Asking the People of Akihabara: Part 2 - Asami, Owner of Curry Specialty Shop Bengal

"Ask the people of Akihabara” Part 2.
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.

In this second installment, we spoke with Mr. Asami, the owner of Bengal, a curry specialty restaurant, who was introduced to us by Mr. Sasakichi 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-sasakiti/

What is the curry specialty restaurant BENGAL?

The Kanda area, including Akihabara, is known as a hotbed of curry restaurants, with multiple curry specialty restaurants clustered around Jimbocho, Ochanomizu, Akihabara, and Suehirocho.
In that curry townMore than 40 yearsBengal is a long-established store that is still in business.

The current owner, Mr. Asami, is the second generation owner.
He took over the restaurant from his predecessor and plunged into the world of curry.

This time, we had the opportunity to hear about the history of this long-established store that has been loved in Akihabara for a long time, and about Mr. Asami's roots.
His history is linked to the history of Akihabara, and we were able to hear some very valuable stories.

The story of when Bengal opened in Akihabara

We spoke about Asami-san, Akihabara, and ultimately Bengal, but first we asked him about the time when his predecessor opened Bengal in Akihabara.

Q
Bengal has been in business in Akihabara for over 40 years, but could you tell us about when you first opened your store?

A
First of all, I am the second generation owner of Bengal, having inherited the business from my predecessor.
It would take a long time to explain the history from the previous owner, but the premise is that Japan was in the midst of a period of economic growth.
Meanwhile, in Akihabara,kobayashi tradingThere was a trading company that dealt in spices called "
The previous owner worked there and would later create the Bengal.

▲Did the history of Bengal begin with a trading company?

The previous owner was captivated by India through a chance encounter, and it was during a trip there that he first encountered spices.
The previous owner returned to Japan and, wanting to work in a field related to spices, knocked on the door of Kobayashi Trading and joined the company.
Although the company's name is "trading," it also processes and sells spices, and sometimes wholesales products to large companies famous for their spices.

Q
This means that the previous owner worked in the spice industry before opening a curry specialty store.

A
At that time, herbs and spices were not yet well known in Japan.
Of course, this was a time when there were very few curry specialty restaurants, let alone restaurants serving Western food.
You may know famous restaurants such as Nile in Ginza and Nakamuraya in Shinjuku, but Bengal started around that time.
Unfortunately, I think it was around the same time that Kobayashi Trading went bankrupt and entered civil rehabilitation proceedings due to various circumstances.
Kobayashi Trading also supported Bengal, so I think we had a good relationship.

▲ Bengal before the relocation. The original store was located closer to Electric Town.

Asami and Akihabara. Did that originate from a part-time job?

Q
Next, I would like to hear from Mr. Asami about Akihabara.
Did you originally work in Akihabara?

A
For some reason, I suddenly wanted to work and earn money, so I took a leave of absence from university.
It was not just about the money, but I also had a strong desire to challenge myself.
The part-time job he started was delivering detergent.
The part-time job involved loading commercial detergent into a Hiace and traveling around the area.
I worked there for about a year, but then I hurt my back and was no longer able to do delivery work.
However, the parent company asked me if I would like to work in sales, and I worked there for about four years.

When I left that company, I was married and had no income, so I was wondering what to do.
"Leave the work to me!" I told my wife to stay at home, but this is what happened...
Having said that, there was no point in just looking pale, so I flipped through a part-time job information magazine and found a job opening at a company that specializes in importing spices.
The company was located in a building near Yoshibayashi Elementary School that also housed a tobacco shop.

I want to be able to speak English better and better, and not feel intimidated when meeting people who are successful in the industry.
With that in mind, I immediately applied.
There was a typhoon on the day I applied, but they called and asked me, "Can you come right away?" (laughs)
I thought it was a typhoon day, but I couldn't think of a better story...
I called in the morning, then immediately went to the barber to get my messy hair cut and drove straight to the interview.

▲Mr. Asami was a salaryman at the time. This was the time when he was focusing all his energy on importing spices.

The mysterious connection between Bengal and Mr. Asami

Q
I think we're finally starting to see the connection between spices and curry, but at what point did the connection with Bengal begin?

