• 2 months ago
-
Transcript
00:00You
00:30I've always lived my own way without following the current
00:48If I were a creature in the ocean
00:55I'd be swimming from the South Pole to the North Pole as a whale
01:00You have to be strong in order to create your own current
01:07You can't expect good results. If you just go with the flow
01:12I'm prepared to take on any challenge head-on
01:30In Japan, good table manners are drilled into us
01:53The most important one is to say I humbly receive before a meal
02:00We sit and eat properly to show respect to the life which we consume
02:14In Japan, rules and order are very important. The idea that we must suppress our true intentions to do things properly
02:21But Osaka is different from the rest of Japan
02:24Osakans say, who cares about appearances, let's be true to ourselves
02:35And Osaka is known as Japan's kitchen
02:41Osakans are known for spending more money on food than other Japanese
02:48Tokyo people say, wow, Osakans really eat a lot. They are often astonished
02:53We use the term, eat till you drop
02:59Osakans have lived this way for 400 years
03:05And all delicious foods in Japan originated from street food stands. The most well-known are takoyaki
03:15Okonomiyaki, kushikatsu, and udon
03:24But street stands are disappearing now due to various regulations
03:29So these street food stalls have moved inside and evolved into restaurants
03:35Unfortunately, we don't have many street food stands anymore
03:40But Toyo's place is different
03:43It's been running Izakaya Toyo on the street for 26 years
03:48People really don't go there for the nice view or for the nice food
03:53But to meet Toyo, to enjoy his food and performance
04:03He'll serve all different kinds of fish for the day from the market
04:15In Osaka, if someone says you're funny, that's the highest compliment you can get
04:20And Toyo is a comedian
04:23Come on, let's go
04:33We say silly things on purpose
04:36It's all about making the other person laugh
04:40That's what makes us Osakan
04:43And that's what makes Izakaya Toyo so special
04:53Izakaya Toyo
05:17Stubborn
05:20Unreasonable
05:24A magician that manipulates fire
05:36Many people use a variety of words to describe me
05:41However, I think of myself
05:45As the con artist of Kyobashi, Osaka
05:50I am small in stature
05:53But you can't judge people by the way they look
05:56Sometimes, demons come down from heaven
06:00And say, come and get me
06:03There are times when it's hard
06:06But I don't think it's a bad thing
06:09I don't think it's a bad thing
06:12But I don't think it's a bad thing
06:15But I don't think it's a bad thing
06:18But I don't think it's a bad thing
06:21How do you change that?
06:24With a smile
06:27I try to make customers smile
06:45What do you use to make customers smile?
06:48I try to make customers smile
06:51I try to make customers smile
06:54I try to make customers smile
06:57I try to make customers smile
07:00I try to make customers smile
07:03At Izakaya Toyo
07:05I do all sorts of ridiculous things
07:08I'll be a clown
07:11Do you want a T-shirt?
07:13Do you want a T-shirt?
07:16No, I don't want a T-shirt
07:19Really?
07:22You look like a soccer player
07:25Bring me a T-shirt
07:28I'll embarrass myself if that's what it takes
07:31In this short life
07:34I believe that making people happy
07:38Is more important than making money
07:41Thank you for coming despite the heat
07:44Thank you
07:47Let's take a picture with her
07:51The three of us
07:54But what I love most is
07:57Fire
08:00And beautiful women
08:11Thank you
08:27I was born in a town of 15,000 people
08:32It's a small island called Kikajima
08:37Memories from my childhood
08:41Are either very happy
08:45Or terribly painful
08:48When I was six, my mother died
08:53I still remember it very clearly
08:58Then my family fell apart
09:02And I lost my father
09:06I lost my mother
09:10I lost my father
09:14I lost my mother
09:18We fell apart
09:21My father started drinking and became very violent
09:28He wasn't an alcoholic, he just drowned himself in alcohol
09:35Starting at six years old, I was his target
09:40He would hit me every day
09:44I'd get home from school, grab a pillow and blanket
09:49And go to the rooftop of my elementary school
09:54Or the end of the pier
09:58My father, though a sailor, couldn't swim
10:04My favorite time at elementary school
10:08Was having the delicious school lunch with everyone
10:12But my father said,
10:15No more lunch, we can't pay
10:18I was miserable
10:22I would go home alone
10:25And pick plants from the fields to make a stir-fry
10:29I can't say my meals tasted good
10:34I ate to fill my stomach
10:38It was more like survival
10:42In Japanese culture and tradition,
10:45we appreciate those who are older than us
10:48With gratitude to grandfathers and preceding ancestors
10:53But in Japan, we don't
10:57We don't appreciate those who are older than us
11:01We don't appreciate those who are younger than us
11:05We don't appreciate those who are older than us
11:08With gratefulness to the proceeding ancestors
11:21Mr. Kita's shop is the second oldest takoyaki shop in Japan
11:27For takoyaki, you make a flour-based batter,
11:31pour it into an iron plate with half circles,
11:34and add pieces of octopus
11:36Flakes are very important.
11:38My great-grandmother started umaiya out of a food stall.
11:51We've never changed the flavor of our takoyaki.
11:54We can't change our recipe because our customers expect a certain flavor.
12:01Mr. Kita's takoyaki has about five textures.
12:04In your mouth, you get this wet, wow experience.
12:12I was going to college, but in Japan, the firstborn son takes over the family business.
12:19So I made the big decision to take over my family business of 65 years.
12:28I work with my mother.
12:30At the shop, she's more like a business partner.
12:35I think tradition is very important.
