Waseda WeeklyWaseda University

Features

Katsudon Origin Story #1 Okuma Shigenobu’s “Sanchoan”


Surely many students and alumni have heard the theory claiming Waseda is katsudon’s birthplace. There are many restaurants in the vicinity of Waseda University serving katsudon, such as Owariya, Kinjoan, Gonbe, and Nagaokayasohonten, and customers line up outside some of these restaurants during lunchtime. With its calorie count, volume, and ability to fill the stomachs of students, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call katsudon the “king of wase-meshi.” The most popular version of katsudon in Japan is served with Japanese soup stock and egg-bound soup, but in Fukui Prefecture there is a well known dish called “sauce katsudon,” in which sauce is poured on top of tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets). This is the default version of katsudon in some areas. Whether it’s egg-bound soup or sauce, however, their roots can be traced to Waseda. The Waseda Weekly editing team encountered interesting, elucidating developments as they explored katsudon’s origins. These developments seem to embody the “progressive spirit,” “everlasting ideals,” and “tides of culture” of the Waseda Spirit encapsulated by the university anthem. In this special issue we explore and report on the Waseda katsudon origin story.

#1 Okuma Shigenobu’s “Sanchoan”

A photograph of Sanchoan in the Taisho era. The person in the middle is Takahisa Kato, the second owner of Sanchoan.

Some claim the originator of katsudon prepared with egg-bound soup is the restaurant Sanchoan, located at the babashitacho intersection and supposedly in business since the Edo period. According to Okuma Shigenobu and Campus Store Owners, a record written by Takahisa Kato, the second owner of Sanchoan, in September 1906 Asajiro Kato, the first owner of Mikawaya, a soba restaurant located near present-day Koishikawa Korakuen, purchased soba tools from Mikawaya’s predecessor, Hiranoan, and formed a rental agreement with Okuma Shigenobu (1838-1922), landowner and founder of Waseda University. Asajiro was referred to as the “Cho” of Mikawaya (because the first kanji character of Asajiro can be read as “cho,” which means “manager” or “owner” of a store), and thus Mikawaya was renamed Sanchoan.

Sanchoan later inherited the land from the Okuma family and continues to operate to this day. The sign at Sanchoan’s entrance reads “Waseda’s oldest establishment” and other signs read “formerly serving the Imperial Guard” and “formerly serving the Okuma family.” The “Sanchoan katsudon origin story” has spread thanks to television programs and magazines, and at lunchtime the restaurant’s katsudon prepared with Japanese soup stock and egg-bound soup attracts customers young and old, men and women alike.

Present owner Mineko. Mineko joined the Sanchoan family 60 years ago and continues to receive customers’ orders.

Mineko Kato is the fourth owner of Sanchoan since Asajiro. She explains, “Our katsudon is actually the result of us trying to make the most out of leftover tonkatsu.”

According to stories passed down by Takahisa, tonkatsu was only available at luxurious western restaurants in Taisho Japan. Meat shops began selling fried foods such as croquette, and in 1918, a familiar meat shop from the days at Koishikawa Korakuen was tasked with supplying the tonkatsu for a special customer’s banquet. Some of the guests were unable to attend the banquet which resulted in leftover tonkatsu. Just when Asajiro was pondering about what to do with this leftover tonkatsu, a student who was a regular at the restaurant made a suggestion: “How about making something like an egg rice bowl?” The story goes that Takahisa, heeding the student’s advice, boiled the tonkatsu in soba juices together with an egg-bound soup, which resulted in a popular, new dish.

Outside Sanchoan. A sign reads “formerly serving the Okuma Family.”

Sanchoan’s interior. They have preserved the sign from over 100 years ago that reads “formerly serving the Okuma family.”

As the sign suggests, Sanchoan has a deep relationship with Okuma Shigenobu. The first volume of 100 Years of Waseda University History (published by Waseda University) provides details of events surrounding this sign that reads “formerly serving the Okuma family”:

“Although Okuma was incredibly busy with political matters, he worked hard to meet with students and treat them to soba. His connection with soba is reflected in the sign that reads “serving the Okuma family,” which began hanging in front of Sanchoan (formerly Hiranoan) in 1906. Even now many alumni remember the taste of Sanchoan. This is a pleasant anecdote complimenting Okuma’s life as a great educator.”

A photograph taken October 20, 1927. The photograph seems to have been taken at the time of the 45th anniversary of the opening of Okuma Auditorium. Pictured is the babashitacho intersection and Sanchoan is supposedly pictured on the left.

A photograph of the present-day babashitacho intersection. According to Mineko, Sanchoan used to be located at the center of this intersection, at the foot of Anahachimangu Shrine.

In Okuma Shigenobu’s Writings Vol. 1: Okuma Shigenobu Speaks (published by Waseda University), Sanchoan makes an appearance during a meeting in 1912 between Okuma and Kuroda Kiyotaka (1840-1900), the second Prime Minister of Japan.

“He visited me a number of times when my leg was injured. He attempted to lighten my mood by bringing me chicken eggs, which he carried in his sleeve. Kuroda worried much about me. He is truly a sincere and kind man. I think it was during this time that Kurodo, wearing a splash-pattern kimono, stopped by a soba restaurant called Hiranoan (Sanchoan), located at the foot of Anahachimangu Shrine, while on his way to my residence. After finishing his meal, Kuroda supposedly left an envelope of money and exited quickly. When the woman working there opened the envelope, there was a 10 yen bill inside (approximately the equivalent of 10,000 yen today). She was shocked by the amount of money and assumed the apparent student houseboy who left the envelope had made a mistake, but when she looked outside there was no trace of this individual. After asking around, the woman learned that the person she was looking for had entered the gates of my residence. She visited my residence and asked if a student houseboy had visited recently, explaining the events that had transpired. When I asked Kuroda, he nonchalantly asked me to tell her that he will stop by later. I told her that the customer in question is Count Kuroda and that he will stop by later, and that she should keep the money. The woman was surprised and slightly embarrassed upon hearing that the apparent student houseboy was actually Kuroda, and returned to the restaurant. Kuroda is quite the intriguing fellow.”

※1)Okuma was injured in a bomb attack in October 1889 while serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs in Kuroda’s Cabinet.

Without further ado, lets try Sanchoan’s katsudon with its familiar taste of thick tonkatsu placed on top of freshly warm rice and topped with egg. The Japanese soup stock is comforting and has just the right amount of flavor.

A paper notice reads: “There are no katsudon specialties at this establishment”

On a wall inside the restaurant is a paper notice which reads: “There are no katsudon specialties at this establishment. We serve normal katsudon you would expect from a soba restaurant.” This notice was put up to level the expectations of customers who learned about Sanchoan from websites and magazines, and who heard it described as the “originator” of katsudon. Regardless of whether they have specialties, their katsudon is delicious. It appears that Sanchoan has continued the tradition of frankness and candor that has been passed down since the Hiranoan days.

Katsudon Origin Story #2 Was the originator of katsudon a student at Waseda University Senior High School?

Katsudon Origin Story #3 Yo-roppaken’s Sauce Katsudon from Fukui

English translation: Joachim Muntal

Tags
Page Top
WASEDA University

Sorry!
The Waseda University official website
<<https://www.waseda.jp/inst/weekly/en/>> doesn't support your system.

Please update to the newest version of your browser and try again.

Continue

Suporrted Browser

Close