Discover the 70-year history of Hakuunkaku, the origin of Riviera hospitality

Hakuunkaku, which was opened by the husband and wife team Horie Asazo and Machi, was officially registered as a corporation on January 1950rd, 25 (Showa 23).
Asazo Horie was born in Tanakura, Fukushima Prefecture on April 1909st, 42 (Meiji 1). He lost his mother when he was in the second grade of elementary school, and his father also died when he was in the fifth grade. Although he was the eldest son, he was unable to take over as the head of the family, so after graduating from a regular elementary school, he began working as an apprentice at Nemoto Shoten, a charcoal merchant in Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture, in search of a way to support himself. I was 2 years old at this time.
Asakura quickly distinguished himself with his competitive spirit and was given the important position of purchasing manager.
At Nemoto Shoten, there was apparently talk of Asakura marrying a daughter from the shop owner's family, but Asakura left the store in hopes of becoming independent and self-employed. Asakura moved to Tokyo and settled in a tenement-sized tenement house on Ikebukuro 60-chome, where he married Machi Saito. With the 20 yen retirement allowance he earned from Nemoto Shoten, he opened a firewood and charcoal wholesaler, Fukushimaya, at the age of XNUMX.
At the time when the young couple in Asakura and Machi achieved independence, charcoal was in great demand as a heat source as an alternative to fossil fuels as the fuel situation worsened due to the long war. Fukushimaya had 400 employees and operated five major fuel factories, and grew to become one of the top five fuel wholesalers in the Johoku region of Tokyo.

In 1943 (Showa 18), when the war situation clearly took a turn for the worse, 34-year-old Asakura, who was already a businessman with a wife and children, received a draft warrant. He entrusted his business to his wife and enlisted in the Yokosuka Marine Corps.
In 1945 (Showa 20), after losing the war at the age of 36, Asakura witnessed the Ikebukuro streets filled with black markets and barracks. At this time, Asakura's view of business changed significantly.
People who were burnt out by the war are desperately seeking sustenance for the day. People can't afford to laugh at the extreme shortage of things. The end of the war meant a struggle for food. However, once they have access to food, everyone is relieved and smiles. The power that food has on humans is amazing.
Asakura decided to change his business style from the fuel industry, which had been a major business, to the food and beverage industry, which is essential to people's lives.
However, it can be said that the fact that he did not think of a popular cafeteria, which many people would think of in such a scene, was a testament to the pride of businessman Asazo Horie.
As the manager of Asakura, his keen eye was of the view that the bubbling energy of post-war reconstruction would soon turn people, who now eat or drink, to luxurious banquets.

The fuel wholesaler Fukushimaya was sold and the 240 tsubo site was used to create an elegant restaurant where people could hold parties on sunny days. At that time, it was named Hakuunkaku, a tower of white clouds, because of the way Mt. Fuji that could be seen towards Rikkyo University was seen drawing in from the white cloud ledge.
People who knew Ikebukuro during this time say that ``One day, suddenly, a magnificent building was built.'' There is a good reason for that. At this time, less than five years after the defeat of the war, strict material controls were put in place and construction permits could not be obtained for new buildings larger than 5 tsubo, so Asakura came up with the idea of ​​relocating the old headman's residence, which was made entirely of cypress. Following Riviera's philosophy, ``We cherish and refine good old things to pass them on to the next generation.'' Of course, the relocation work from Kamisuwa, Nagano Prefecture could not have been completed overnight, but it must have been very vivid in the eyes of the neighbors.
The restaurant, Hakuunkaku, which opened in this way, quickly became popular and became very successful, attracting many customers not only from the Ikebukuro area but also from Asakusa and Nihonbashi.
The nearby literary giant Edogawa Ranpo was also a patron, and would host annual year-end parties and banquets for up to 100 people, including fellow writers, critics, editors in charge, and their families. . Mr. Sankuro Ogasawara, who lived nearby and served as Minister of Finance, was also a regular customer, and banquets were held in private rooms of various sizes and a large hall.
In the fourth year after opening, we purchased 4 tsubo of adjacent land and built an expanded ``new building'' on the Rikkyo Street side.

