"CRAFT TOURISM ECHIZEN"　The Little-Known Appearance of Tokuzo Akiyama, the Emperor's Chef

the emperor's cook

Speaking of "Tenno no Ryoriban", it is a masterpiece written by Naoki Prize-winning writer Hisahide Sugimori, which has been made into a drama three times.

The main character, Tokuzo Akiyama, is a chef from Echizen City. After studying cooking alone in Europe, at the age of 28, he was selected as the head chef of the Imperial Household Ministry's Daizen-shoku, and was also called 'the emperor's chef'. He also laid the foundation for the development of Western cuisine in modern Japan, publishing his masterpiece "French Cuisine Complete Book" in 1923.

It is believed that roads running north-south were already built in the Muromachi period, but there are other roads, such as the 'Bajuku-kaido', which connects Hirose in the southwest with Kawanoura over the Nakayama Pass, and one ride from Awatabe. The “Asakura Highway” connecting the valleys has also supported distribution as an important line.

For 58 years, what did Tokuzo think and what did he think while serving as the emperor's chef? I would like to approach his character while superimposing it with the historical background and historical facts of the time.

taste of cutlets

General kid who met Western cuisine

Shuichi Saito, a curator from Echizen City, will talk about Tokuzo Akiyama. In 2014, when the "Tokuzo Akiyama Exhibition" was held at the Takefu Public Hall Memorial Hall in Echizen City, he continued to investigate Tokuzo.

Tokuzo Akiyama was born in 1888 (Meiji 21) as the second son of the Takamori family in Murakuni Village, Imadate District, Fukui Prefecture (now Murakuni, Echizen City). In the novel, Tokuzo's parents' house is written as a "restaurant", but there is no such fact, and it was a local old family known as a large landlord. ``Tokuzo said he wanted to be a monk when he was 10 years old, and entered the nearby Kozenji Temple. It seems that he was quite a mischievous boy from an early age.” According to Saito, Tokuzo's personality also appears in episodes after he became an adult.

The fateful encounter comes when Tokuzo is 15 years old. He was adopted by the Takagi family, who run a catered restaurant near the barracks of the 36th Infantry Regiment of Sabae. One day, when Tokuzo goes to the regiment's officers meeting place to deliver the ordered food, he is captivated by Western cuisine that he has never seen before. The taste of the cutlet that I was given a bite to eat became unforgettable, and since then my admiration for Western cuisine has become stronger.

training in paris

The strength of a competitive spirit that defies discrimination

Looking for a way to become a chef, Tokuzo moved from Takefu to Tokyo to learn Western cuisine in earnest. While continuing his training at Tsukiji Seiyoken and Toyoken, he gradually set his mind to overseas. At the age of 20, with the help of his father, he was finally able to study French cuisine in Paris.

In Paris, Tokuzo first gets a job as an apprentice at a first-class hotel, but what awaits him is severe discrimination and bullying. However, Tokuzo's competitive spirit and quick thinking made him gradually gain the respect of the chefs around him.

“When I look into Tokuzo’s way of life, I can clearly see that he was a man with a strong conviction to clench his teeth in order to achieve his goals. I will continue to work as a first-class chef in Paris, the home of Paris.”

Tokuzo, who established his social status as a chef in Paris, was called back to Japan in 1914 (Taisho 3) for a Western-style banquet hosted by Emperor Taisho. As the person in charge of the newly established Western-style food department, he became the first head chef of the Imperial Household Ministry's Taizen-shi, and since then he has continued to serve the imperial family for more than half a century with Emperor Taisho and Emperor Showa.

sincerity

All for His Majesty the Emperor

What kind of food did Tokuzo, who became the emperor's chef, cook?

"Even though I'm a chef, I don't have the opportunity to meet and talk with the emperor directly. I can only judge the emperor's food preferences by looking at the table that is brought down to the kitchen. It seems that they were devising ways to cook it, such as making it a nutritious soup rice.”

Mr. Saito also told us this episode that shows Tokuzo's personality. Although Emperor Showa always had a Western-style breakfast, he gradually began to prefer Japanese food. Tokuzo, who specialized in French cuisine, wanted to have His Majesty enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine.

Also, in the imperial court, the food will inevitably get cold before it is brought to the emperor's table. Therefore, Tokuzo broke with the customs of the court and set up an opportunity to cook in front of the emperor, serving freshly fried tempura and freshly made sushi.

Tokuzo, who came to serve the imperial family, describes himself as follows.

“As a human being, I consider myself short-tempered, hot-tempered, selfish, and helpless. This is the only thing I can be confident about.”

Tokuzo's sincerity is not limited to cooking. He taught himself everything from the bonsai and ice sculptures used to decorate the dining table to the Japanese paintings and calligraphy used in the menus.

Oryori Kyomachi Manya

Recreating the royal court dinner menu

In 2014, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Akiyama Tokuzo's death, the dinner menu for Emperor Showa's marriage, as well as the lunch and dinner of one day, were recreated by Tokuzo. The restaurant "Oryori Kyomachi Mantani" in Echizen City is responsible for the cuisine.

Mr. Satoshi Mantani, the second generation of Mantani, talks about those days.

"Although the menu table that Tokuzo Akiyama worked on remains, there were no specific recipes. Therefore, it was not an easy journey, such as traveling outside the prefecture to research materials and cooking methods at the time. hey"

▲Manya

The most difficult part was the sauces and desserts used for the fish dishes. After using his imagination from the ingredients and making many prototypes while fumbling around, the finished dish received a great response.

To this day, Mandani celebrates Tokuzo Akiyama's great achievements and presents the ``Akiyama Tokuzo Tribute Selection'', the popular boiled mackerel sushi, and the ``marshal-style beef fillet cutlet'' served at the imperial banquet. (reservation required).

“Even though it was about 100 years ago in the Taisho period, Tokuzo Akiyama was devising very elaborate dishes, such as stuffing chicken with truffles and researching crawfish soup. On the other hand, the usual dishes served by His Majesty the Emperor incorporate simple home cooking, and you can tell that Tokuzo is not only delicious, but also considers his health. I can feel your heart and your hospitality toward His Majesty."

Tokuzo Akiyama must have had many hardships in his life. However, the upright way of life of a naughty and strong-willed man who adored Western cuisine and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the sake of the emperor will continue to fascinate many people in the future.

▼Oryori Kyomachi Mandani

https://mantani.jp/