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[ANN15] Old tofu shop in Tokyo makes presence felt in business district
TOKYO (Japan News/ANN) — Echigoya, a tofu shop, sits quietly between tall buildings close to JR Kanda Station. Every morning, a stream of office workers stops by to drink freshly made soy milk before going to work.
The store has been producing tofu for more than 100 years, supporting the local food industry. Founded in the late Meiji era (1868-1912), it was damaged by the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, but rebuilt at the same location as a shop with an attached residence. The facade on the second floor is decorated with copperplates to protect the premises from fire.
Yoshiaki Ishikawa, 82, is the third-generation owner and grew up in the shop. "When I was a child, there was nothing but a vast field in front of the store," he said, fondly recalling the distant past.
The shop, which endured World War II and has stood the test of time, evokes an air of history in the middle of the business district.
Ishikawa uses his hands to make various kinds of tofu, using the same techniques as his grandfather. He makes his own hard and silken tofu varieties as well as fried tofu, ganmo fried tofu with vegetables and grilled tofu. Ishikawa continues to use domestic soybeans that are cooked in a pot, a method called kamadaki.
Regular customers who visit the shop daily praise it for selling the tastiest tofu they have ever had.
Ishikawa is no stranger to taking on new challenges. About 20 years ago, along with a professional Japanese chef, he invented the shop's specialty "bucket tofu." The dish is characterized by the rich and sweet taste of soybeans. Its name comes from the fact that they initially carried it in a bucket.
The shop also sells soy milk for 110 yen ($0.75) per cup. Named "morning tonyu (soy milk)," it is very popular and usually sells out early. Customers can also order tofu made of the dadachamame variety of soy beans or with yuzu citron.
Ishikawa used to run the shop with his 80-year-old wife Yoko and their second son, the fourth-generation owner. However, the shop's sales fell substantially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The son later left the shop and began work as a company employee to support his family. Now the shop is operated only by Ishikawa and his wife, who are determined to go on as long as they are physically able.
It has been about 60 years since Ishikawa succeeded the family business.
"I feel the happiest when a customer tells me [our tofu is] delicious," Ishikawa said of his unchanged love for his job.
He also rides a three-wheeler moped every day to deliver tofu to local restaurants.
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