NAGOYA--A local restaurant with a 100-year history is making its presence felt overseas with its signature dish of miso-stewed “udon” noodles and other offerings.

And that is all due to Hironori Aoki, the fifth-generation head of Okute Yamamotoya.

Aoki, 34, faced strong opposition from his family and others when he announced plans set up branches outside Japan.

His motivation was two-fold: ensuring the survival of the family business and sharing his passion for Nagoya’s culinary culture--centering around the iconic miso udon dish--with the world.

This led to branching out to Hong Kong, where a Japanese chef can be seen daily skillfully making noodles under a sign reading “Nagoya-style handmade udon shop Yamamotoya” in Cantonese.

The outlet is in the sprawling Harbor City shopping complex in the former British colony. People are often seen admiring the exquisite artistry of noodle making through a glass window, as happens at the flagship store in Nagoya.

The Hong Kong shop serves authentic Nagoya cuisine such as bowls of miso-stewed udon and “oden” pots with “haccho miso” from Okazaki, also in Aichi Prefecture.

Okute Yamamotoya, established in 1925, now has three branches in Nagoya.

At the Hong Kong outlet, a signature dish of miso udon with chicken and an egg costs 88 Hong Kong dollars (1,800 yen, or $11).

Although priced slightly higher than in Japan, the branch attracts a steady flow of patrons. It welcomes an average of 770 customers daily on weekends.

The outlet is now vying for the top spot on a leading review site in China for the best Japanese restaurant in Hong Kong.

SENSE OF ALARM

Aoki believes it is Yamamotoya’s mission to preserve the traditional cuisine of Nagoya.

The first branch overseas opened in Hong Kong in 2023. A second outlet has since opened there.

A lot was riding on Aoki’s decision to expand the family business outside Japan.

Prior to taking over from his father, the fourth-generation head of Yamamotoya, in 2015, Aoki worked at a construction machinery vendor and was used to closing deals with international buyers.

After his father stepped aside, Aoki asked his younger brother, Kosuke, to help him map out a secure future for the eatery.

He fretted over “the dwindling number of stomachs needing to be fed due to Japan’s shrinking population” and felt the only way forward was to set up outlets overseas.

“If we keep doing business the way we are, it will be difficult to survive,” he decided.

Aoki watched with dismay as other restaurant operators wore themselves out competing for just a fraction of a point in restaurant ratings on search websites.

He already knew from his childhood that his family’s udon was tasty.

“I wanted people the world over to notice our quality dishes,” he said.

FIRST STEP

His father and other staff members were initially very hesitant about Aoki’s expansion plans for the locally rooted shop.

They peppered him with talk about “significant risks” and “the possibility regional tastes may not be accepted abroad.”

But Aoki stuck to his guns, telling them, “I want this restaurant to survive for the next 100 years.”

“Protecting something does not necessarily mean it should remain unchanged,” he said.

One change came in the form of foreign nationals turning up at Okute Yamamotoya in Nagoya. Aoki added miso-broth udon using local chicken and other certified halal dishes to the menu to cater to Muslim customers.

His father and the other holdouts gradually let go of their objections and threw their support around Aoki.

AUTHENTIC CUISINE

Scouting for the first overseas location, Aoki picked Hong Kong because it is home to a more diverse range of ethnic groups than other Asian countries and regions.

To maintain food quality, Yamamotoya outsourced the store’s management to a local franchise company that Aoki had connections with through a friend who runs a food wholesaler.

Total costs, including travel expenses and local staff training, came to a relatively low 5 million yen.

“We made a smaller investment than we could have imagined,” Aoki said, looking back. “What frightened us most was the branch failing and undermining the brand value our family had refined and conserved over so many decades.”

The two outlets in Hong Kong are now thriving as locals chow down on genuine Nagoya-style dishes. Customers at both stores get an up-close view of noodles being prepared by hand.

The two branches currently chalk up annual sales of 1 billion yen, more than six times the turnover of the flagship restaurant in Japan.

INDONESIA BECKONS

The third overseas branch of Yamamotoya is expected to start operations in Jakarta by the end of January. Halal meals will be served as Indonesia boasts the world’s largest Muslim population.

The latest branch occupies an entire three-story building. Grilled Hida beef and other novel dishes were developed to cater to local tastes.

Aoki was busy during the year-end traveling between Nagoya and Jakarta to prepare for opening the branch.

He is looking to set up more outlets, mainly in Asia.

“We will be showing off the appeal of Japan through Nagoya’s culinary culture,” Aoki said.