An elementary school student starts talking about the day's events, or a kindergartener gets off the bus and waves down to us. Okamoto-san, the owner, and his wife, Emiko, look after the little regulars. The two of them, and the "baku" (Japanese word for "explosion") found here and there in the store, may ring a bell with some of you.

Mr. and Mrs. Okamoto worked at Bakubaku no Hanamichi in Gion until the end of October 2020. However, just as they were celebrating their 10th anniversary as the second owners, they were hit by the Corona disaster. Gion, which is usually overflowing with tourists, became a ghost town in the blink of an eye. I looked back like a runaway light to see what I could do in a world that had changed so drastically, and I remembered my dream of becoming a baker in the future when I was 17 years old. He trained in baking at major and private bakeries and hotels, but gave up on his dream when he became ill at the age of 24. But when I thought about what I really wanted to do, it was still bread," he says.

Against the backdrop of adversity, he became a baker again. Although he says he does not want to put too much strain on his body, he still has 35 to 40 varieties lined up in his case every day. The prices are set so that junior high school students can easily afford them, just as they did when they used to bake bread. That's why the name is also "Purchasing Department. Most of the items are in the 100-yen range, so you can buy three or four items for 500 yen," he says. The cafeteria next to the purchasing department is popular for its hearty lunches starting at 900 yen. In addition to selling side dishes and running a night business, they are also working on a small and cute themed Temari Sushi. We will keep an eye on this ever-evolving store.

Owners: Kazutoshi Okamoto and Emiko
At the age of 24, he gave up the baking industry and moved from Italian to the restaurant industry. 30 years old, he became the owner of Bakubaku no Hanamichi, which closed in the fall of 2020. The following year, he revived it with a new business model.