Our encounter and impressions
Osako:
We met for the first time in this bar, Owari no Kisetsu (Season of Endings).
Shinba:
Yes.
Osako:
Through a mutual acquaintance.
Shinba:
When we met later for the second time, you visited me at Kanjo, my restaurant that just opened. It’s a Japanese restaurant specializing in teppanyaki-style duck and soba. For the centerpiece of the restaurant, we made an iron griddle that’s a few centimeters thick, from tamahagane, the same kind of steel used to make Japanese swords. We use it to cook duck slice by slice. You came over to meet me there.
Osako:
I was really happy that you invited me for dinner. I remember we talked about ego back then, and I thought it was very philosophical. It’s a world I don’t really know, and I wanted to learn more about it.
Shinba:
When you first reached out to me, you didn’t use a messaging app like LINE. You sent me a thoughtful message to the email address I had on my business card. I thought you were a class act. A business card is just a card, so sometimes you receive one and that’s it. But you wrote about your thoughts on the wine we drank. It was a really nice gesture.
Desire for approval
Osako:
Basically, I think people want to be recognized for who they are. We’ve discussed how that is probably the reason why I run, and you continue to pursue wine.
Shinba:
I always think about things like the desire for approval and personal ego. When I started this bar, I wondered where my drive and strong passion came from. I still think about it actually. I feel like I have a lot of “anger” in me. I’ve always had things that made me angry over the past few years–whether it’s towards the state of the world in general or the food service industry specifically. At the same time, I’m working on getting rid of my desire for approval. It’s not that I want to be famous. I think my job is to perform the best I can, in service of the customers. I feel like anger was the initial driving force and motivation for opening new restaurants. But as my team is gradually coming together now, I feel I’m becoming less angry. It’s no longer just anger. It’s become more about helping my team become stronger. And as a team member, I want to shift more to conveying joy, fun and deliciousness. I want my next restaurant to have a touch of gentleness. The name of the restaurant is Nebuka, and it’s written with Chinese characters that mean “root” and “deep”. It comes from my intention to focus not on what’s visible and superficial, but on how deep the invisible roots are and what lies under the surface.
In the past, I’ve focused on the appearance, like designing the interior of the restaurant. The appearance of the new restaurant is important, but the concept is more about what’s inside us, and how we can make the roots deeper. I still have some anger towards the world and the industry, but I feel what drives me has changed a little. I think it’s a good change.
Why wine?
Osako:
Why did you choose wine, of all alcohol? I’m sure you have knowledge about all sorts of alcohol, but do you love wine the most?
Shinba:
I started working in this industry when I was very young. I started out as a bartender and got really into whisky. My first overseas trip was to Scotland and I visited many distilleries. Then I had an opportunity to work at a French restaurant, where I met a customer who took me to all sorts of wine bars. The wines I drank made my heart tremble. I felt like my brain was vibrating. I have great memories with whisky too, but good wine has an amazing aroma that stays in your memory.
The name of the restaurant, “Owari no Kisetsu (Season of Endings)”
Shinba:
It comes from “owari no kisetsu” by Rei Harakami. I heard that song for the first time at a bar where I was training, in a multi-tenant building in Shinjuku. The bar got crowded and busy on weekends, and as I was thinking about how busy it was, “owari no kisetsu” by Rei Harakami started playing. At that moment, time stood still. I felt it was so cool and I couldn’t forget it. I wanted to create a space like that someday. So I’ve always wanted to use the name “owari no kisetsu” when I went independent.
Osako:
You have a great sense for naming things, like Kanjo (emotion), the restaurant for teppanyaki-style duck and soba. Why did you name it Kanjo?
Shinba:
Now we are in the age of AI, and because of that, I wanted our work to be not machine-driven. About two years before we opened Kanjo, I was thinking about what kind of work is truly human. And I felt it should be centered around feelings and emotions that change every day. At the entrance of the restaurant, there is a paper signboard that says “Kanjo”’ in handwritten characters. I thought it would be cool to write it by hand, using the emotion you feel on that day.
Osako:
The menu is written on manuscript paper and it feels really good.
Shinba:
The menu is written on manuscript paper by our staff every day. You know how you can convey feelings with handwriting. Everything is becoming more convenient and efficient these days, but I wanted to create a restaurant that feels like you are taking a bit of a detour. I wanted something warm and inviting, rather than a white, blank canvas. Things that are slightly worn out can be charming. I wanted to create a softer atmosphere rather than something that feels too sharp.
A place to hone your senses and sensibilities
Shinba:
I guess it comes from everyday life. I used to be jealous of my competitors, but lately, I feel that kind of emotion is fading away more and more. I think I’m working happily now. I guess it’s because only people I like come here. I feel this place is packed with inspiration every day, thanks to the people who gather here. You are one of the people who inspire me. So I guess the sensibilities of those people come together like a ball of energy.
Osako:
When I see social media, I think there is a tendency for people to try to be liked by everyone. But as a result, doing something with people you like may lead to happiness. New people may come along as you go, but I guess people are able to create communities with similar sensibilities and feelings as their own.
Shinba:
This bar was created by an architect I love. But if you ask me what I’m most proud of, I’d say it’s our customers (though we put our heart into the wine and food we serve). I think the reason why this restaurant is still in business is because our customers are inspiring and they are all amazing people. I’m not the type of person who has simply excelled at everything since childhood. Rather, I’m not particularly good at anything. I didn’t do well at school. I’m not great at sports, and have never played musical instruments. I just like to drink and kept drinking, which led me to where I am today.
