Many things are black-boxed to us
Once upon a time, fortune-tellers, exorcists, or shaman offered prayers to forecast the weather, cure diseases, etc. That would look primitive, idyllic, and non-scientific to people today including me. However, do you really believe we are progressing compared with the past? I don’t know how Amazon knows my tastes, though I very often bought books as it recommends. I spend much time in using a PC and smartphone every day, but if they go weird even a little, the least I can do is just to curse and ask for help from a tech. What is the difference between the past and the present? As some sociologists have claimed for the couple of years, it seems the world is back to the era of magic.
People want to see the process
Most of the major restaurant chains employ a system called a “central kitchen.” It’s like a cooking factory. Main foods have been cooked, frozen, and delivered from their central kitchens. In their restaurants, staff just heats, dishes up, and serves them. Considering the wide variety of their food menus served at reasonable prices, I think it’s natural, but a new trend seems to be emerging.
One noodle restaurant chain makes it a rule to make everything from scratch in open kitchens centered in each of the restaurants. As the restaurant chain declares, wheat flour bags are piled up at the entrance, and we can see all the processes. Namely, how the noodle-making machine works; soup blending; tempura frying. The restaurant chain is gaining popularity, and the number of outlets has exceeded 1000 in and outside Japan.
Our factory tour will be a good help!
I just think it may be a fundamental human desire to know the context of things. The popularity of the above restaurant chain may be an expression of our human desires, or a rebound to the era of magic where many things are black-boxed. As is the case with the noodle restaurant, you can see the whole process of our furniture production through our factory tour. If you’re interested, please contact us to make a reservation in advance!
Photo Credit: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/sep/10/marugame-udon-london-e1-restaurant-review-grace-dent
Shungo Ijima
He is travelling around the world. His passion is to explain Japan to the world, from the unique viewpoint accumulated through his career: overseas posting, MBA holder, former official of the Ministry of Finance.