12:40I'm hoping to continue until our 100th anniversary.
12:45I haven't thought about after that, though.
13:06I wanted to go to high school, but we couldn't afford it.
13:10So I went to Osaka to work.
13:15I was 15, and it was spring.
13:19The amount of people and cars was the most shocking thing.
13:25People told me, Osaka is a scary place, a fun place.
13:32It's also a place that makes dreams come true.
13:58I worked as a dishwasher at my aunt's bar called Marushin for two years.
14:03After my third year, I started cooking there.
14:09The senior chefs taught me all sorts of things.
14:20But I knew I was capable of doing more.
14:29I had a strong desire to have my own business.
14:44I set a goal to start my izakaya once I saved up 11 million yen.
15:13I'd rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a bull.
15:15Rather than being the underling of a big company, I wanted to be the boss of a small food truck.
15:22Don't be a bull's tail.
15:24Be a chicken's head.
15:48My dream when I started working in Osaka was not only to open my own shop, but to buy
15:55my own house, get married, and have kids.
16:04I kept telling myself, I'm going to work harder than anyone else and start Izakaya Toyo,
16:09no matter what.
16:11I had just celebrated working 10 years at the previous shop.
16:18When I finally saved up 11 million yen, I thought, yes, finally I can open my izakaya.
16:27My dad died.
16:49There was a need for a funeral and grave.
16:57In my hometown of Kikaijima, traditions like funerals and graves are very important.
17:05It cost 7 million yen for his funeral and grave.
17:15All that was left was 4 million yen.
17:19I have no regrets.
17:24My dream was crushed.
17:54In the 1900s, during the Taisho and Showa periods, wheat flour first spread among the
17:58general public.
18:00People would place griddles in front of their house, add water to flour, and cook a thin
18:04layer of batter.
18:07That's how okonomiyaki started.
18:14You can use toppings that you like, but in Osaka, we like okonomiyaki with strips of
18:18pork.
18:25I think for Osakans, we proudly say that okonomiyaki is our soul food.
18:35Okonomiyaki is made of cabbage, green onions, tempura flakes, ginger, and we use my grandmother's
18:39special batter.
18:45I can't share the details of that part.
18:50This shop has seen success thanks to my grandpa and grandma's efforts.
18:58I work with my dad.
19:01He scolds me sometimes.
19:05It's not easy, but this is my favorite job.
19:10That's it.
19:27The only people you can count on in life are your parents.
19:35My parents passed away already.
19:36I could only rely on myself.
19:41I knew I couldn't expect good results if I gave up on my dream.
19:49Using that 4 million yen, there must be a way to start my izakaya.
19:55I thought, I should ask the owner of the parking space I rent.
20:02That's how Izakaya Toyo started.
20:10I opened my izakaya on November 20, 1992.
20:15In the beginning, I just put a stainless board on top of the truck bed, and it became my
20:23cooking table and counter.
20:27I could only accommodate five to six customers at a time.
20:32It was self-service.
20:34Even my customers used to help by washing their own dishes after their meal.
20:50At first, society looked down on me, saying, your izakaya is just a food stall.
20:59I felt inferior because we didn't have a bathroom or running water.
21:15In the beginning, I was extremely worried.
21:43I worked non-stop for 50 days with four hours of sleep each night, and I never took a bath.
21:57I'd get home in freezing weather, and I didn't have hot water, so I'd wipe my body with cold
22:01water and soap.
22:06I really thought, there must be no one experiencing life worse than me.
22:36Especially in the first year, I couldn't afford to make customers wait a long time.
22:54I used a blowtorch for tuna because it allowed me to cook faster.
23:16At first, I used a very small blowtorch.
23:18My friend saw this blowtorch and said, I'll bring you a bigger one that you can attach
23:21to a propane tank.
23:30I thought, this is great.
23:31I don't have to keep customers waiting long.
23:39I dip my hand in ice water quickly and cook while wishing, may it be delicious, may it
23:44be delicious, with my whole heart.
23:49Cooking with my hands under the flame, I can avoid tearing the tuna with metal tongs.
24:18Word of mouth made Izakaya Toyo famous, and on the third year, 100 people lined up.
24:48But I finally felt like I had a real izakaya.
25:00When we got running water, and we installed a bathroom, look, it's a proper izakaya.
25:11Be the head of a chicken, not the tail of a bull.
25:35My izakaya succeeded.
25:43It's true.
25:44Osaka is a city that makes dreams come true.
25:58Children and family are cherished here in Japan.
26:06I have kids.
26:07If they want to continue making our takoyaki, I would love for them to take over.
26:27I know I need to grill thousands to get close to my dad or grandpa's flavor.
26:36In the future, while protecting our recipe and flavor, I'd like to add my own special
26:39twist.
26:52All the best food in Japan started off as street food.
26:59Nowadays, these dishes from Osaka are well-known around the world.
27:10That's how famous Osakan food is.
27:19Osaka is Japan's kitchen.
27:26It's kui da ore.
27:36It's comedy.
27:37It's freedom.
27:38Toyo is Osaka.
27:39Like Osaka, I don't fit in any box.
27:57I am proud of that.
28:27In the past, my wish was to buy my own house, get married, and have kids.
28:40But when you create your own current, life can be unpredictable.
28:46Izakaya Toyo is my home.
28:50My staff are my children.
28:53My customers are my family.
28:56And that's how it is.
29:11I live my life with no regrets.
29:18I'll continue working until I die, whether it's tomorrow or when I'm 90.
29:29My greatest wish is to keel over while working.
29:34That's all.