Something that makes you happy
Osako:
Of course, drinking good drinks and communicating with many different people simply make me happy. But what’s even better is when I’m focused on something that’s all my own. It’s like being intoxicated with myself in a good way. When I’m in Tokyo, I compare what I’m doing with what others might be doing. However, when I’m in the U.S., I can be in my own world without feeling the urge to compare. I can get caught up with my own sense of achievement. If you keep doing it, I think it will lead to success.
Shinba:
I pretend to be strong but don’t like being alone. You look like you neither pretend to be strong nor hate to be alone. You face yourself naturally. In a post somewhere, I read that you don’t rely on anything outside of yourself, such as your trainer, food or the environment. You said you’d learned to adapt yourself and I was impressed by your determination and mindset.
Osako:
I don’t carry any baggage with me because I want to stay free at all times. Can you tell me about your idea of happiness and joy?
When I’m working here, just having people I love coming here makes me very happy. I’ve started to feel differently after I opened Kanjo. I’m really happy to see my team getting stronger. I happened to open the restaurant, and although I’m not involved in it as much now, many people think highly of it and it’s always booked. It’s not that we run a lot of ads, but it’s getting a high reputation through word of mouth. I’m glad our diligent work has been rewarded. I feel very happy about it. Also, while I wanted to be stronger personally, my team is getting stronger, which creates a virtuous cycle and makes me even stronger. I used to work alone here, and there were times when I felt lonely, but now I feel the strength as a team and it gives me joy.
Shinba:
In the beginning, I thought I should keep doing only the things I liked to do. I wanted to create a small bar to serve wine that I love, to people I love. However, now that I have new restaurants, I’m thinking about what kind of goals I should set for myself. When I think about what success means, to me, now it’s about being the only one. There are many different types of restaurants, but I’ve been pursuing things only I can do, and I think what I’m doing is unique. But I’ve started to think about what kind of business can compete globally or on a larger scale. I’m actually developing something for that, and am planning to take on a challenge in the world of business. With Owari no Kisetsu and Kanjo, we make a living by receiving payment from our customers. I think it’s a bit different from the world of business. I wonder if we are contributing to society, or creating many jobs. I want to build a space or organization with more strength and energy, to create something that can be recognized by people around the world. I want to create restaurants that allow us to take on a challenge on the global stage. When I achieve that, I think I’ll feel very happy, and that’s more like what success feels like.
Osako:
I think I need to increase the types of output I deliver. Ideas and actions that allow me to do so will keep me happy. As I was listening to you, I realized that I’m in a phase where I need to think about what’s next.
Shinba:
You’re not just a runner. You work to compete and set records, and also do external work at the same time. I think it’s really cool.
Osako:
It might be a desire for self-approval, but I want people to know what I’m thinking. I want to share my principles and philosophy with a wide variety of people and work to spread them.
What is the new restaurant like?
Shinba:
My next restaurant is going to be a bistro with an a la carte menu. Kobayashi, who’s been supporting me with this bar, will be the chef there. Restaurants these days tend to serve expensive dishes that look fancy and Instagrammable. The chef wants to cook dishes that make you feel the power of the ingredients, such as delicious vegetables that are simply chopped or grilled. I’d like you to try some zucchini later that we received from a beautiful farm in Hokkaido (Kijitani Farm in Yoichi, Hokkaido). It becomes so soft and fluffy by simply grilling it, and it goes great with wine.
I feel like many restaurants these days are too upscale and expensive. I want us to open a good, inviting restaurant. I guess I want to disrupt things a bit.
Osako:
There are many cases where the direction everyone is heading isn’t right. So having an antithetical point of view and looking at the other side of the story can be the right way. Oftentimes, you aren’t supposed to tell the truth (laugh). What you see on the surface can often be false. It’s not about having the right or wrong answer.
Closing conversation
Osako:
We go to the same soba restaurant. I always go there when I come back to Japan. It’s called Osoba no Koga and is near the Nishiazabu crossing. They serve seasonal dishes that are very delicious. But you always have Chicken Nanban.
Shinba:
Yes, I always have Chicken Nanban.
Osako:
You were saying you could tell the condition of Chicken Nanban on that day.
Shinba:
Like how Japanese leek tastes differently depending on the season, and the condition of chicken fat. I guess I notice those things because I pay attention to them on a daily basis. Those are the kinds of things we talk about.
Osako:
It’s just like running. Because you have a routine, you can notice the small differences.
Shinba:
One time, when I was slurping up soba quickly, someone sat next to me. I looked up and it was you. And there was another time when I didn’t notice it was you, but heard you placing an order. It was the season when they serve soba with Japanese parsley. I heard “I’ll have Soba with Japanese parsley, with a topping of Japanese parsley.” I was like, “who is that?” and looked, and it was you. I was like, why add Japanese parsley on soba with Japanese parsley?
Osako:
I really wanted to eat Japanese parsley. It’s delicious. I was so focused on adding Japanese parsley, and when I ordered, I said “add Japanese parsley on soba with Japanese parsley.” The waiter said “What?” but I couldn’t take it back.
Osako:
Let’s go have a drink together soon again.
Shinba:
I’m available that day!
Osako:
“I’m available that day” sounds like a power phrase. I’ll use it too.
New restaurant:
Nebuka
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nebuka_tokyo?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
Scheduled to open in mid-February, 2024.
Photography: Momoko Kaneko