Japanese restaurant "Yo" (Kitakawabata-cho, Hirosaki City, TEL 0172-40-0496 ) celebrated its first anniversary on December 13th.

The restaurant was opened last year by Yohei Narita, who was born in Hirosaki and trained in French cuisine for about seven years and Japanese cuisine at Kyoto's long-established restaurant Kikunoi for about nine years. The restaurant only serves about 11 omakase dishes that use local ingredients and take advantage of local cuisine ideas.

Looking back on the past year, Narita said, ``I was able to continue with the help of those around me, including the support of regular customers and the information I received from my colleagues in Hirosaki.There are many things I still don't understand about seasonal ingredients and local cuisine, and I am learning a lot. "There's a lot to do, but I'm beginning to feel that opening a store in my hometown is paying off."

Mr. Narita became interested in cooking when he started working part-time at Hikoan, a soba restaurant near his parents' house, during his high school days. He said he felt the coolness of the chef from the owner. After graduating from high school, he entered a culinary school in Tokyo because he wanted to leave Hirosaki and see the world. After graduating, he worked at a French restaurant and worked in France for two years.

``The further I went, the more I missed Japan and Hirosaki.If I wanted to open my own shop, I wanted to open it locally,'' says Narita.

I made a U-turn to Hirosaki last spring. While preparing for the opening, they initially considered creating a restaurant with lodging facilities similar to an auberge, but decided against it. After learning that he could open a Japanese restaurant without leaving the premises, he decided to open a restaurant in the same property. During the preparation period, he toured various parts of Aomori Prefecture and also attended the Tsugaru Akatsuki no Kai, an organization that passes down Tsugaru's local cuisine.

During the year of business, there were many people in Hirosaki who valued food culture, and some of them sometimes gave us harsh opinions. ``In the beginning, there were times when I couldn't convey what I wanted to do, but now the number of regular customers has started to increase, and I'm starting to see what only I can do,'' says Narita.

On business days, he visits about eight locations in Hirosaki, including direct farm and markets, and selects and procures ingredients himself. This is my first experience facing customers behind the counter and serving them food, so every day is stressful, but the most rewarding part is seeing them happy.

Mr. Narita is enthusiastic and says, ``Our goal is to create a restaurant that will make local people happy, and we want to spread the word about the food of Hirosaki and Aomori, and let people feel the culture and climate through the food.''

Advance reservations required. Closed on Sundays and Mondays.