Since its opening, Hakuunkaku has continued to have smooth sailing, but in mid-December 1929 (Showa 29), when a new building was added, it suffered from many unfortunate incidents. I am.
The ``Old Building'' (the 240 tsubo feudal lord's mansion, relocated from Kamisuwa) was completely destroyed by a fire due to an accidental electrical leakage.
The fire also claimed the life of the manager's family, who were living in a small room in the old building.
Needless to say, Asakura and Machi were saddened, but Hakuunkaku's reservation ledger was already filled with year-end/New Year's party reservations.
Asakura and Machi, who motivated themselves with the goal of not causing any inconvenience to the customers, were encouraged and supported by 150 Nakai maids and 50 male employees. Fortunately, the new building was spared from the fire. The new building has been operating at full capacity since the day after the fire, thanks to the efforts of all employees, and we have survived this high season without any closures.
The ``family spirit'' that formed ties with employees at this time is also a legacy of Hakuunkaku that has been passed down to this day.

After this, Japanese society as a whole entered a period of high economic growth. Hakuunkaku, which overcame the pain of the old building being completely destroyed by fire, has expanded to a site area of ​​1500 tsubo (XNUMX tsubo).
There are 32 rooms of various sizes including a large hall, and we restarted as the best Japanese restaurant in the Johoku region. In 1957 (Showa 32), at the age of 48, Asakura opened the luxurious banquet hall "Taka no Ma". It was also in this year that Emperor Showa's younger brother, His Imperial Highness Prince Takamatsu, had the honor of visiting the city.
Hakuunkaku's specialty is the waterfall in the garden. When you step into the walled grounds, you will see a beautiful bamboo forest and a large pond with carp. Water flows through the waterfall in the courtyard, and the sound of deer scares echoes...
``Perhaps because there weren't as many cars in the Ikebukuro area as there are now, the sound of water from Hakuunkaku could be heard all the way to the street outside (Rikkyo Street),'' recalls Kentaro Hirai, the grandson of Ranpo Edogawa. .
The luxurious style of admiring waterfalls and taking a bath before attending a banquet was popular, and its prosperity continued.

Hakuunkaku is a Japanese restaurant - At the banquet held in a booth surrounded by a Japanese garden where you can feel the changing seasons, the 150 or so maids carefully listen to the wishes of the guests, relay them to the chefs working in the kitchen, and... We served the best taste at the right time.
The heartfelt hospitality of the Nakai maids is one of Hakuunkaku's two best qualities, along with the exquisite deliciousness. Her reputation was unrivaled in the 50s, when society as a whole began to show dramatic economic development, and she gained the support of high-class people such as government offices, large corporations, famous cultural figures, and academics. .
Coupled with the convenient location in front of Rikkyo University, away from the hustle and bustle of Ikebukuro Station, the venue is a perfect venue for important meetings, and is always packed to capacity. He says that he often had no choice but to introduce nearby shops to customers when they called and asked, ``Are you open today?''

In 1961 (Showa 36), the second Ikeda Cabinet was inaugurated with the goal of doubling income. Anticipating his future interest in leisure, Asakura, 52 years old, started the ``Yugawara Coast Reclaimed Land (Yoshihama Coast) Construction Project''. This is a major leisure land concept that will also contribute to increasing the country's land area. Asakura himself became involved with civil engineering craftsmen and worked hard on land reclamation work for 12 years. Construction work against nature was difficult, but in 64 (Showa 1973), when Asakura was 48 years old, 3 tsubo of land was completed. The coastline along National Route 135 is the area where Yugawara Junior High School is currently located.

