{"id":43437,"date":"2018-04-13T09:03:32","date_gmt":"2018-04-13T00:03:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/weekly\/?p=43437"},"modified":"2018-05-30T11:36:52","modified_gmt":"2018-05-30T02:36:52","slug":"katsudon-origin-story-1%e3%80%80okuma-shigenobus-sanchoan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/inst\/weekly\/feature-en\/2018\/04\/13\/43437\/","title":{"rendered":"Katsudon Origin Story #1\u3000Okuma Shigenobu\u2019s \u201cSanchoan\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nSurely many students and alumni have heard the theory claiming Waseda is katsudon\u2019s 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\u2019t be an exaggeration to call katsudon the \u201cking of wase-meshi.\u201d 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 \u201csauce katsudon,\u201d in which sauce is poured on top of tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets). This is the default version of katsudon in some areas. Whether it\u2019s 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\u2019s origins. These developments seem to embody the \u201cprogressive spirit,\u201d \u201ceverlasting ideals,\u201d and \u201ctides of culture\u201d of the Waseda Spirit encapsulated by the university anthem. In this special issue we explore and report on the Waseda katsudon origin story.<\/p>\n

#1 Okuma Shigenobu\u2019s \u201cSanchoan\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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A photograph of Sanchoan in the Taisho era. The person in the middle is Takahisa Kato, the second owner of Sanchoan.<\/p><\/div>\n

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<\/em>, 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\u2019s predecessor, Hiranoan, and formed a rental agreement with Okuma Shigenobu (1838-1922), landowner and founder of Waseda University. Asajiro was referred to as the \u201cCho\u201d of Mikawaya (because the first kanji character of Asajiro can be read as \u201ccho,\u201d which means \u201cmanager\u201d or \u201cowner\u201d of a store), and thus Mikawaya was renamed Sanchoan.<\/p>\n

Sanchoan later inherited the land from the Okuma family and continues to operate to this day. The sign at Sanchoan\u2019s entrance reads \u201cWaseda\u2019s oldest establishment\u201d and other signs read \u201cformerly serving the Imperial Guard\u201d and \u201cformerly serving the Okuma family.\u201d The \u201cSanchoan katsudon origin story\u201d has spread thanks to television programs and magazines, and at lunchtime the restaurant\u2019s katsudon prepared with Japanese soup stock and egg-bound soup attracts customers young and old, men and women alike.<\/p>\n

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Present owner Mineko. Mineko joined the Sanchoan family 60 years ago and continues to receive customers\u2019 orders.<\/p><\/div>\n

Mineko Kato is the fourth owner of Sanchoan since Asajiro. She explains, \u201cOur katsudon is actually the result of us trying to make the most out of leftover tonkatsu.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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: \u201cHow about making something like an egg rice bowl?\u201d The story goes that Takahisa, heeding the student\u2019s advice, boiled the tonkatsu in soba juices together with an egg-bound soup, which resulted in a popular, new dish.<\/p>\n

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Outside Sanchoan. A sign reads \u201cformerly serving the Okuma Family.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n

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Sanchoan\u2019s interior. They have preserved the sign from over 100 years ago that reads \u201cformerly serving the Okuma family.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n

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 \u201cformerly serving the Okuma family\u201d:<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough 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 \u201cserving the Okuma family,\u201d 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\u2019s life as a great educator.\u201d<\/p>\n

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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.<\/p><\/div>\n

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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.<\/p><\/div>\n

In Okuma Shigenobu\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u203b1\uff09Okuma was injured in a bomb attack in October 1889 while serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs in Kuroda\u2019s Cabinet.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Without further ado, lets try Sanchoan\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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A paper notice reads: \u201cThere are no katsudon specialties at this establishment\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n

On a wall inside the restaurant is a paper notice which reads: \u201cThere are no katsudon specialties at this establishment. We serve normal katsudon you would expect from a soba restaurant.\u201d 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 \u201coriginator\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

Katsudon Origin Story #2\u3000Was the originator of katsudon a student at Waseda University Senior High School?<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n