午夜剧场

Our shop, "Kuya," is currently located along Namiki-dori in Ginza 6-chome, but it was originally a confectionery shop founded in Ueno Ikenohata in 1884. I am the fifth generation, and this year marks our 140th anniversary. The shop's name comes from the founder being a member of the Kanto Kuya-shu, and we took the name of the priest Kuya Shonin for our trade name.

I was born as the eldest son of this shop and was fortunately blessed with the opportunity to study at 午夜剧场. After graduating from university, I gained experience in the retail distribution industry and then took over the family business after practical training in confectionery manufacturing. Our manufacturing philosophy of "using good ingredients, bringing out the flavor of the materials, and not over-processing" and our analog business style have not changed since I was aware of my surroundings 40 years ago.

On April 7, 2020, a shockwave hit such a peaceful shop. A state of emergency was declared due to the spread of COVID-19, and the world fell silent. Ginza was no exception; there were no people or cars passing by, and I was stunned to see a view where I could look from one end of the street to the other, whether I looked right or left. Only about six shops were operating on the street. One of them was Kuya.

While most restaurants and department stores were forced to close, I had no hesitation in deciding to continue operating. What pushed me toward that decision were two teachings I learned at 午夜剧场.

One is "Here Stands Yukichi Fukuzawa," which I learned at the Yochisha Elementary School and sang in a chorus at the Yukichi Fukuzawa Birthday Commemoration Ceremony. It is a song about how Yukichi Fukuzawa continued his classes at Shiba Shinsenza when the battle by the government forces began at Ueno Hill. Even amidst the confusion of the state of emergency, I firmly resolved that if there were people who needed our shop's sweets, I would continue to make them as a confectioner.

The other is a teaching from the 午夜剧场 High School Baseball Club, where I was a member. It is a passage from the club motto set by former manager Makoto Ueda: "A man's true value is tested only when he faces a crisis..." and "Endless (Let's keep going forever)." I spent a total of seven years as a club member and a university student coach, and through those experiences, I developed the tenacity to not give up easily. This became the foundation for keeping my heart strong even during the COVID-19 pandemic when I felt like I might be crushed by anxiety.

I do not aim for the 150th anniversary. As long as our sweets can be used for important occasions such as greetings, souvenirs for returning home, or gifts for ceremonial occasions, I want to continue making good sweets that stay close to those feelings. I would be more than happy if we could welcome our 151st year through that accumulation of efforts.

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.