99歳のおばあちゃんが毎日焼く素朴な道路脇のたこ焼き屋 | 99-Year-Old Grandma’s Daily Takoyaki at a Little Roadside Stand

99歳のおばあちゃんが毎日焼く素朴な道路脇のたこ焼き屋 | 99-Year-Old Grandma’s Daily Takoyaki at a Little Roadside Stand

100 years old on December 25th A takoyaki shop run by a 99-year-old grandmother
“Dandelion” I’ve been healthy and able to do my best I have no regrets Life’s been long and eventful, but now, Auntie,
I’m perfectly happy. I don’t dwell on things
much anymore, Auntie. Old-fashioned flavor
Takoyaki Yes, thank you Uncle will keep an eye on you, right? Running a takoyaki stand for over half a century!
We follow a 99-year-old grandmother who works almost every day. Samukawa-cho, Shikokuchuo City, Ehime Prefecture
4-minute walk from JR Yosan Line Iyo-Samukawa Station Following National Route 11… Under the sign for a restaurant serving set meals, soba, and udon,
a solitary little hut comes into view. Established 1961
Takoyaki Shop “Tampopo” 10:37
Owner Wakako Takahashi (99 years old) arrives for work Lights the fire Coats the griddle with oil Mixes the batter Pour the batter onto the griddle Octopus Cabbage, pickled red ginger Staff) May I ask your name? Wakako Takahashi 100 years old on December 25th Flip the sign over Open at 10:48 Put the sign outside Takoyaki Staff) Is this sign handmade? Yes, handmade. Business Hours
Around 10:00 AM to around sunset
(If I have errands, sometimes after noon, etc. – it’s random) Closed: Irregular holidays Takoyaki: 350 yen Taiyaki currently unavailable One bench available Parking available on premises It’s been over 50 years now. Staff) The shop?
Shop Owner) Yeah. Staff) I heard you used to run a cafeteria. Yeah, I ran a cafeteria around there. Staff) How many years ago
did you stop running it? I was doing it until I was about 80. When I was running this cafeteria, Dad passed away
and we closed the cafeteria. So when I started here
it was just shops. Staff) Did you and your father
run the cafeteria together? My dad went to work. We hired about two people.
The three of us ran it. Staff) Was it a udon restaurant?
Owner) Yes, yes. It was really popular. Thanks to that, the people who came back then
are grandpas now. Some of them are 80 or 90 years old now. They come by saying, “You’re still going strong!” Staff: Are your legs and back still okay? I’m standing right here. If my legs were weak, I wouldn’t be able to start. Staff) Can’t you sit down? When I have free time, I sit and read the newspaper play games play games like Sudoku This place was busy
until about five or six years ago But now, shops have popped up everywhere, right? So we’ve got more free time now. Just grill it for me. When I’m free, I do that thing. Like reading the newspaper. Staff) What are your hobbies, Mom? I go golfing with the senior citizens’ club. She also goes on trips. Going to hot springs with her grandchildren
is also something she enjoys. Staff) Where were you originally born? Doi Town Staff) Shikokuchuo City?
Shop Owner) That’s right. It’s about 4 kilometers away. Staff) When is the shop closed? I’m self-employed now. Staff) Come to the shop whenever you feel like it.
Shop Owner) Yeah, yeah. Lately, Grandma’s been taking a lot of breaks too. She’s got more free time now
and can do things over there too I’m thinking maybe we should close it down I’m not going to live to be 100. Just one more month. Staff) He’s still in good health though. At his age, you never know when he might collapse. Staff) But he still plays golf… That’s right. He started running the shop around age 36, a cafeteria Long life, lots happened though. I came when I was 20. My uncle came back from the army
and got married the same year. My uncle was a good man,
and everyone liked him. Packed the takoyaki
and stored it in the warming cabinet A female neighbor
came to the shop and greeted the owner warmly
before buying takoyaki Staff) Was that lady earlier
a neighbor? Yeah, right next door. She takes good care of me. Staff) What was it like before you got married? I learned Japanese dressmaking at my parents’ house. I don’t wear kimono much these days though. Staff) What were you doing until you turned 36? I was raising kids.
I did a bit of farming too. Staff) Was this road originally
not here? Because this was built
