Key Points
- Katayama Kamaboko-ten, a century-old business in Hinagu, Kumamoto, faces a total production halt following devastating earthquake damage
- The third-generation owner, Mr. Katayama, reports that while the building stands, water outages and potential machinery damage prevent manufacturing.
- Electricity has been restored, allowing the shop to save some existing stock of their signature “Hinagu Chikuwa.”
- The owner aims to resume production by mid-August, provided water services are restored and specialized assembly lines remain functional.
Full Transcript (English)
Host: How is the situation right now?
Guest (Mr. Katayama): The inside is a total mess; it’s a very difficult situation. Right now, the water is cut off, so we are in a state where we simply cannot manufacture anything. Once the water is back, the next question is whether the machinery will operate normally. It’s a step-by-step process. Even if we turn the machines on, we won’t know if they work correctly until we actually put the product on the line. So for now, we are waiting for the water to be restored, and in the meantime, we are cleaning up what we can inside the shop.
Host: How many generations has this shop been in your family?
Guest (Mr. Katayama): I am the third generation. It started with my grandfather. It has been about 105 years; we were founded in the 10th year of the Taisho era (1921).
Host: (Entering the factory) It looks like you’ve started cleaning up.
Guest (Mr. Katayama): We’ve tidied up a bit, but household items are still scattered here.
Host: Did the machinery fall over during the flood?
Guest (Mr. Katayama): The machines themselves didn’t fall over, which was lucky. However, there is a very specific timing for the connections in the assembly line. We won’t know if it’s okay until we try to run it. The pipes might be slightly warped. As you can see, the structure is still here.
Guest (Mr. Katayama): This part here is for making the chikuwa. This is the final stage where the shape is formed, it goes into the oven to be baked, and then it comes out the front of the shop. This whole process needs to flow smoothly. If one part is slightly out of alignment, the whole thing fails. We can’t fix these specialized adjustments ourselves. If we touch one part, it might throw off another part further down the line. It’s all about precise timing.
Host: It’s great that the refrigerator is working.
Guest (Mr. Katayama): Yes, I’m so relieved about that. The water is out, but at least the electricity is back. (Opens the refrigerator) Look, the electricity is on! These are the Hinagu Chikuwa with our special design.
Host: They look delicious.
Guest (Mr. Katayama): This is our flagship product. For now, these are still within their expiration date, but in a few days, we won’t be able to sell them to customers anymore. We don’t have anywhere to send this current stock yet because we made them just before the disaster hit. If anyone wants to buy them, they should contact us soon, though there is a limit to what we have. Also, we have to see if delivery services like Yamato Transport are running normally. If people come to the shop, we can serve them, even if we aren’t fully open.
Host: What is your goal for restarting?
Guest (Mr. Katayama): Looking at the calendar for July and August… my goal is to resume production by the week of August 10th, before the Obon holidays. We have some vacuum-packed items that last longer, but for the standard chikuwa, we need to be back in production. If customers come and we have nothing to show them, it’s heartbreaking. I’m aiming for that second week of August. But first, we need water. We can’t make chikuwa with bottled water.
Host: Finally, could you tell us about the appeal of your chikuwa?
Guest (Mr. Katayama): Our “Chikuwan” is our character, but the product itself uses a mix of daggertooth pike conger (hamo) and white croaker (guchi) caught in the Yatsushiro Sea. I really want people to enjoy that unique texture again soon.
Host: Thank you very much.
