Tamagoya Yamataka

In Midori City, Gunma Prefecture—a town traversed by the Watase Valley Railway, famous for its autumn foliage views from its trolley trains—stands Yamataka Foods. With just 30 employees, they supply sushi restaurants and department stores with their signature "Edo-style tamagoyaki" (rolled omelette), whose rich, savory broth bursts in your mouth. "People say things like 'You can't sell it unless it's cheap these days' or 'You should find ways to be more creative,'" says President Katsuji Takayama, who stubbornly and honestly runs his business. "But I only want to make products that I myself want to eat, that I think are worth eating."

 

Yamata Foods' old logo

Several years ago, his daughter, Midori, began selling sweets. Her fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth chiffon cakes and panna cotta made with carefully selected ingredients gained popularity. Garage sales at the tamagoyaki factory reportedly drew large crowds every time. Riding this local momentum, she launched a store on the mail-order site "Yon'nana Club" to expand nationwide. However, sales were slow, leaving her momentarily stunned... That's when I met the Takayama family.

Taking a step back, the reason Yamataka Foods struggled on the mail-order site became clear. Yonnana Club alone had about 3,000 dessert items. To customers, both the "fluffy" chiffon cake and the "carefully selected ingredients" panna cotta were just "run-of-the-mill products" – not something worth paying shipping for. While carefully selecting ingredients and making products with integrity is crucial, it doesn't guarantee sales. You must prepare that point (the concept/idea) that makes customers say, "Wow, they have this!"

After much discussion and endless deliberation, Yamataka Foods now holds the term "egg artisan" in the highest regard. Since our founding, we've realized that the "artisan skill" honed day after day by continuously making Edo-style tamagoyaki is precisely what turns customers' heads and gives us the edge to win in the market. In fact, eggs are said to be an extremely delicate ingredient. Even slight changes in temperature or humidity can cause them to react completely differently from the day before. Yamataka Foods is defined by finishing every product with the skilled techniques of our Egg Artisans.

Yamata Food's New Logo

This sentiment is embodied in the new logo created by Dentsu Inc. art director Shoko Kudo. We hope to convey the essence of an egg artisan through our paper bags, boxes, and most importantly, the products you enjoy. The first product launched under this concept was "Heaven's Pig," a pudding crafted by egg artisans for egg lovers, likely the world's richest pudding. Thanks to your support, it won first place in the 2013 annual rankings for the sweets category of the Yon-nana Club. Little by little, we may be beginning to express the concept (idea) of "egg artisan sweets" to our customers.

Click here to order.

 

And then, on January 30th, our long-awaited store opened in Midori City. This marks our graduation from garage sales and the official launch of our dedicated "Egg Craftsman's Shop." If you ever get the chance, please come visit us.

 

We await you under our large noren curtain.

 

So, despite the title "Local Gurgle," I've been quite absent from local topics lately. That's why I shared this fresh-off-the-press example straight from Gunma. Next time, I plan to talk about "Creativity is Strategy."

Enjoy!