Asking the People of Akihabara: Part 3 - Huge Portion Menu by Adachi, Owner

The project involves interviewing people who are active in or work in Akihabara, and sharing their heart-warming love for Akihabara.
Another aim is to have those interviewed introduce their friends to help keep the Akihabara community going.

This is the third installment, and we spoke with the owner of Adachi, a large-portion restaurant in Akihabara, who was introduced to us by Mr. Asami, the owner of Bengal, a curry specialty restaurant we visited in the previous article.

↓Click here for the second part of our interview with the people of Akihabara.

https://akihabara-bc.jp/akihabara-no-hito-asami/

What is Gohandokoro Adachi, the huge portion restaurant in Akihabara?

Speaking of restaurants in Akihabara?
Yes, the shop that always comes up is this one:Adachi Restaurant".

Adachi's huge portioned menu is so famous that it has been featured in various media outlets, and it frequently appears on various blogs, in videos by celebrities who eat a lot, and on YouTube, making it a beloved Akihabara spot.

The amount is much larger than you might imagine, so if you're thinking of trying it, it's best to check the amount online first!

Anyway, this time I'm not going to be reviewing or reporting on the large portion menu, but rather I'm going to be talking about the changing atmosphere of the restaurant Adachi.What kind of history has it had in Akihabara?This article will inform you about the following.

How has Adachi changed from the postwar period of high economic growth to the present day in the Reiwa era?

Adachi has had a shop in Akihabara for over 50 years.

First,More than 50 years since openingWe would like to unravel the history of Adachi, which boasts
We asked about Akihabara and Adachi during their market days.

Q
First, I would like to hear about when Adachi first opened its store in Akihabara.

A
As you know, there used to be a market in front of Akihabara Station.
The exact origins are unknown, but it was called Kanda Market from the end of the Edo period/Meiji period until the end of the Showa period.

At that time, our company (Adachi) delivered catering to the market, and although we had a shop, it was only open in the morning and afternoon for the market.

often"There used to be no restaurantsSome people say things like, "There weren't many stores, but they did exist."
Most of the restaurants cater to the market, so like ours, they're only open in the morning and afternoon.
In other words, it is a store that caters to the general public.The restaurants that serve lunch and dinner are closed.I think that's why it became, "There were no restaurants."
Ordinary people, people who don't use the market, will look at the stores and wonder, "Can I put this in there? Is it okay?"

So, if you look closely, there is something there.
I remember it being quite chaotic both inside and outside the venue.

Q
Has the shop been in its current location for over 50 years?

A
I agree.
There was also something like a branch office inside the market.
It was a catering business that catered to the market, so the cooking was done at the current store location and the sales were done at a branch office.
After that, I guess I just did lunch for the office workers in the area.
As the main business is in the morning, the shops are closed in the evening when the people working at the market have left.
However, I think they started opening at night around the time the market closed.

Changes in Akihabara since the market disappeared

Q
I think Akihabara has changed dramatically since the market disappeared.

A
Kanda Market was a site that extended all the way to the area around Don Quijote and the fire station.
Nowadays, buildings have been built and there is no trace of the old days...
It's been more than 35 years since the market shifted...
I think it's been over 30 years since I started going to Ota Market...
Kanda Market moved to Ota Market, Tsukiji moved to Toyosu, and now Tsukiji is the fish market and Kanda is the vegetable market.

Then it became Daibiru and then UDX, and everything changed drastically.
Things have changed dramatically since the market disappeared, buildings were built, and AKB and others came on the scene.

It went from being a market-centered town to an electronics-centered town...with places like Ishimaru, Satomusen, and Yamagiwa emerging...and then it became computers and maids.
Electronics stores have disappeared over time, and now only the big stores like Bic Camera and Yodobashi remain.

A mega-portion race started with a comment from a regular customer

Q
Adachi is famous for its large portions, but when did it take on its current form?

A
First,Our portions have always been larger than those of regular restaurants..
I dealt with people who worked in the market and people who delivered goods at electronics stores.
I guess you could call it blue collar work?
Many of them had jobs that required a lot of strength and stamina, so they ended up eating a lot.
The portions were originally large, but they were adjusted with the customer base in mind.

So, how much is it?　About 15 years agoGal Sone and Giant ShirataBig Eating BoomThere was something like that, right?
After they came and the restaurant was featured for its large portions, a lot of people started coming.
Whenever a restaurant is featured as having the largest portion in Japan, another restaurant will surpass it (laughs).
Then, a regular customer will say, "So-and-so store has something that weighs XX kg."
At first it was about 4kg, but the regulars checked it all for me.
That curry shop over there serves a certain number of kilograms, that ramen shop serves a certain number of kilograms...
Even if they go over that, they'll start saying something like 5kg or something.
So to surpass that, I'll go for "6kg"! But then I hear that a potato dish in Nagoya or somewhere is 6kg or 6.5kg...
It was food for an event, but there was a misunderstanding, and that's what a regular customer said.
"Being second is no good, you have to be number one and win whatever you do.”.
I continued to check and found out that there is no 2 sho/7 kg one, so I'll stop here for now (lol)

Q
ifStores that sell more than 7kgWhen it comes out...

A
Of course, I'll make it even more than that!
It's said to be the best in Japan, but it doesn't seem to be the case at the moment.

Pilgrimage to sacred sites? Love Livers? The customer base is constantly changing.

Q
I imagine that as the city has changed, so has the customer base.

A
You've changed.
Love Live, Love Liver? Is that what you mean?It has increased a lot.
Kanda Myojin is a sacred place.
I think it's been about 10 years since then, but those Love Livers have been coming to the store.
I still come here on Fridays and Saturdays.
They ask me things like, "Can I leave a doll here?" and I tell them, "It's fine as long as there's no one there."
But, well, people like that are decent people.
I wouldn't say he has common sense, but he's just a reliable person because that's his hobby.

Voice actorRiho IidaThat's what came.
I guess people started coming because there was a sign there.

Q
It has already become one of the holy places.

A
Before COVID, there were times when we operated as if we had the place to ourselves.
The number of people has decreased now, but there are still about 5 or 6 people who come every week.
"You can leave the dolls here if you rent the place out" (laughs)
Instead, they say you need to gather more than 15 people.

Akihabara spots recommended by Adachi store owner

Q
I have a question for everyone listening to this.
"If you come to Akihabara, I want you to see this place, I want you to come here."
Is there such a thing?

A
I guess it's fine to go to a chain restaurant, but...Wouldn't it be a good idea to go to a long-established store at least once?I think so.
There are still a few more stores, so I hope you'll check them out.
Ours is on the internet,There are some stores that aren't listed online..
There are some stores that refuse to be interviewed, so I hope you will visit some of those old-fashioned stores.

After the third interview with the people of Akihabara

We have had a store in Akihabara for over 50 years.
We spoke to the owner of Adachi, who has experienced the market's heyday, electronics district, otaku district, and maid district.
Although the record as the restaurant with the largest portion of food in Japan has not yet been broken, we were able to get a glimpse of their strong commitment to serving even larger portions, even if they were to become the second largest in Japan in the future.
Loved by local regulars, big eaters, and otakus alike"Gohandokoro Adachi".
I hope they continue doing business in Akihabara for a long time to come.