In the Meiji period, my great grandfather started Tempura restaurant in Asakusa Rokku (Asakusa District no.6) where Asakusa artists had Tendon (a bowl of rice topped with Tempura).  This is how we started.  After the war, he was demobilized and started Tsukimiso. Tsukimiso opened in 1948 as a jazz café.  The reputation of offering western food at that time spread widely and the style of eating Brochette (Charcoal grilled seafood) and rice to finish off the meal became quite popular. The name Tsukimiso came from my grandmother’s favorite flower evening primrose (which means Tsukimiso in Japanese), and that the shop opens from the evening, just like that evening primrose blossoms in the evening.

After that, my grandparents opened Kamameshi (sort of Japanese pilaf) restaurant Asadori in 1972. They were fortunate to acquire the location and the business went well in the beginning.  However, Asakusa Nakamise was not lively as it is now, and was not so crowded even at weekends.

Under the management of my father, Tsukimiso changed to French restaurant. It was a big failure.  Our regular customer had left, and the business became sometimes difficult. My father then changed the style back to the original to which we serve western food with chopstick and rice at the end of the meal. The customer came back again, and this is where we are now.

I am married and have a 3 years old son and a 1 year old daughter.  As I became father, I started to think how people get to like my hometown Asakusa and what I could do for the town.  On my day off, I try to deepen my cooking knowledge by visiting other restaurants and checking new shops in Asakusa.

The town brought me up.  People makes community and community makes people.  My aim is to deepen my knowledge about Asakusa to be able to introduce the town to other people.  Asakusa spirit will be passed on not from parents to children, but parents to “brothers” and “brothers” to their children.  This is tradition in Asakusa.

Sanja Matsuri is like New Year celebration. I enjoy taking a part.A community service, ChuoChokai covers from Asakusa’s symbol, Kaminarimon in the west to Orange street in the east, Kaminarimon street in the south to Denboin street in the north, which locates in the middle of Asakusa shopping street crowded with shoppers.  I became a member since I was child and have contributed to the town together with my ‘brothers’. I believe it’s destiny for those who live in Asakusa to make our town better and pass on to the next era.Sanja Matsuri is a must event for Asakusa people and makes our connection even deeper.

My grandfather opened Tsukimiso and Asadori, my father Kura. My plan is to open a restaurant that features Asakusa.

I watch carefully what people love, things to be passed on, and to be changed. My belief is to do my best for everything and not to cut corners in my work.  I hope all the people involved are happy.  With my belief, I aim my restaurant to be suitable for any guests and any occasion.

I would like to build up my era in Asakusa.  First of all, I should work on my current task. Since my restaurant started as a one-man business, my task is to create system, adapt new things, and share understanding, weakness and knowledge of each restaurant in order to change my business into a company. I personally want to become more communicative and influential making use of Internet and SNS. I will live hard in order to realize my dream.