. Even the smallest hint of honey can have a tremendous impact on the taste, and it was a great challenge to find the perfect honey. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Which honey do you use? <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- We use multifloral honey from the Cotswolds in England. It has a distinctive sharp taste, which pairs perfectly with castella cakes. I was overwhelmed with joy when I discovered it.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have heard that the Go-san Castella is a rare masterpiece that is very difficult to make. <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto <\/dt>\n
- Yes, it is a product of continuous trial and error. It was quite a challenge until we arrived at the perfect balance. I was still in school back then, but I recall eating tons of trials before the recipe was completed in 1974 (laughs). Honey is not the only selected ingredient used in our Go-san Castella. In pursuit of a moist texture and rich flavor, we use the best rice starch extracted from sticky rice, fine Wasanbon sugar, which adds an elegant sweetness, and fresh eggs from selected farmers. As we rely on eggs, instead of baking powder, to leaven the cake, the quality of the eggs we use is very important. For the Tenka Bunmei Castella, which is available only in our Ginza and Higashi-Ginza stores, we use free-range eggs from an area where fireflies can still be seen. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Why is it called the Go-san Castella? <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- There are various stories about the origin of the name. One is that the approximate ratio of egg yolks to egg whites is 3:5. Another is that it was named after the Paulownia crest, or \u201cGosan-no-kiri\u201d because the finest quality castella cake is usually bought as a special gift and thus comes in a Paulownia box.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\n
Go-san Castella<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nGinza\u2019s future outlook – preserving traditions and yet thriving to become an even more attractive town <\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- Please tell me what you find attractive about Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Okamamoto<\/dt>\n
- Ginza has its main streets and its alleys, all lined with department stores, high-end boutiques and independent stores. I find the diversity wonderful. Surrounded by the most luxurious brands from around the world, we cannot survive competition if we are not top class. We have several branch shops, but we make it a rule to serve the best quality at our Ginza store. We make sure that the facilities, products and staff at our Ginza shop are the finest of the finest. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I guess some of your challenges are unique to Ginza. How do you envision Ginza in the future? <\/dd>\n
- Okamoto <\/dt>\n
- As chair of the Ginza Town Planning Committee, I often ask major developers not to let one facility seize all the customers. If there is only one entrance and customers can get all of their shopping and dining done in the same building, then the rest of the town, including other shops, will diminish. My wish is for Ginza to be the kind of town where strolling in the streets is an entertaining activity in itself. Shopping can be done on the Internet. I believe that customer satisfaction can be achieved when people come to Ginza and enjoy shopping in a sense of safety. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- You are implying that what is important is not only the goods available but also the service offered.<\/dd>\n
- Okamoto<\/dt>\n
- Yes, and safety and reassurance are no less important. Ginza should not be the kind of town where people become more and more reluctant to approach as they grow older. There is an urgent need for us to make Ginza a friendly town where people can enjoy taking walks, instead of being a destination that people are compelled to leave once their errands are finished. We will need benches for people to rest in and trees to provide shade. I also hope that we can eventually develop a barrier-free town. <\/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
![\"Strings](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_cd.jpg\")
<\/p>\n