A
I mentioned that I went to an interview on a typhoon day, and that day I went to the company's reception desk to take the interview.
"This is Asami, here for the interview today." I said, "Interview...Are you from the curry restaurant?" was the reply.
I later found out that half of the job listings were for spice companies and the other half were for jobs in Bengal.
I hadn't looked at the curry restaurant, so I was posting half and half of the job openings, but I didn't think there was a connection...
So, the real encounter started when I was looking at the job listings page (laughs).

-It was already in my sights (laughs)

So, I was supposed to be working for a company that deals in spices, but for some reason I ended up helping out Bengal during my lunch break.
Around lunchtime, I get a call and they say,
"Hey Asami, go help out at the curry restaurant." (laughs)
By that time, I had already taken off my tie, rolled up my shirt sleeves, put on an apron, and went to help out.
I went to help out right after joining the company. Looking back, it was a strange experience.

I learned a lot from the president of the company.
He held study sessions on spices and trade almost every weekday, and as part of the study sessions he took me to famous Indian restaurants.
It was a company that I was very grateful to and really liked, but unfortunately, six years later, the business didn't go well...

After that, a company president I knew who had been keeping an eye on me set up an office in Akihabara, and I started working there.
It was the largest company in Japan dealing in chili peppers, and I was able to work there in an area that I was good at.
I worked at that company for about nine years.

▲The sign of the original store has a red background with white lettering, giving it a historic feel.

Around that time, I received a call from the original owner of the Bengal.I've been getting really forgetful lately, so why don't I open a curry restaurant, Asami?"When.
Even though I moved to a new company, I continued to do business with them at each new location, so we were able to build a good relationship over a long period of time.
However, I still wanted to work with spices, so I turned down the offer for about three years.
There was a reason why I wanted to take over Bengal, and one day the original owner contacted me and asked me again, saying, "We really want you to run a curry restaurant."
I had been approached many times, and on that day I went to the store thinking, "Maybe it's time to make up my mind," but...
When I said, "You called me earlier...", they asked me, "What were you talking about?" I couldn't remember anymore.

It must have been about 17 years ago now...I decided to downsize my own company and take over Bengal.

Taking over the curry specialty restaurant Bengal

Q
You have begun your life as the second generation owner of Bengal, but what are some of the biggest changes you have noticed since taking over the curry specialty restaurant?

A
I took on the job when I was around 50 years old, and it was a job I had never done before, and I still had my own work to do at the time, so it was difficult.
But, well... curry is interesting (laughs).
Until now, I have only worked in trade, moving things around, putting a price on things made by other people and selling them.
When I saw them making things and selling them to manufacturers, I was a little envious. I admired them, or rather...

▲Running a curry specialty store seems to be "fun" and "interesting" and is fulfilling every day.

Since I started working at Bengal, I have been able to quickly create something like a "new flavor" or "new menu item," and I also get an immediate response.
When you work in a restaurant, you get direct feedback, and I realized that this kind of enjoyment isn't about the size of the thing or the amount of money.It was only after entering the food and beverage industry that I discovered the joy of creating something.
I was a little worried about whether I could manage a curry restaurant, even though I was the manager, but I ended up immersing myself in it.

I guess it has something to do with age too.

Bengal owner Asami's recommended spots in Akihabara

Q
Mr. Asami, who has witnessed the changing streets and history of Akihabara, please tell us your recommended Akihabara spots.

A
Akihabara is changing a lot now, isn't it?
Things will continue to change, and I think there will be many things that will disappear and change.
If anything, I think things are changing in a bad direction with an increase in establishments that seem a bit like adult entertainment establishments.
Unpleasant events are reported in the news and in newspapers...and although there aren't many such topics, they do catch your eye.
Now is the time to visit not only my shop, but also many long-established places in Akihabara, famous places that everyone knows, and many shops that have been working hard for a long time, so I would like people to visit places like these that have opened shops in Akihabara and have been running them for one generation, places where people who have been active in Akihabara for a long time are working.

▲ Bengal's management methods are changing with the times.

After the third interview with the people of Akihabara

This time, we spoke with Asami, the owner of Bengal, a long-established curry specialty restaurant that has been in business in Akihabara for a long time.
When asked, "What's the best curry in Akihabara?", the answer almost always comes up: Curry Specialty Shop Bengal.
The beloved restaurants in Akihabara are not just about the taste or history, but also about the fact that they have continued to operate in a way that is firmly rooted in the people.
Of course, the curry is also top-notch, so if you're in Akihabara, be sure to stop by the restaurant.