Report of Regular Meeting August 2007
Takahiro Nagasawa, Secretary
The "Summer Wellness" regular meeting of August was held in Kawagoe, "Little Edo", in the cool weather under the cloudy skies brought by the discontinuation of the unusually intense heat until yesterday. We gathered in the Hon-Kawagoe station of the Seibu Railway and were divided into two groups. Guided by silver guides, we toured on foot or by bus Thief bridge, Semba-Toshogu shrine, Kitain temple, 500 arhat(statue of Buddha), Hommaru Palace of Kawagoe Castle, Miyoshino shrine, Toki-no-Kane belfry. We arrived at "Yamaya", high-class Japanese-style restaurant, enjoying a view of Main Street where historic storehouses stood in a row. The regular meeting began presided by Mr. Ryozo Matsumoto with the opening chime of the President Mr. Nakamura in the hall of 63 tatami mats, widest room of 7 rooms of Yamaya. The guest speaker was Mr. Jun Matsuyama, fifth CEO of Yamaya Inc., who told with the theme: "Having a Restaurant in Kawagoe".
He said: "Kawagoe was the city of merchants. 30,666,300 liters of rice were produced in the golden age. In the Edo Era, the transportation between Edo and Kawagoe through the river was flourish. Rice, soy sauce, charcoal etc. were transported from Kawagoe to Edo; oil, sugar, salt, fabric etc. were transported from Edo to Kawagoe. But it declined gradually since a railway started business in the Meiji Era. After the Meiji restoration, Kawagoe became a commercial city on his basis of commerce cultivated in the Edo Era. My ancestor bought a guesthouse of Gorobei Yokota, wealthy merchant whose power had influenced Edo's and Osaka's rice quotations and supported the finance of the Kawagoe feudal clan. He made it Yamaya. Though high-class Japanese-style restaurants go out of business one after another, we have continued our business 140 years with the management of getup and device. We will make still an effort to construct our restaurant being necessary in Kawagoe."
[Guided by silver guides]
[Mr. Matsuyama, CEO of Yamaya]
[In front of Yamaya]
After lunch, Mr. Kenzo Sato introduced smile cards and the President Mr. Nakamura finished the meeting with the closing chime. We took a commemorative photograph in front of Yamaya and went home. Most members enjoyed a walking from the "Sweetshop" street to the Hon-Kawagoe station while buying a souvenir. We had the enriched day.