Imamachi, Mitsuke City, Niigata Prefecture. There is a yakiniku restaurant in this area, which used to flourish as a logistics centre by the Kariyata River. Its name is Kiraku. It is not a large restaurant in a large town, but it has many fans in Niigata Prefecture and abroad, as evidenced by the number of people who know the name 'Kiraku'.

We asked the representative of Kiraku, a popular yakiniku restaurant known to those in the know, about the secret of its popularity and his thoughts on the future of the town and the restaurant.

The story so far of the 'mass barbecue Kiraku'.

Mass Yakiniku Kiraku is located in the Imamachi shopping arcade in Mitsuke City. It is a 20-minute drive from Nagaoka Station and a 10-minute drive from Mitsuke Station.

Exterior view of Kiraku.

Kiraku is known for its many varieties of meats and sides, and its surprisingly deep interior. Also, the uniquely written menu and wallet-friendly prices. My impression is of a reasonably priced, tasty and fun restaurant. The friends I would take there were always happy to leave, and when I was taken there by people from the Imamachi shopping arcade, I felt that the restaurant was very well known and loved by the local people.

The Imamachi shopping street is very close to the "Road Station Patio Niigata". The old-fashioned townscape continues.

In this issue, we present an interview with Ms Haku, a representative of Kiraku! Mr. White was introduced to us by Ms Kobayashi, Area Manager of the Imamachi area of the Niigata Machizukuri Company, a general incorporated association. Mr White and I get on well together, going to see interesting initiatives in other areas together and organising events in Imamachi together.

On the left is Mr Bai, representative of the Public Yakiniku Kiraku. On the right is Mr Kobayashi, area manager of the Imamachi area of the Niigata Machizukuri Company.

As soon as we were shown in, a two-litre plastic bottle of oolong tea and a mug of tea were served. It was a bit of a surprise because it was so generous, but it is a standard drink at Kiraku, which is very good value for money. Mr White offered us a cup of oolong tea, saying, "Well, well, well, let's have some tea first.

Standard bold oolong tea.

Representative White, who seems gentle and calm, yet has an aura about him. We first asked him about the past of Kiraku.

'Kiraku was started by my parents in 1961. Actually, my parents are Korean, and they opened the business to make a living in Japan."

Mr Bai has been helping out at his parents' yakiniku (grilled meat) restaurant since he was in primary school. He actually started working when he was 22 years old. The current building has been in business for about 36 years. At that time, it was a kind of one-drink bar, where you could just buy meat and go home.

'I think the customers spread by word of mouth. Not only in Mitsuke, but also in Nagaoka.'

It now has six full-time employees and about 30 part-time workers. This is a surprisingly large scale for a shop that is not located near a major train station and is not part of a chain.

'If you look at the town for a long time... you get the sense that the economy has changed. Like, manufacturing plants are moving overseas."

It is surprising that the shop was started by a person from Korea, but it is truly amazing that so many people have become involved and that the shop has become so firmly rooted in the local community.

advertisement

What is Kiraku like for customers and staff?

Kiraku is like local soul food. Whenever I come back to my hometown, it's the place I go," says Kobayashi, a close friend and junior colleague of Bai who has lived in the town all his life.

It's not a high-class restaurant, so even young people can come here. As Mr Bai says, a look at Kiraku's menu shows that everything is reasonably priced.

I remember coming here for an evening meal before and eating a full meal because it was cheap and tasty.

The menu, which changes monthly, also includes tom yum kung and cakes - "even though it's a yakiniku restaurant!" but there are also menu items that you might think are not so good.

Kiraku menu. Cheap and varied.

'We discuss new menus and operations with all the staff and decide on them every month. We also have them make the menus. We teach them how to communicate using notebooks... and how to deal with customers, for their own development."

Indeed, the wall menu is tastefully handwritten. You can sense the atmosphere of unconventionality and trying things out when they feel good for themselves. I was also impressed by the fact that Mr Bai, the representative, thinks a lot about his staff.

'There's so much I'd like to try.'

Mr Bai, the head of such a kiraku, is a very "active person", says Mr Kobayashi.

In what way is he 'active'? We asked Mr White about what he 'wants to do'.

'I get flooded with ideas of things I'd like to try. And then I also want to go and see what's interesting, so I go right away."

For example, we are now trying to build a third kitchen in addition to the second kitchen, and I thought it was amazing when Mr Kobayashi told me that about two years ago he bought a property in the neighbourhood, saying that he wanted to build an inn and a place for everyone to gather.

'I've wanted to open a pension since I was in my twenties or so. Imacho is a bit of an inconvenient place to have a drink because the station is not close. It would be great to have a place to stay, and I'd also like to build a place where people could have a bit of a bite to eat and drink."

Shimizu residence purchased by Mr White. Minimal renovation and clean inside.

The people of the town have joined Mr Bai in his challenge. This year, an event called 'Imamachi Haikara - Imamachi Kalaagefest' was held at the Shimizu Residence, a property bought by Mr Bai.

At the event.

Mr Bai, the representative of "Kiraku", a popular yakiniku restaurant, is running a restaurant that is well-loved by the local community, while also lightly tackling new challenges without forgetting to keep a learning spirit. If the value of a town changes depending on what kind of place and what kind of people are there, I feel that Kiraku is definitely making the town of Imamachi more attractive.

The warehouse opposite is also available.

The interview reminded us of the beauty of life with "a taste to come back to" and the richness of having restaurants where we can go to see them.

If you live in or plan to visit Nagaoka or Mitsuke, why not visit the Kiraku yakiniku restaurant with friends and family to keep an eye on future developments?

Thank you very much to Mr White, the representative of Kiraku, and Mr Kobayashi, who connected us with Mr White, for this valuable opportunity!

'Popular Yakiniku Kiraku'.

• Address：1-15-7 Imamachi, Mizugo-shi, Niigata
• Opening hours: [Mon-Thu] 15:00-24:00 [Fri] 15:00-25:00 [Sat] 12:00-25:00 [Sun & holidays] 12:00-23:30.
• Tel: 0258-66-2752.