The senbei specialty shop ``Sato Senbei Store'' (2 Aomori City, Aomori City), located near Aipura Park, will close on December 31st.

The year Sato Senbei was founded is unknown due to lack of documentation, but according to Moritoshi Sato, the third-generation owner, it is thought to have been established in the early Showa period, before the war, and has a history of 100 years. Mr. Sato says, ``I heard that my grandfather learned the recipe from a thriving rice cracker shop near Aomori Station and started his own business.At that time, rice crackers were recognized as Aomori souvenirs, and the business was prosperous.'' talk.

Mr. Sato started helping out at the store in 1982. After graduating from high school, he moved to Tokyo and worked at a Western confectionery shop, but at the age of 23 he returned to his hometown and took over the shop. When Mr. Sato returned, the flow of people in Aomori was different from when he was a child. Namiuchi Station, which was near the store, was closed down, and the Aomori Velodrome, which was located in Aipura Park, was relocated.

Each piece is manufactured in a cottage industry and sold individually. We do not sell wholesale and do not deliver. Instead of opening branches, we stuck to the old-fashioned sales method of having people come to the store. The store is only closed during New Year's and Obon. There's no homepage either. It was during the time of the second generation owner that the rice crackers were individually wrapped. At the time, individual packaging had not yet become widespread, so there was some opposition. An illustration of Nebuta was drawn on the packaging bag and available in three colors. Currently, there is only one color, but the design has not changed.

Sato says, ``When I started helping out, the popularity of rice crackers as souvenirs was already on the decline.In the past, there was an association of rice cracker shops, and there were 70 in the city alone. "There used to be one, but now there are only four shops specializing in rice crackers." "It's thanks to our regular customers that we've been able to keep going until now," he said.

The machine, which has been in use for more than 60 years, is still in use today, but the manufacturer is no longer in business, so Mr. Sato repairs it himself whenever it breaks down. The building has deteriorated, there is no budget to replace the equipment, and there is no successor. Society is aging, and the coronavirus pandemic has also had an impact. ``Even though it was daytime, there were times when no one was walking on National Route 4, which faces the store,'' Sato said.

In recent years, the company has been plagued by rising raw material costs and changes in the quality of flour. Mr. Sato says, ``Even if we purchased the same product and made it using the same method, the end result would sometimes be different. Regular customers would point out the difference in taste, and we sometimes had a hard time adjusting, but in the end, we ended up with ``Sato Senbei.'' "I'm happy to hear from customers that this is the best," he says with a smile.

Regular customers were verbally informed of the closure, and signs announcing the closure were posted around September. He says he sometimes receives letters from outside the prefecture expressing their regret for the store's closure. The store will be open until December 31st, but this may change depending on the availability of raw materials. Mr. Sato said, ``I'm sorry to close a rice cracker shop that has been in business for 100 years, but it's probably a sign of the times.We've continued to do so without regular holidays.My mother, who helps make rice crackers, is over 90 years old. I want to take a break.''

Business hours are 10:00 to 18:00.