I started the cafeteria There weren’t many cafeterias around here Staff) Is the cafeteria open from morning till night? Evenings, until around 8:00. Everyone stops by on their way home from work. In the morning, we start cooking rice after 8:00. and make sushi too
and I have to make side dishes too Staff) So how did you decide to open a takoyaki shop? Grandma ran a shop Takoyaki, you see
She ran it with her daughter and two employees. Staff) Is running the shop hard work? This is work, you know It’s the COVID era, you know. Moms bring their kids out. Business is tough too. But my daughter says I should quit the shop. Well, at least while she’s still healthy. While waiting for customers to arrive,
Mom passes the time reading the newspaper. Takoyaki 350 yen (8 pieces) The outside is crispy and fragrantly grilled
The aroma of the sweet sauce whets your appetite Inside, they’re cooked to a soft, gooey texture
with a nostalgic, old-fashioned flavor Staff) You’ve never had any illnesses? When I was young, I had surgery on my pancreas. I nearly died from it once. I’ve been fine ever since. Staff) What’s your secret to staying so healthy? I don’t dwell on things too much, you know. My dad
was a janitor at an elementary school for over ten years He retired at 60
and started helping out at the shop. Dad was a good man. He always looked after people too. Staff) He was truly kind
and such a wonderful person, wasn’t he? He was so kind. Her mother-in-law, and two sisters-in-law
were there too. She was bullied by her mother-in-law, who was already an aunt. I wasn’t bullied, but I worried about what they said Back then, things were strict Then when night came, I’d go to bed, right? And I’d always be crying. Then your father would say “What’s wrong with you today?
Did something bad happen again?” He’d say, “Do it for me, hold it in.” And I could bear it. She says you should buy past hardships if you can Auntie, you’re so happy now, what’s the big deal? All the kids are kind too A woman wandered into the shop She bought four takoyaki. She generously applied sauce Bonito flakes, green seaweed powder Two toothpicks Yes, thank you. Staff) Isn’t octopus pretty expensive right now? Yeah, it is. Staff) How long has the price of takoyaki been the same? Probably for decades now. We haven’t raised it. Octopus prices have all gone up too.
We really should raise ours. I’m just an old lady now. It’s not about profit either. When the senior citizens’ club meets, we close up and go. Staff) So you’re closed all day on that day? We usually go home by noon though.
The senior citizens’ club doesn’t take up the whole day. Staff) So the shop is open almost every day, right? Half a day, yeah. Staff) Doesn’t your body get tired? No, no, not really… It’s not heavy labor, you know. I’m used to it now. Washing the utensils Staff) It’s so clean. The kitchen is Staff) Did you just renovate it? We renovated it three months ago.
We redid all the walls. Cabbage from Ehime Prefecture
Cut by hand Staff) Wakako-san, what time do you get up in the morning? Before 7:00, I suppose. Staff) Does the shop stay open until sunset? 5 or 6 pm. It depends on the customers, though. We close when we run out of goods. Then the lady goes for a walk. Today’s shift ended early. The shop closes early too. Staff) How long is the walk? About an hour. Finished cutting the cabbage. I never skip sweeping either. Being able to have conversations like this with customers who are in good health It’s fun. Everyone trusts me. I’ve got lots of friends, you know. It took me until this age If I were normal, no one would put up with me. I’ve been healthy and able to do my best. I have no regrets. I went through some tough times, though. But all the hardships I endured when I was young
have turned out to be for the best. work out for the best now. It’s different for everyone now. and how we take things If I can just stay healthy and live to 100
I won’t have any regrets at all I say this like I know it all, but the hardships I endured when I was young
and I’m happy now. I can talk about it now. Uncle’s watching over me, right? Shooting day
Closing at 17:49 Thanks for your hard work! Thank you so much! This was the one-of-a-kind shop of a lively grandmother
Takoyaki shop “Dandelion”

店名　たんぽぽ
地図　https://maps.app.goo.gl/PZh13B8Lh3KUvPneA
住所　愛媛県四国中央市寒川町 国道 11 号線

0:48 本編

うどんそば 四国 Udonsoba
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgBEZGNmEf_WbOn-YPeoeg

#日本食 #たこ焼き #四国グルメ