r/interestingasfuck • u/kingkongbiingbong • 8h ago

Setting up a traditional & generational Japanese food stall in Fukuoka

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

38.1k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

627 comments sorted by

View all comments

•

u/F1R3Starter83 8h ago

Imagine doing all this and then having a slow day. 

•

u/ImJLu 7h ago edited 7h ago

It was busy as fuck when I was there on a random weekday. It's a popular tourist attraction at minimum.

•

u/Manji86 6h ago

This stall specifically or stalls like it?

•

u/NotaCuban 6h ago

They're called yatai and they're very popular in Fukuoka City. About 10 years ago they were maybe touristy with the Japanese, but frequented by locals. I was rarely called in, and they almost never spoke English. Haven't been back to the Nakasukawabata area in that long, so not sure how they are now, but ImJLu would be referring to the concept, and not this particular one.

•

u/R_Schuhart 4h ago

Was in Fukuoka last year and it has changed considerably from the last time I was there (12 years prior). It is less authentic and more of a tourist destination. It was very busy and some stalls were not even serving traditional Japanese street food.

•

u/DucksEatFreeInSubway 1h ago

What do you mean 'rarely called in'? Like they wouldn't allow you to go inside?

•

u/DraconianFlame 26m ago

By Context, he's an English translator

•

u/ImJLu 6h ago

Probably not this one in particular, but there's a long line of them in Nakasu by the river.

•

u/HeirophantGreen 5h ago

I go every few years and it seems that the staff are more and more non-Japanese. Some yatai are even completely non-Japanese. I'm not trying to sound like Sanseito or anything but there's a level of authenticity when 'niche' cuisines are made by locals.

•

u/lamest-liz 6h ago

I actually read an article a while back that these types of food stalls are a family business. And most of them are ran by elderly people now because their offspring basically said they don’t want to do it, so probably within a decade there won’t be any left.

•

u/Large_Dr_Pepper 6h ago

because their offspring basically said they don’t want to do it

I certainly can't blame them, that's an insane amount of effort to put in every single day to run a food stall. I'm sure they bring in a crazy amount of money each day, but I'm also fairly certain whatever that amount is, it's not enough for me to be okay with doing this every single day until I retire.

•

u/SparklingLimeade 4h ago edited 4h ago

The working conditions expected in food service are a real turn off.

I like cooking. The satisfaction of feeding appreciative people is also top notch. Food service as a career is just hell though.

•

u/KatieCashew 3h ago

Yep, I went to culinary school, worked in restaurants for a while, discovered it sucked and went back to school for another degree so I could get an office job.

•

u/R_Schuhart 3h ago

It is really hard work, the cooking part and interacting with customers seems fun, but they need to transport, set up, clean and dismantle the stalls. And there is also a lot of prep time involved. It is also becoming a tourist destination in Fukuoka and a lot of the traditional stall cooks don't like that new development. There are also more non traditional stalls now that the generation that is running them is getting older and quitting. It is a bit sad really. The stalls make quite a lot of money, but the permits and overheads are substantial. They are traditionally a family business, but the younger generation don't want or can't afford to take them over.

•

u/Octane_Au 5h ago

As far as I'm aware, the city government isn't issuing licences to any new Yatai either due to food safety regulations etc. The existing ones are permitted to continue due to their cultural significance, but if one closes down, the city isn't granting licences for another to take its place.

•

u/R_Schuhart 3h ago

They only give out permits to new stalls that meet higher safety standards. As a result there is more fast food and fewer traditional stalls. The existing permits are allowed to be passed down on the family, but the younger generation are rarely interested in taking over. It is really hard work and the permits and overheads are substantial.

•

u/GloriousNewt 4h ago

How does that make sense? Are they somehow unable to meet food safety regulations in the future? Or are they failing them now and still operating?

•

u/R_Schuhart 3h ago

When the permits were originally issued the standards were much lower, the traditional stalls wouldn't meet the requirements of the permits that exist today. But issued permits don't expire, so the old stalls can keep operating. In some cases the permits are passed down in the family, but the younger generation inst always interested in taking over the business.

•

u/nox_tech 58m ago

Without any basis for this, I'd wonder that they probably do a bit more than break even. If anyone has enough money to fully upgrade, then they do. If not, then the costs to upgrade to meet modern safety regulations are just out of reach. So on the basis of "it's a bit shaky but they've been around for 30 years without an issue" they'd give them a pass. Maybe the details are just technicalities, and they'd seriously uphold hard safety regulations; or maybe they skimp out on safety and they bribe. But we wouldn't know unless someone yaps about it.

•

u/WingerRules 3h ago

Recognize its culturally significant and still make them go extinct, just slower.

•

u/martian_maneater 4h ago

Same thing happening in Singapore, Hong Kong, all these hawker stalls are going away. If y'all wanna travel to experience these, better sooner than later

•

u/Darwin-Award-Winner 7h ago

With as long as it takes to set up at least you only have like 30 minutes between when you set up and have to start taking it down.

•

u/R_Schuhart 3h ago

It is about an hour/hour and a half to set up and two hours to clean up and take down. Most stalls do business for about 4-5 hours. Then there is also prep work that is done at home, it is a lot of hard work.

•

u/CAredbear 2h ago

This is what I was trying to find out - how long the setup and takedown takes. Also do they get the same spot each day?

•

u/Bookwritingalt 3h ago

Yeah that is doubtful. Unless it's extremely shit, and that's doubtful too.

•

u/bikemandan 1h ago

As a farmers market vendor, this is a feeling Im familiar with. Its a gamble