Asazo Horie, who loved his work and family and was full of love for his hometown of Tanagura, passed away in 1974. He passed away at the age of sixty-five. ``Mr. Asakura was a loving person to everyone.He would even tell the salespeople at our business partners, ``It must have been hot outside, so you should take a bath.'''' Mr. Hiroshi Fujita, former managing director of Asahi Breweries (currently a friend of the company), spoke about his memories.
“The first time I met Mr. Asakura was in 40. I was in charge of sales in my second year at the company. At that time, Asahi Breweries was in really tough times, and it was common for salespeople to be turned away. It was prosperous. In Ikebukuro, there were only two small shops such as a Chinese restaurant and Hakuunkaku that carried it.The other two places only ordered a small amount, but Hakuunkaku, which is popular, always orders large quantities.Asakura I was really happy with your kindness.
I was also in charge of other areas, but I was looking forward to visiting Ikebukuro. Because I can show my face to Mr. Asakura. I have been in charge of Hakuunkaku for 15 years. Every year, we also went to the Yugawara landfill construction site to deliver a refrigerated truck.'' (Mr. Fujita)
I believe that Asakura's behavior, which earned him respect from his business partners, was not unrelated to his difficult childhood, where he lost his parents at an early age. Asazo Horie, a free-spirited entrepreneur, has always sided with the weak.
On the other hand, during the Great East Japan Earthquake, Asahi Beer continued to deliver to Riviera despite a series of suspensions and scheduled shipments. It helped me a lot. thank you.
``It is Asahi Breweries' style to be the first to repay those who have supported us through difficult times.
Actually, the other day, I felt nostalgic and visited Riviera Tokyo for the first time in a while. The hospitality of the current staff has not changed at all since Hakuunkaku.
Mr. Asakura's founding spirit has been passed down from generation to generation.'' (Mr. Fujita)

Around 1980 (Showa 55) was a time when it was common to pair Japanese cuisine with sake. In order to popularize a new food culture, we hold an event called ``Kaiseki with Wine'' as a pioneer of the times. We have popularized the marriage of wine and Japanese cuisine.
Another challenge unique to a Japanese restaurant is the switch from traditional banquet cuisine to kaiseki cuisine. This is in response to the growing trend towards gourmet food. Kaiseki cuisine is a method of serving freshly prepared food to customers: ``Serve hot food while it's still hot, and serve cold food while it's cold.'' For Kaiseki cuisine, where each dish is carefully prepared, there is a limit of 80 seats, so we have purposely taken measures to make the room more compact. This arrangement required courage in a society that had been focused on expansion.
As a result, I believe it was a decision that was ahead of its time.

When it comes to weddings, white symbolizes purity - this has long been the norm, regardless of the wedding style, Japanese or Western.
However, nowadays, a ``color wedding'' in which people coordinate colors of their choice is more of a ``common sense''. It was actually Hakuunkaku that took the lead. It was in 1987 (Showa 62). The idea of ​​an ``original wedding'' that we came up with after seriously listening to the voices of our customers who wanted ``their own uniqueness'' became so popular that people who came to see the wedding formed long lines along Rikkyo Street. was.
Since then, we have continued to provide customers with proposals such as ``total coordination'' and ``theme weddings'' that are always ahead of the times, and have earned us the reputation of ``Riviera of weddings.''

Every year, they use the summer holidays to carry out pioneering renovations and reinforce the wooden structure. "While preserving tradition, we are always striving to change for the better" is the way Riviera values.
Riviera is adamant about preserving the good old days for the future. However, the essence of what Riviera wants to protect is the excitement of our customers. In order to protect her essence, she is willing to flexibly change her responses.
In addition to being a banquet hall with gorgeous facilities, it is also a restaurant where you can enjoy delicious food to your heart's content. This is the essence of Hakuunkaku, which continues to exist in today's Riviera Tokyo. That philosophy has not wavered in the slightest, even though the name has changed to Riviera Tokyo.
I'm sure it will be in the future as well.
Riviera Tokyo has been here in Ikebukuro for 70 years, connecting the foundation of the founder who worked hard to create and protect Hakuunkaku.
This is due to our acceptance by the local community, the support of our loyal and compassionate business partners, and the patronage of our customers.
70th anniversary thanks to you