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

#3 Yo-roppaken’s Sauce Katsudon from Fukui

In the February/March 1982 edition of Waseda Gakuho, the late Yoshitaro Takeuchi, Professor Emeritus at Chubu University, upon reading the Asahi Shimbun article about Nakanishi, described his memories in a column titled “Katsudon and a Waseda Student,” in which he proposed another theory. In 1917 Takeuchi was enrolled at the predecessor of Waseda University Senior High School. He recalls that “at that time there was an inconspicuous dining hall before the school’s entrance in Tsurumakicho, on the right hand side. I often ate katsudon there.”

Takeuchi explains, “Inside the dining hall was a box-shaped brazier covered by wire netting, on top of which were several slices of cutlet. This was done to prevent the cutlets from getting cold. I ate these after placing them on top of rice and adding sauce or other juices. We of course called this katsudon. Unlike today’s katsudon, however, there was no egg.” In his autobiography, Nenwa no ki (published by Sagamishobo in 1978), Takeuchi writes: “The dining hall was quite good and so popular that if one arrived just a little too late one would struggle finding a place to sit.” In the book Takeuchi also recalls eating egg-bound katsudon at a restaurant near Anahachimangu called Takasya (no apparent relation to Takata Bokusya).

Tsurumakicho in October 1913. The arch in the photograph was constructed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the university’s founding.

A shot of present-day Tsurumakicho. It has changed dramatically since its earlier, bustling years.

Based on the year and location of this dining hall that served sauce katsudon, it’s possible that this restaurant was Yo-roppaken, a chain now based in Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture. After completing six years of culinary training in Germany, the founder of Yo-roppaken (and native of Fukui Prefecture), Masutaro Takahata, established the first Yo-roppaken restaurant on November 28, 1913 near what is now Building 120 of Waseda University. Takahata revealed his “sauce katsudon” at a culinary presentation conference that same year. The dish is now a specialty of Fukui Prefecture and beloved by residents.

A photograph of where Yo-roppaken is said to have been located (“in front of the school’s entrance in Tsurumakicho, on the right hand side”).

Yo-roppaken’s sauce katsudon consists of thin slices of pork and ham that are covered in breadcrumbs before being fried to a crisp. Takahata created a special sauce that would blend well with white rice, based on the worcester sauce he encountered in Germany, and applied this sauce to the cutlets before placing them on top of the rice.

We spoke with Noriyuki Takahata, the third owner of Fukui City-based Yo-roppaken. Japanese people first encountered the taste of sauce katsudon in early Taisho Japan. “It might have been that ‘progressive spirit’ that led me to establish that restaurant in Waseda,” Noriyuki says jokingly. Noriyuki is continuing to protect the taste of sauce katsudon, which has become a staple of Fukui’s culinary culture. Including franchises, Yo-roppaken currently has nineteen restaurants in the prefecture.

An old map from early Taisho Japan. Yo-roppaken was located at 8 Tsurumakicho Waseda in Ushigome Ward.

Yo-roppaken’s founder never claimed his restaurant was the originator of katsudon; this idea was spread by magazines and other media. Noriyuki explains: “The restaurant was popular but the university had long breaks, so during these breaks he apparently opened shop in Hayama, Kanagawa Prefecture. My grandfather told me that Yo-roppaken relocated to Yokosuka City in 1917. I don’t know why there are so many theories surrounding its roots.”

The Sanchoan theory is from 1918 and the Nakanishi theory from 1921. Yo-roppaken has been serving katsudon since its founding in 1913. With its longer history, Yo-roppaken might be katsudon’s originator. However, this does not blemish Nakanishi’s legacy, as it was Nakanishi’s story that brought Yo-roppaken and its sauce katsudon history to light.

We tried “founder” Yo-roppaken’s sauce katsudon. The cutlets are pleasantly crispy and not greasy. The sourness and sweetness of the sauce, made using the same recipe from the time of the restaurant’s founding, brings forth a well-rounded flavor that blends miraculously with the rice; so well, in fact, that one could be satisfied just scarfing down the rice and sauce. It’s remarkable knowing that one can still experience the original flavor of katsudon from over 100 years ago.

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

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

English translation: Joachim Muntal

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