The reception area is now a bakery

Tomoki MatsudaAre you planning another new project recently?

Kundo KoyamaYes. We've just built an office for a new company I've launched called "Orange and Partners," and we've made the reception area into a "bakery."
I think reception areas are important, but also a terrible waste of space. When no customers are there, they serve no purpose. I imagine receptionists looking down, painting their nails, you know? But it's also lonely if there's no one there, just a phone sitting by itself.
So, I thought, what's the best way to handle this? And I decided a bakery would be the answer (laughs).

MatsudaA bakery at the reception! That's interesting.

KoyamaIt becomes a landmark, so when explaining the office location to someone, you can say, "Exit Kamiyacho Station, turn here, and it's that bakery" (laughs).
We named the bakery "Orange no Baiten" (Orange's Shop), playing on the company name. We sell classic items like croquettes, displayed in a showcase. It functions as a normal bakery while also being the reception. And next to that, I plan to sell things I like, such as glassware, and also good coffee, wine, and even shichimi spice – things I want to recommend to people.

MatsudaLike a kiosk?

KoyamaExactly like a kiosk. But in our case, it's a "BUY" shop, not just a store. It's a place where we sell things that I would want to buy myself.
Then, people who have business at our office will open a hidden door to enter. It offers a slightly special experience. Employees can, of course, buy bread at a staff discount.

MatsudaThat's important (laughs).

KoyamaThere was a time when I was constantly tasting and comparing delicious orange juices from all over the country. I wanted to create a place where people could drink many kinds of orange juice. I really hope many people will come visit.
(Address: Nissō Dai 22 Building 1F, 1-11-10 Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo)

Takoyaki research has begun

KoyamaAlso, we are proceeding with opening a takoyaki restaurant on June 27th.
The background to this is a bit unusual. Under the elevated tracks at Namba Station in Osaka, there's a food court. A friend of mine was in charge of attracting tenants, but instead of inviting branches of popular restaurants, he sought out and invited lesser-known but delicious establishments.
He spent a year visiting 413 places. Out of those, only 23 were places he felt like visiting again. So, after many rejections, he managed to get 11 to agree to open in that food court.
Since it was a food court with a different concept, he asked me to handle the PR and naming. Namba was originally an area with rice granaries, so I named it "Namba Komejirushi" (Namba Rice Mark), or "Nankome" for short. But the budget was extremely small, and there was almost no profit (laughs).
However, each step leading up to the opening of these shops had its own drama, so I thought it would make an interesting TV show. Thus, I planned a program called "Nankome Manpuku Monogatari" (Nankome Full Stomach Story), which aired in Osaka.
This leads to the takoyaki restaurant. When creating the story, I felt that if only real people were involved, it would just be a documentary. So, I decided to focus the story on a young man opening a takoyaki shop.

MatsudaAnd the person making the takoyaki at that shop?

KoyamaWe will hire staff, but last night I was working on menu development until around 3 AM. I had dinner with another client until 11 PM, and after that, I was solely focused on tasting takoyaki. It was tough (laughs). I'd suggest adding something, then immediately run to the supermarket to buy ingredients, only to find it wasn't quite right.

MatsudaTo go back to the topic, were the shops in "Nankome" gathered from all over the country?

KoyamaNo, most of them are from Osaka. And not chain stores, but places run by couples, mom-and-pop operations. There are even people who quit their jobs to open a branch here. That's how committed they are. I'm really looking forward to it.
There was a great shop that opened at 1 AM and closed at 10 AM. It was run by a mother, her eldest son, her second son, and the second son's wife. I suggested to the second son, "Why don't you open a branch, and your mother and eldest son run the main store?" But he said, "No, it's business for brothers to work together! That won't do." So, they ended up working from 7 PM to 11:30 PM, and then returning to the main store afterward. It's an incredible way to work (laughs).

MatsudaThat sounds very Osaka (laughs).

KoyamaBy the way, I asked a famous designer to handle the interior of the takoyaki shop. But when I calculated the budget, it was only about 5 million yen for all the kitchen equipment. So I told him, "I'm sorry, I can't pay you for this, so please feel free to decline." He replied, "No, I love takoyaki," so I presented him with a "Takoyaki Black Card" that allows him to eat takoyaki for free for life (laughs), and he agreed to handle the interior design.

MatsudaHas the name for the takoyaki shop been decided yet?

KoyamaI'm thinking of naming it "Takoyaki Lab." It's a continuation of the "Lab" series.

Kundo Koyama

Born in Kumamoto Prefecture in 1964. Graduated from Nihon University College of Art. Representative of "N35" and "Orange and Partners." Gained attention for his work on "The Humiliation of Canossa" as a broadcast writer, and subsequently worked on numerous popular programs such as "Iron Chef," "World Heritage," and "Tokyo Wonder Hotel." Currently involved in programs like "Toshigai" (Nippon TV) and "Ecolab" (Fuji TV). He is active in various fields as a radio personality, novelist, and advisor to Nikko Kanaya Hotel. His books include "Film" (Kodansha), "Isshoku Nyuko" (Pia), "Hint of Not Thinking" (Gentoshya Shinsho), and the picture book "I'm Waiting." (Chikura Shobo).