Naoyuki Domon (Manager of Kasho Domon)

Tradition is attempting to make things better

Ichigo-mochi (Rice cake with strawberry - One of the popular products within a limited time)

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What do you think of when you hear the word "craftsman"? Stubbornness, master, training... The image would be different individually, but what about an actual craftsman?

In the center of Kanagawa Prefecture–Aikawa Town, there is a wagashi store, "Kasho Domon." It has a history of more than 50 years. Mr. Naoyuki Domon is the owner. Mr. Domon went to a wagashi vocational school in Tokyo after graduating from high school and went through training for four years in Chiba Prefecture. He is now qualified as a "First-class Wagashi Craftsman." However, Mr. Domon's work is much more. As a YouTuber, he works on promoting Aikawa Town, and in 2018, he became the youngest chairman of the local store association.

Mr. Domon says that he is always thinking about making customers happy. What motivates him? What do "traditions" mean to the owner of this long-established wagashi store? Why does he keep his business in Aikawa Town, and what kind of relationship does he have with the locals during his work? We tried to comprehend Mr. Domon's local love in this interview.

Authors: Wangshu Huang, Kwan Yi Wong, Yume Murakami

January 2022

What is wagashi?

Wagashi (和菓子) are traditional Japanese sweets, such as Dorayaki, Doraemon's favorite food. They usually contain red bean paste (anko) and represent Japanese culture and the four seasons.

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Wagashi Craftsman

ーWhy did you become a wagashi craftsman?

My father founded this wagashi store. Wagashi was rendered for the upper-class in his time. He decided to become a wagashi craftsman because he wanted to eat wagashi. It seems that the ability to create beautiful and cute things is rather feminine, so I wondered why my father could make such beautiful wagashi. In addition, it was natural for my generation to follow in the footsteps of our parents, so I took over my father's store. However, the old days have gone, and the number of traditional wagashi stores is steadily decreasing.

ーHow did you learn to become a wagashi craftsman?

I worked and practiced for four years in a wagashi store in Chiba Prefecture. I absorbed knowledge and practiced skills desperately since I worked with people who would become my rivals in the future. You have to master the basics if you want to go further. For example, professional athletes still go back to the basics during training. Baseball players do the catch; soccer players do the lift. Only if the basics are solidified can you make original wagashi. It is a period that you must endure absolutely.

ーHow do you appeal to customers?

About 70% of customers are women. Men also come, but they usually buy wagashi as presents. So we try to make products from women's perspectives, the package, and the taste.

What is more, about 70% of the customers are locals. My father has made products with ideas deriving from what is rooted in the town, like "Osumiyama-monaka" and "Shishimai." Still, other wagashi stores in Aikawa town also make them, so it is difficult for me to make such new wagashi related to local things.

Instead, I stick to the ingredients to appeal to customers. For example, fresh eggs are essential to making fluffy Dorayaki, my favorite. I also investigate the climate of each production area and use high-quality ingredients only. Then, how much I can bring out the goodness of the ingredients depends entirely on my skills. If I use bad ingredients, I cannot make a satisfying wagashi no matter how hard I try.

Osumiyama-monaka

ーYour store has a history of more than 50 years. What do you think of "tradition"?

While customers of my father's generation are important, it is unnecessary to repeat the same thing. For example, it was a traditional custom to eat Kashiwa-mochi on May 5th, Japanese Children's Day. Many young people today, however, do not know that at all. They will not buy it even if I explain. As a result, I started to focus on Valentine's Day, which they must be interested in. I think that continuous attempts to make new and good things create tradition.

Of course, you don't have to change everything, and you cannot do so either. For example, if a young man unfamiliar with wagashi gets old, he would not turn out to like it suddenly. I just hope that young children would enjoy wagashi, even a little bit. When that continues for decades, it becomes a tradition. We would not have survived if we were not open-minded.

Kasho Domon's Manager

―What kind of store did you want Kasho Domon to be when you became the owner?

I wanted to open many stores to gain profit at first. Then I realized that I would not be able to manage so many stores by myself. Besides, owning a lot of stores meant that I had to use machines for mass production. Certainly, there are wagashi stores with machines. You push a button, and then you get a lot of products, which seems more productive and profitable. However, I wondered if mass production was the ideal way to make wagashi. I thought what I wanted to show was my skills as a craftsman. Thus I shifted to the idea of improving skills rather than mass production. Furthermore, since I sell my handmade wagashi, I can convey the appeal of my products directly to the customers and feel rewarded when they are delighted.

Kasho Domon

―What was your biggest decision as a manager?

It was a big decision to let my father retire and close down one of our shops. My father is now 85 years old, and he did not stop working until he was 82. Generally, people do not work at that age, but I could not manage the business without him. However, I finally realized that I could not become a professional if I continued to rely on him. Therefore, I decided to do my business within my ability and closed down a store in Atsugi city. I think it was a decision to continue the business in the future.

