While new shops are opening one after another, some shops have been around for a long time.

This corner, "The Long-Selling Shops: There's a Reason They're Loved," focuses on shops in Hokkaido that have been in business for over 50 years, exploring the reasons why they are so beloved.

This time, we're focusing on a "sauce yakisoba" shop that has been in business for over half a century in front of Otaru Station.

Overcoming the Crisis of Survival… "Yakisoba" Beloved by Otaru Citizens

Nagasakiya Otaru Store, a commercial facility in front of Otaru Station

Having been open for over 50 years, it's an indispensable place for the citizens of Otaru.

On the first basement floor, there's a restaurant that has been there since Nagasakiya first opened.

"Dondo," a shop selling taiyaki and yakisoba.

Just after 10:00 AM, it quickly becomes lively.

Manager Nabeshima: "Many people come as soon as we open."

Customers come for the "taiyaki" filled with plenty of red bean paste and the sauce yakisoba cooked on the griddle right in front of them.

A sweet and savory aroma that whets the appetite fills the air in front of the shop. And then, at noon, it's peak time.
The 11-seat counter is full.

Customer (50s): "I've been coming here since I was in high school. That was quite a while ago. The unchanging taste and the fact that I've been coming here for so long gives me a sense of comfort."

Customer: "I come here every time I return home. I just can't help but eat it. I want to come back."

This time's long-selling item is this menu item:

It's yakisoba (fried noodles) topped with a soft-boiled egg and char siu (roast pork).

Tourist from Tokyo: "The soft-boiled egg is just right, with a nice runny texture, and it tastes even better when eaten with the noodles. It was delicious."

The origin of this famous yakisoba dates back about 50 years.

Who was the founder...?

Manager Nabeshima: "It was Mr. Ten Inoue."

Nagasakiya Otaru branch opened in 1975.

At the time, the owner's younger brother, who was working at Nagasakiya, asked him to open a yakisoba shop, which was the impetus for the business.

First owner, Mr. Inoue: "(Otaru) was a completely unknown world to me. I went around trying yakisoba here and there."

Mr. Inoue came to Otaru, a place he was unfamiliar with, from Tokyo.

He was practically a novice when it came to cooking, but he and his wife, Machi, opened the shop together.

First owner, Mr. Inoue: "My wife said, 'Dad, let's settle down here and work hard for 50 years! 50 years is when you'll be over 80!' and laughed."

He visited taiyaki shops and yakisoba shops, studying the flavors and toppings.

What he valued from the beginning was the price.

First owner, Mr. Inoue: "I decided to make it cheap. The customers were students. Okay, I thought. I think (a regular serving) was around 180 yen."

A regular serving of yakisoba at the time of opening was 180 yen.

High school students flocked to the shop at this price!

The first owner, Mr. Inoue: "When I told a student, 'Aren't you still in class?', they replied, 'It's break time, I'll eat and leave right away, so I'll make it on time...'"

They created 1.5 times the normal size and even a jumbo size (twice the normal size) to please hungry students, capturing the hearts (and stomachs) of Otaru locals and becoming a thriving business.

A 60-year-old Otaru resident: "Students often go there, don't they? Because it's cheap." Another Otaru resident: "It's soul food for Otaru high school students! I think I was a middle schooler when I first went."

In 2008, "Dondo" was passed down from the first owner, Ten Inoue, to his son, Toshiaki.

However…

The first owner, Mr. Inoue: "Well, he passed away."

In 2022, the second owner, Toshiaki, suddenly passed away from illness.

Without an owner, "Dondo" faced a crisis of survival. Then, he appeared…

The third-generation owner, Mr. Sawada: “I asked, ‘Could I take over?’”

The new owner of “Dondo” is Mr. Hajime Sawada.

He is also the owner of “Keien,” a long-established Chinese restaurant famous for its stir-fried noodles with thick sauce.

He and the second-generation owner, Mr. Toshiaki, were friends since elementary school.

The third-generation owner, Mr. Sawada: “We were in similar circumstances, both inheriting restaurants in the same neighborhood, so we started hanging out a lot. We often rode motorcycles together.”

The second-generation owner of “Keien Chinese Restaurant” and the second-generation owner of “Dondo.”

They shared the experience of inheriting long-established restaurants and had a relationship of mutual understanding.

Third-generation owner, Mr. Sawada: "I was confident that I was the closest to the second-generation owner, Toshiaki. That restaurant holds many memories for the people of Otaru. It was a place where even children could afford to eat with their allowance. It's a restaurant filled with everyone's hopes and dreams. I felt I couldn't let it easily go to waste." First-generation owner...