January 18, 2024: Japanese Soba Restaurant Next to My Apartment （隣のそば屋）

On New Year’s Eve last year, December 31, 2023, I was reminded that my town is getting older and older. There is a Japanese noodle restaurant next to my apartment building. The restaurant has been one of the oldest and busiest restaurants in my town. It is also one of my favourite restaurants. It was already open when I first moved to this town. And on the first day I lived in this town about 30 years ago, I went to the restaurant with my wife and late uncle. At that time, I had Japanese soba noodles, and they tasted good. Since then, I have often gone to the restaurant with my family. And I have sometimes asked it to deliver the dishes to my home, too. However, five or more years ago, it suddenly ceased its home delivery services. The master got so old that he was prohibited from the delivery services. Nevertheless, he is still in business and the restaurant is still busy at lunchtime with the car park full of the guests’ cars. So, the restaurant seems to be able to continue its business for a while.
However, it gave me another surprise on New Year’s Eve last year. It closed on that day. This is the busiest day for Japanese noodle restaurants as most Japanese have a custom of eating Japanese soba noodles on this day. As a result, the restaurant missed the biggest business chance of the year. In other words, the master is so old and tired that he seems to have had no energy to ride out the busiest time. It was the first time I had ever seen a Japanese noodle restaurant close on New Year’s Eve.
It was on January 5, 2024 that it reopened. I was relieved to see it run its business as usual. But I am very concerned that it would have to close the business sooner or later because it has no successor. And it is a little sad to imagine that I would completely lose the chance to relish those noodles one day.

　昨年の大晦日、2023年12月31日、ボクの街がどんどん高齢化していることを思い知らされました。ボクのマンションの隣にそば屋があります。その店は街では一番古く、繁盛している店のひとつです。ボクのお気に入りの店でもあります。ボクがこの街に引っ越してきたとき、すでに営業していました。そして約30年前にここに住み始めた最初の日、妻と亡くなった叔父と一緒にこの店に行きました。そのとき食べたそばがおいしかったです。それ以来、家族でよく行くようになりました。また、出前を頼むこともありました。でも、5年以上前に、出前を止めてしまいました。店主が高齢のため、出前を禁止されたのです。それでもまだ営業は続けており、昼時には駐車場が客の車で満車になるほどの賑わいを見せています。というわけで、しばらくは営業を続けられそうです。
　でも、昨年の大晦日にこの店にまた驚かされました。その日に営業しなかったのです。多くの日本人は大晦日に蕎麦を食べる習慣があるのに。そのため、この店は1年で最大のビジネスチャンスを逃してしまいました。見方を変えると、店主が高齢で疲れており、最繁忙期を乗り切る気力がなかったようです。そば屋が大晦日に閉店するのを見たのは初めてでした。
店が再開したのは1月5日でした。いつも通りの営業しているのを見てホットしました。でも、後継者がいないため、遅かれ早かれ廃業せざるを得ないと思うと、とても心配です。ある日突然、あのそばが味わえなくなるかと想像すると、すこし悲しくなります。