Ginza Bairin, Ginza\u2019s first restaurant specializing in tonkatsu, established in 1927. My daughter\u2019s husband is currently learning the business.<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- I have been told that Ginza Bairin was established in 1927 (Showa 2). For how many generations have you been in business?<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- I am the third owner, and my daughter\u2019s husband is currently learning the business, as the fourth generation.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- With such a long history, you must be happy to know that someone will be taking over after you. Is it a very strict apprenticeship?<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- No, my son-in-law is still 25 years old. As he is still young, I don\u2019t want to put too much pressure on him, but he is very eager to learn. I am happy to have welcomed a son who is much more competent than me.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That is wonderful and he is so young! By the way, I am a great fan of deep fried food. Is it true that Bairin is the first tonkatsu restaurant in Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Yes, that\u2019s true. The founder of Bairin was a pharmacist and he started the restaurant based on the idea that medicine and food originally have much in common. I believe he liked to see the smiles on his customers faces when they enjoyed food that not only tasted exquisite but that was also good for their health.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Where does the name Bairin come from\uff1f<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- As we were opening a restaurant in Ginza, we didn\u2019t use our family name, Shibuya, to avoid confusion regarding our location. I have been told that we decided to use the character \u201c\u6885 (pronounced ume or bai, meaning \u2018plum\u2019)\u201d because my grandmother\u2019s name was Umeko and we had 10 plum trees in our yard. We combined the character \u201c\u6797\u201d (pronounced hayashi or rin, meaning \u201cforest\u201d), for good luck, because the final strokes of the character spread outwards, representing future prosperity.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_41_01.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_41_02.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_41_03.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nFrom Ginza to the world. Striving to introduce the exquisiteness of Japan\u2019s food culture.<\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have noticed that you have restaurants in Hawaii, Singapore and Shanghai, as well.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Yes, with the change of the times, we have expanded overseas, feeling that we needed to take action ourselves to get in contact with the world.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How exciting that we can find a long-established restaurant from Ginza in other cities of the world!<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- I take pride in Japan\u2019s food culture. I wanted to show the world how exquisite our food is.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Was it challenging to start a restaurant abroad? Did you experience any difficulties that you would not encounter in Japan?<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Our first overseas restaurant was launched in Hawaii. Hawaii being a tourist destination as well as an island, our choices of ingredients are very limited. Unlike Japan, the quality of vegetables are varied. In Japan, we can ask for an exchange but if did that in Hawaii, they would refuse to do business with us the next time. After seven or eight years since our opening, we have been acknowledged by the local community at last, and we can expect a certain level of quality in the ingredients that we have delivered.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Despite all of that, the restaurant must be a success. I went to graduate school in Hawaii. I know the Americans love tontkasu.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Actually, we had few American and European customers at first. Our first customers were the many Japanese Americans who live in Hawaii and local indigenous people, who traditionally eat pork. It took a while for us to gain wider recognition<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Bairin is very popular now. I still have the opportunity to visit Hawaii often and my impression is that Bairin is always full. Sushi may be the most famous of Japanese cuisine, but I hope that Bairin will succeed in introducing the exquisiteness of deep-fried Japanese dishes to more people around the world.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- It can be difficult to introduce tonkatsu in countries where pork or deep-fried food is not traditionally eaten, but since it is a healthy dish accompanied by a lot of vegetables, I intend to try my best to gain more tonkatsu fans.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_41_04.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_41_05.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nA menu constructed of carefully selected ingredients. Attracting many celebrity fans as well.<\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Is it true that hitokuchi-katsu (bite-size breaded pork fillet) and chuno sauce are both your inventions?<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Yes, our founder served them in his days as the first of their kind.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Today, we can find the chuno sauce sold everywhere. How amazing that you invented it! I recall that a friend of mine in Hawaii once asked me to bring her a bottle.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- In those days, we didn\u2019t even think of obtaining a patent for it, so we may have been imitated by other businesses. Our founder blended 20 difference spices based on his knowledge as a pharmacist to develop an original tonkatsu sauce. Until then, restaurants would serve a mixture of Worcester sauce and demiglace sauce with their tonkatsu, but our sauce, made from vegetables and fruits, has a sweet and rich and yet tender savor.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Do you still carefully select the ingredients that you use?<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- We use an original frying oil perfect for tonkatsu that we developed with a vegetable oil refining company. We use cottonseed oil, which has a well-balanced richness and unique smell. Our breadcrumbs have been developed based on dedicated studies on how to make it crispy. The pork that we use is Kurobuta pork from Kagoshima. We make sure that we use raw domestic pork.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How wonderful. It is no wonder that many celebrities are fans of your tonkatsu \u2013 not to mention that I am one of them.