When a company is in business for more than 250
years and is lucky enough not to experience destructive events like fires
earthquakes or wars it accumulates a wealth of artefacts, stories and
experience. As a result it becomes much more than just a simple business – it
becomes a living gallery, museum or archive. In such a company managers play a
role of ‘custodians’ of tradition and memory. Tsubajin is a perfect example of such a company.
Tsubajin is a traditional Japanese restaurant house ryotei dating back
to 1752. Tsuba family comes from their business which was making tsuba sword guards for the local
feudal lords of the Maeda clan. Very quickly however the restaurant became recognized as best in the region and switched to the business of food. The relicts of first business are still however visible both in the name and in the details in the restaurant.
Today Tsubajin is a high-end traditional restaurant awarded one star by
the Michelin Guide. The price of lunch is between 10 thousand
and 30 thousand yen (90-270 USD) and dinner between 20 thousand yen and
40 thousand yen (180-360 USD). The main feature of Tsubajin that distinguished it from all other
traditional restaurants are its historical rooms filled with unique
details and artefacts. Each of the thirteen rooms embodies ‘frozen in
time’ atmosphere of a certain period or a famous guest like Matsuo Basho, Akutagawa Ryonosuke, Ito Hirobumi and is filled with artifacts like boiled glass windows produced
in Meiji period, veranda made from recycled wood from the Kitamae
trading ships from Edo Period or a paper and silver layered fusuma
sliding doors covered with calligraphies by famous poets and painters
from 100 years ago.
Running a business of a 'living museum' like Tsubajin comes however with it’s own unique challenges. One of the key problems are constantly growing costs of maintenance. Since majority of furniture pieces are antiques produced with techniques, which are no longer in use it takes enormous amounts of money and time maintain the current unique and ganuine atmosphere.
