philosophy
Thoughts behind the name of Aragawa
We have to admit that solitude is good.
But it is also a pleasure to have someone to talk to about
how nice it is to be alone.
孤独はいいものだという事を我々は認めざるを得ない。
けれどもまた、孤独はいいものだと話し合う事のできる相手を持つことはひとつの喜びである。
Honoré de Balzac
オノレ・ド・バルザック
When you take a bite of Aragawa’s steak, most people fall silent.
Rather than speaking, they find themselves reaching for another bite,
unable to stop. In that moment, they embrace a solitary enjoyment.
Yet, it is the sharing of that fleeting moment of solitude with someone else that,
as Balzac would say, constitutes “a true joy.”
Aragawa aims to be a place that embodies Balzac’s philosophy.
麤皮（あらがわ）のステーキを一口食べると、多くの人は驚き、言葉を失います。
思わずさらにもう一口、また一口とフォークが進み、会話を忘れてしまうほどです。
その瞬間、孤独な時間が心地よく感じられることでしょう。
しかし、その「ひとときの孤独」が素晴らしいものであり、
その喜びを誰かと分かち合うことこそ、
バルザックが言う「ひとつの喜び」ではないでしょうか。
麤皮は、バルザックの思想を体現した場所を目指しています。
hospitality
What we do as a restaurant.
大きなひさし
麤皮にお越しいただく際の目印となるのは、玄関口にある大きな雨よけの「庇テント」です。創業者が、雨に濡れながら傘を畳むことがないようにと心を配り、設けたものです。
顔や背中を濡らす雨の煩わしさ。そんな雨の日にも足を運んでくださるお客様は、お食事の時間を心から楽しみにされているからこそだと思います。そのようなお客様の生き方に深い敬意を抱き、最高の料理でおもてなしすることが麤皮の使命だと考えています。「庇テント」は、私たちにとって、常に高いモチベーションを与えてくれるシンボルのような存在です。
A landmark when coming to Aragawa is the large rain canopy, the “awning,” at the entrance. It was installed by the founder with the thought of preventing customers from getting wet in the rain while folding their umbrellas.
The inconvenience of getting rain on your face and back is never pleasant. Yet, customers who visit even on rainy days must be looking forward to their meal with great anticipation. We deeply respect the way they live and believe that our mission at Aragawa is to treat them with the finest cuisine. The “awning” serves as a symbol, continually providing us with motivation to keep moving forward.
白炭の寛ぎ
アンティークの椅子に腰を下ろし、備長炭の燃える香りを感じると、ここが麤皮であることを実感する。
穏やかに揺らめく炎の香りは、まるでアミューズの前の一皿のように、食事への期待を高めてくれる。
Sitting in an antique chair and taking in the scent of burning Binchotan charcoal, I truly feel that I am in Aragawa.
The gentle aroma of the flickering flames is like a prelude to the amuse-bouche, heightening anticipation for the meal to come.
冬の寒い日には、暖炉の炎が訪れるお客様を温かく迎える。
そのぬくもりもまた、ひとつのご馳走です。
On cold winter days, the warmth of the fireplace welcomes guests.
That warmth itself is yet another delightful treat.
about founder
Japan’s best steak chef
The first deer.
Jiro Yamada
He was a good talker, loved to make people laugh and entertain them, and always looked forward to the future, even through the war and other hard times.
After graduating University , Jiro Yamada started working for a construction company.
In the evenings, he used his part-time experience of working in restaurants, which he had been doing since his student days, and worked at the Kobe Foreigners’ Club, a club for GHQ officers, where he honed his skills and learnt English at the same time.
1954 They got married and decided to open a restaurant as they both loved to eat.
1956 They rented a shop on Higashimon-gai in Kobe’s Sannomiya Ward, which they opened in 1956, with a floor space of less than 3.5 square metres.
With many foreigners living in Kobe and the strong US dollar (360 yen) at the time, the restaurant became a hot topic of conversation as “twice as tasty at half the price” and thrived.
1962 Built a restaurant of his own design in Nakayamate-dori, Kitano, Kobe, and moved to the present location.
1981 At the age of 50, he moved to the USA and opened a restaurant in Manhattan, New York. 10 years later, he toured Europe, especially Paris, visiting famous restaurants such as Maxim’s and deepening his friendship with them. Based on this experience, he set out to create a world-class restaurant, conscious of the Michelin standards and seeking perfection not only in the quality of the ingredients, but also in everything from the vegetables to the desserts.
In his later years, he suffered from cancer, but remained at the stove until the end, right up to the day of his long-awaited Michelin award, where he died two months later.