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- We are very fortunate to have so many close fans. Miss Minami Takahashi from AKB48 is a great fan of our katsudon (a bowl of rice topped with tonkatsu) and she has introduced it on her blog as well as on TV. I was thrilled when she referred to it as having \u201ca literally heavenly taste.\u201d<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Then, many of her fans must come here, too.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Yes, they do. Miss Takahashi sometimes comes in to eat between rehearsals in a taxi, without even changing her clothes, so we do have many of her fans here.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I also intend to buy some tonkatsu to take home with me today for dinner. I have already prepared the cabbage and cooked the rice. (laughs)<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Thank you. I would also recommend the katsu-sand (pork cutlet sandwich) and menchi-katsu (minced meat cutlets) from our take-out menu. You can also ask for cabbage. If you ask for a large helping, you will receive a large back full of cabbage.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Really! I didn\u2019t have to purchase cabbage! (laughs) I am looking very much forward to having dinner tonight.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_41_06.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_41_07.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nHoping to maintain the uniqueness of Ginza without surrendering to the tides of time<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Before we close, please tell me about your feelings and expectations for Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- I believe that it is important that Ginza maintain the uniqueness that makes it Ginza. Because it is a wonderful town, we have witnessed openings of various chain stores in these past few years. If Ginza becomes full of such stores, then it will be like any other town. I think that it is our job as long-established family-owned businesses to prevent that from happening.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I agree with you.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- However, Ginza is a very large town and individual efforts may not be enough to conquer the tides of time. We should join hands as an entire community to preserve what we feel are Ginza\u2019s features.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Do you have special feelings for your main store in Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Yes, I strongly feel that the recipes cooked at our restaurant in Ginza should always be the same. We keep our restaurant open from lunchtime to dinnertime so that we can be ready to serve our delicious tonkatsu at any time of the day. Many restaurants in Ginza with long histories do not take breaks out of their feeling of hospitality towards their customers.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I see. Now that you mention it, Ginza does have many restaurants that are open throughout the day.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Ginza is a place where we can find special goods and appreciate special hospitality. I hope that we can join hands as a community to preserve that special image of Ginza.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_41_08.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_41_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
Official website of Chisako Takashima<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\nMasaya Shibuya<\/h4>\n
Third owner and CEO of Ginza Bairin. Respecting the traditions continued from its establishment in 1927 (Showa 2), Shibuya has also launched restaurants overseas in Hawaii, Shanghai, Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore. He is rock fan and plays the electric guitar. He plays in a band with his friends from college and performs annually at the college reunion party.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- I have been told that Ginza Bairin was established in 1927 (Showa 2). For how many generations have you been in business?<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- I am the third owner, and my daughter\u2019s husband is currently learning the business, as the fourth generation.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- With such a long history, you must be happy to know that someone will be taking over after you. Is it a very strict apprenticeship?<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- No, my son-in-law is still 25 years old. As he is still young, I don\u2019t want to put too much pressure on him, but he is very eager to learn. I am happy to have welcomed a son who is much more competent than me.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That is wonderful and he is so young! By the way, I am a great fan of deep fried food. Is it true that Bairin is the first tonkatsu restaurant in Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Yes, that\u2019s true. The founder of Bairin was a pharmacist and he started the restaurant based on the idea that medicine and food originally have much in common. I believe he liked to see the smiles on his customers faces when they enjoyed food that not only tasted exquisite but that was also good for their health.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Where does the name Bairin come from\uff1f<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- As we were opening a restaurant in Ginza, we didn\u2019t use our family name, Shibuya, to avoid confusion regarding our location. I have been told that we decided to use the character \u201c\u6885 (pronounced ume or bai, meaning \u2018plum\u2019)\u201d because my grandmother\u2019s name was Umeko and we had 10 plum trees in our yard. We combined the character \u201c\u6797\u201d (pronounced hayashi or rin, meaning \u201cforest\u201d), for good luck, because the final strokes of the character spread outwards, representing future prosperity.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
