Spreading 'Micro-Happiness' Through Bread

"A bakery is a very familiar place, somewhere you can casually visit, unlike a restaurant. I call the small joys and moments of excitement in daily life 'micro-happiness.' I want to re-evaluate the values Japan holds and convey through bread that happiness is already all around us—that we have delicious Tokachi wheat."

To this end, in addition to running the stores, the president himself sometimes goes out to sell bread from a mobile van. However, a style where customers choose from an open side of the van wouldn't provide the 'enjoyment of being in a store' that Mr. Sugiyama envisions. So, he decided to have customers board the vehicle like a bus and choose their bread directly. This way, they can have the same experience as visiting a store.

There's always a line for "Masuya's Bus"! During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was especially appreciated by customers who were hesitant to visit the stores.

"Customers in areas without a bakery, or those who have one but find it too far to visit, can still have the experience of choosing bread in a shop. This has been incredibly popular. We also use it for events at daycare centers and kindergartens, and for the children, it's their very first time shopping alone. They enter the bakery, choose their bread, take it themselves, and pay. Many of them have serious expressions, perhaps out of nervousness, but they are extremely happy afterward."

It's not just children. When he sees an elderly person inside the mobile van, muttering "An-doughnut..." while searching for bread, he imagines, "How much of our bread has this person eaten in their lifetime?" and feels a joy that comes from the heart.

The vision Mr. Sugiyama now holds is, "In 2030, Tokachi will become the Bread Kingdom." His dream is to create a 'Bread Kingdom' where everyone connected by Tokachi wheat bread—producers, bakers, and consumers—can experience boundless micro-happiness.

One part of the Bread Kingdom concept is the construction of a 'bread theme park.' Masuya Shoten's flagship store, 'Mugioto,' is the largest bakery in Japan by area, but he plans to expand the site to about three times its current size and create a sales area themed around locally-sourced bread.

Inside the Mugioto store. A wide variety of bread is displayed in the spacious interior.

"Tokachi is a major agricultural region, but are there abundant opportunities for visitors to experience agriculture? I don't think so. I believe there's a unique joy that can only be found by connecting with the people and products of Tokachi. Through enjoying not just bread but various services, I want to create a place where people can truly experience what Tokachi is all about."

Thinking About Regional Revitalization Through Bread-Making Rooted in the Land of Tokachi

Another thing Mr. Sugiyama wants to achieve is the creation of 'Tokachi Pan' (Tokachi Bread). Having seen many breads rooted in their local regions in America and Europe, he was inspired to wonder if it was possible to create an indigenous bread in Tokachi, Japan's top wheat-producing area.

Since 2009, they have also held an event called the 'Hokkaido Wheat Camp' with producers and others. By focusing on branding Tokachi wheat, more and more bread chefs are coming to Tokachi from all over to see the wheat.

"Local bakeries came together to form the 'Tokachi Pan Creation Association,' and we've been working on this since 2012. It's an organization dedicated to making even more delicious bread while studying bread-making and wheat."

Right now, the most promising candidate for Tokachi Pan is a bread called 'Eau de Blé Tokachi.' It's a bread with a high water content, characterized by its chewy texture. To make it, you need 'Kitano Kaori,' a rare and valuable variety of Tokachi wheat, and the pure water nurtured in Tokachi. It is truly a bread native to Tokachi.

Eau de Blé Tokachi. It has a deep flavor within its simple ingredients.

"Eau de Blé Tokachi was created in 2018 and is actually being sold. However, a meal doesn't end with just one piece of bread. It needs to be integrated into the lifestyles of the local people, paired with various dishes, so in that sense, it's still a work in progress. We have now launched the 'Tokachi Pan Eating Association' and are working with consumers and restaurant staff to figure out how to best enjoy Tokachi Pan with dishes made from Tokachi ingredients."

Tokachi, where the key industry of agriculture is still a growth industry, is a rare region in Japan. And considering the environment, it should be desirable to strive for local production for local consumption as much as possible. In the past, with globalization and the spread of the internet, a way of life not bound to one's location was the norm, and the idea of 'it's faster to gather what you need from around the world' was commonplace. However, with that mindset, the same things are produced no matter where you are, and the region itself declines. Mr. Sugiyama is concerned about this.

"That's why I want to connect the region and its people now. I decided to put down roots in Tokachi and make things that can only be made in this region. If you turn wheat into bread, you can combine it with various ingredients from Tokachi. It's truly a food that represents Tokachi. We're not there yet, but by using local resources abundantly, I want to enhance the value of Tokachi. I want to take on such challenges based on the Tokachi Bread Kingdom concept."

At the root of this passion is a desire to give back to Tokachi, the place where he was born and raised. Dreaming of the day when delicious, indigenous bread spun from Tokachi wheat will spread throughout the world. The birth of the Tokachi Bread Kingdom is something to look forward to.

Introducing people who create things and experiences in Tokachi: "Tokachi Connection Session"