Hikoyuki Yamaguchi: Every Day is a Kuya Day

2024/12/19

Our shop, "Kuya," is currently located along Namiki-dori in Ginza 6-chome, but it was originally a confectionery shop opened in Ueno Ikenohata in 1884. I am the fifth generation, and this year marks our 140th anniversary. The name of the shop comes from the fact that the founder was a member of the Kanto Kuya-shu, and he took the name of Saint Kuya as the shop's name.

I was born as the eldest son of this shop and was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study at Keio University. After graduating from university, I gained experience in the retail distribution industry and took over the family business after working in confectionery manufacturing. Our manufacturing philosophy of "using good ingredients, bringing out the flavor of the materials, and not over-processing," as well as our analog business style, have remained unchanged since I was a child 40 years ago.

On April 7, 2020, a shockwave hit our 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 left or right. 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 operations. What supported that decision were two teachings I learned at Keio University.

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. It is a song about how Yukichi Fukuzawa continued his classes at Shiba Shinsenza when the battle by the government forces began on the hills of Ueno. Even amidst the chaos of the state of emergency, I firmly decided 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 Keio University High School Baseball Club, where I was a member. It is a passage from the club's motto established by former manager Makoto Ueda: "A man's true worth is tested only when he faces a crisis... (omitted)" and "Endless (Let's keep going forever)." I was a member and a university student coach for a total of seven years, and through that experience, 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 of our founding. As long as our sweets are used for important occasions such as greetings, souvenirs for returning home, or gift confectionery for ceremonial occasions, I want to continue making good sweets that resonate with those feelings. I would be more than happy if we could reach our 151st year through that accumulation of effort.

*Affiliations, job titles, etc., are as of the time of publication.