From Ginza to the world. Striving to introduce the exquisiteness of Japan\u2019s food culture.<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have noticed that you have restaurants in Hawaii, Singapore and Shanghai, as well.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Yes, with the change of the times, we have expanded overseas, feeling that we needed to take action ourselves to get in contact with the world.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How exciting that we can find a long-established restaurant from Ginza in other cities of the world!<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- I take pride in Japan\u2019s food culture. I wanted to show the world how exquisite our food is.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Was it challenging to start a restaurant abroad? Did you experience any difficulties that you would not encounter in Japan?<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Our first overseas restaurant was launched in Hawaii. Hawaii being a tourist destination as well as an island, our choices of ingredients are very limited. Unlike Japan, the quality of vegetables are varied. In Japan, we can ask for an exchange but if did that in Hawaii, they would refuse to do business with us the next time. After seven or eight years since our opening, we have been acknowledged by the local community at last, and we can expect a certain level of quality in the ingredients that we have delivered.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Despite all of that, the restaurant must be a success. I went to graduate school in Hawaii. I know the Americans love tontkasu.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Actually, we had few American and European customers at first. Our first customers were the many Japanese Americans who live in Hawaii and local indigenous people, who traditionally eat pork. It took a while for us to gain wider recognition<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Bairin is very popular now. I still have the opportunity to visit Hawaii often and my impression is that Bairin is always full. Sushi may be the most famous of Japanese cuisine, but I hope that Bairin will succeed in introducing the exquisiteness of deep-fried Japanese dishes to more people around the world.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- It can be difficult to introduce tonkatsu in countries where pork or deep-fried food is not traditionally eaten, but since it is a healthy dish accompanied by a lot of vegetables, I intend to try my best to gain more tonkatsu fans.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\nA menu constructed of carefully selected ingredients. Attracting many celebrity fans as well.<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Is it true that hitokuchi-katsu (bite-size breaded pork fillet) and chuno sauce are both your inventions?<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Yes, our founder served them in his days as the first of their kind.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Today, we can find the chuno sauce sold everywhere. How amazing that you invented it! I recall that a friend of mine in Hawaii once asked me to bring her a bottle.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- In those days, we didn\u2019t even think of obtaining a patent for it, so we may have been imitated by other businesses. Our founder blended 20 difference spices based on his knowledge as a pharmacist to develop an original tonkatsu sauce. Until then, restaurants would serve a mixture of Worcester sauce and demiglace sauce with their tonkatsu, but our sauce, made from vegetables and fruits, has a sweet and rich and yet tender savor.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Do you still carefully select the ingredients that you use?<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- We use an original frying oil perfect for tonkatsu that we developed with a vegetable oil refining company. We use cottonseed oil, which has a well-balanced richness and unique smell. Our breadcrumbs have been developed based on dedicated studies on how to make it crispy. The pork that we use is Kurobuta pork from Kagoshima. We make sure that we use raw domestic pork.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How wonderful. It is no wonder that many celebrities are fans of your tonkatsu \u2013 not to mention that I am one of them.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- We are very fortunate to have so many close fans. Miss Minami Takahashi from AKB48 is a great fan of our katsudon (a bowl of rice topped with tonkatsu) and she has introduced it on her blog as well as on TV. I was thrilled when she referred to it as having \u201ca literally heavenly taste.\u201d<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Then, many of her fans must come here, too.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Yes, they do. Miss Takahashi sometimes comes in to eat between rehearsals in a taxi, without even changing her clothes, so we do have many of her fans here.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I also intend to buy some tonkatsu to take home with me today for dinner. I have already prepared the cabbage and cooked the rice. (laughs)<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Thank you. I would also recommend the katsu-sand (pork cutlet sandwich) and menchi-katsu (minced meat cutlets) from our take-out menu. You can also ask for cabbage. If you ask for a large helping, you will receive a large back full of cabbage.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Really! I didn\u2019t have to purchase cabbage! (laughs) I am looking very much forward to having dinner tonight.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
Hoping to maintain the uniqueness of Ginza without surrendering to the tides of time<\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Before we close, please tell me about your feelings and expectations for Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- I believe that it is important that Ginza maintain the uniqueness that makes it Ginza. Because it is a wonderful town, we have witnessed openings of various chain stores in these past few years. If Ginza becomes full of such stores, then it will be like any other town. I think that it is our job as long-established family-owned businesses to prevent that from happening.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I agree with you.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- However, Ginza is a very large town and individual efforts may not be enough to conquer the tides of time. We should join hands as an entire community to preserve what we feel are Ginza\u2019s features.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Do you have special feelings for your main store in Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Yes, I strongly feel that the recipes cooked at our restaurant in Ginza should always be the same. We keep our restaurant open from lunchtime to dinnertime so that we can be ready to serve our delicious tonkatsu at any time of the day. Many restaurants in Ginza with long histories do not take breaks out of their feeling of hospitality towards their customers.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I see. Now that you mention it, Ginza does have many restaurants that are open throughout the day.<\/dd>\n
- Shibuya<\/dt>\n
- Ginza is a place where we can find special goods and appreciate special hospitality. I hope that we can join hands as a community to preserve that special image of Ginza.<\/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
Official website of Chisako Takashima<\/a>\n<\/div>\n
\nMasaya Shibuya<\/h4>\n
Third owner and CEO of Ginza Bairin. Respecting the traditions continued from its establishment in 1927 (Showa 2), Shibuya has also launched restaurants overseas in Hawaii, Shanghai, Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore. He is rock fan and plays the electric guitar. He plays in a band with his friends from college and performs annually at the college reunion party.<\/p>\n