YouTuber

―Why did you become a YouTuber?

The town hall officials wanted to spread the "Aikawa brand," a collection of excellent local products. We thought the audience might be interested if we shared it on YouTube and started a town's official YouTube channel, "Aikawa brand gekijo" [Theater of Aikawa brand]. Then, people wanted me to introduce the Aikawa brand because a video with me on the YouTube channel had appealed to more viewers than others. Although the videos were edited by the officials instead of me, I believe we shouldn't wait for someone else to promote our city. Therefore, I hope to create a trend that people come here to buy not only the products of the Aikawa brand, but also other products of Aikawa town.

As a YouTuber, I always keep it in mind to keep it short so that people could find it interesting to watch. In other words, I would like to convey the Aikawa brand from the customer's point of view. For me, customers are "connoisseurs," and craftsmen are "chefs." The evaluation given by other craftsmen is not always the same as that by customers. I think I'm a connoisseur and try to be unbiased with my reviews on YouTube.

―What impacts did you expect YouTube to make?

We have an image of wagashi stores that they are hard to enter and have a high threshold. Therefore, I want to break that impression as a YouTuber running a wagashi store. But I do not mean that my shop should become like a convenience store where everyone can enter freely. For example, when giving a gift to someone, the impression you bought at a convenience store is different from that at my store. I think the feeling that you went to the store and bought it will lead to the recipient's joy as well. Rather than a formal shop, I hope that people feel more connected to wagashi shops.

Chairperson of Aichan local store association

―In 2018, you became chairperson of "Aichan local store association." Has anything changed in your work or life?

It has been difficult to express the opinions of young people at the meetings. However, by attending such a meeting, the members realized that the generation had changed. I believe it is the opinions of young people that lead to this era. I felt that the time had finally come to pass my thoughts. I could complain to my superiors before, but since I am now in that position, I need to make a decision after listening to everyone's ideas. Then, I think what I can do first is to increase the number of members and have connections with them. This is what I keep in mind as a chairperson.

―What is the motivation of your "local attachment" and future for the store?

Aikawa Town is very inconvenient because there is no train, but this town is comfortable enough for me. In addition, since there are only a few shops in Aikawa Town, it is easy to get noticed when you take action. Perhaps, people in urban areas do their business like a robot and just follow the manual. In contrast, people in Aikawa Town are very friendly. In that sense, I think each region has its own advantages. Especially when I lived in Chiba Prefecture for training, I realized the goodness of the local area again. From this experience, I thought that it was important to promote that you cannot buy those delicious sweets unless you go to Aikawa Town. I don't think we will move my shop to other cities in the future although it may be possible to expand the store while remaining here. Still, it is most important to create a store where customers feel happy. I would like to pursue that.

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About the authors

Wangshu HUANG

This question usually came to my mind when I read Mr. Domon's interview article – "Was Mr. Domon able to anticipate his present work and life when he was in his twenties?" Perhaps he could imagine his future life as a Japanese sweets craftsman, but what about a YouTuber, working on advertising local brands, and a leader of the local store association? I am afraid that he could hardly predict them. Becoming a YouTuber, and an association leader, however, might have some connection with his original job as well. He became a craftsman at first, being known by local people, and beginning to pay attention to local affairs. Then he was able to get a chance to do something for his hometown. Being a craftsman was more than making sweets. Diverse chances could be created through that, to our surprise. I turned to ask myself, “Now am I able to tell my work and life after ten or twenty years?” Probably not. My thoughts are limited to my present recognition ability. It seems better to keep open-minded, which means more opportunities.

​Kwan Yi Wong (Moby)

Through the interview with Mr. Domon, I have learned two things. First is the importance of innovativeness: Mr. Domon runs a wagashi shop, which is seen as a more 'traditional' business, yet he uses more modern media such as YouTube to spread his business. Yet at the same time, he hasn't fully given up on the more traditional aspects of a wagashi shop. I have also learned about the unpredictability of life, since Mr. Domon first expected himself to be a wagashi craftsman and the successor of his father's store, yet to this day, he is also a YouTuber and the chairperson of Aichan local store association. And I think that something wonderful, as it serves as a reminder that career decisions made earlier in life doesn't necessarily have to be set in stone, and that new possibilities could still be explored a few years later in life.

Yume Murakami

Although Domon-san took it for granted, not necessarily wanted to, that he would become a wagashi craftsman like his father, he had made a tremendous effort to develop his professional skills, which are essential to making wagashi. Today, he works hard to make his customers happy. On the other hand, in modern Japanese society, it has become less common for children to inherit their parents' jobs. As a result, we may have more options to work, but we might get at a loss in front of so many courses. In such a case, I believe we do not have to "like" the job. Instead, let us think about how we can enjoy it and what we can do while engaging in it. I felt that these are the reasons Domon-san inherited his father and continues to work in his hometown.