Gaia Series 90: Working! Grandpa and Grandma
Elderly hands revive community kitchens in Sendai, turning age into an asset and meals into a mission.
In the heart of Sendai City, a quiet culinary shift is taking place, led not by youthful start-ups or celebrity chefs, but by senior citizens. As Japan confronts the challenges of becoming a super-aged society, one initiative shows how older adults can drive community revival and contribute meaningfully to society.
At HACHI, a long-established Western-style restaurant in Sendai, lunchtime sees a lively crowd. Its most popular dish is the Hamburger Steak Napolitan, priced at ¥2,200 (S$19.30), featuring a juicy hamburger patty on spaghetti tossed in Napolitan sauce. This dish, which clinched the top spot at Japan's Napolitan Contest, is a local favourite. "The noodles are chewy and delicious," a customer remarks, capturing the essence of its appeal.
Second-generation owner Mr Hideharu Kakuta oversees the bustling kitchen. He explains that the key to the flavour lies in the preparation of the noodles. 'After resting overnight, they're just soft enough, which helps the sauce coat and blend well when stir-fried,' he says. However, preparing the thick noodles used to require four hours of boiling each day, resulting in long working hours for the staff.
To solve this, HACHI partnered with Gbaa Food, a company that prepares the noodles off-site. "We used to boil them ourselves in-store, but now they've taken over, and it's a huge help," says Mr Kakuta. Gbaa Food, whose name combines 'grandpa' and 'grandma', is operated entirely by people aged 60 and above.
'We call ourselves the idols of Shinmachi Kitchen,' one senior staff member quips. 'We're just joking, but we enjoy it here. I really feel that senior power can revitalise a community.'
Among these dedicated seniors is Mr Kenji Maruyama, aged 80. He began working at Gbaa after his wife fell ill. 'I left it all to my wife. I never did any cooking,' he admits. Now, he is responsible for cooking the rice and is learning to make dashimaki tamago, the Japanese rolled omelette. 'I do it with the hope that it'll turn out well,' he says. His motivation stems from a promise to his wife, Shoko, who is undergoing treatment for stage 4 jaw cancer. 'I tell her, 'Don't worry, I'm doing just fine,'' he says quietly.
Founded by Mr Kenta Nagano, 35, Gbaa Food was launched to change the narrative around ageing. 'I wanted seniors to stay active in their communities and energise society with senior power,' he says. The model functions as a cooperative, where members share profits and set their own work schedules. Some work once a week, others every day. Seniors typically earn around ¥20,000 to ¥30,000 a month working two to four times weekly.
This model is perfect as there are around 36 million people in Japan aged 65 and over. And one survey shows over 80 per cent of people turning 70 want to keep working even after that age. The seniors may not earn a lot but to them, it's more than just money. As one employee says: 'spending time with everyone like this, eating and chatting together. That's the best part'.
Ms Akiko Koseki, 80, joined Gbaa after a lifetime as a homemaker. 'I do have a chef's licence, actually. I thought if there's no age limit, I'd like to give it a go.' Another member, Ms Yoneko Sudo, 74, started after her daughter encouraged her to socialise again following her husband's death. 'It's honestly so much fun,' she says.
Every morning from 6 am, the seniors at Gbaa prepare about 130 handmade lunch boxes, each priced at ¥800. These include dishes like sweet and sour chicken, meatballs and pan-fried cod, all with a generous serving of vegetables. Deliveries are also made by the seniors, including regular orders to the Rakuten Eagles' team office. "The menu changes each time, so choosing is fun too," says one employee.
Each lunch box also contains an illustrated note with a daily phrase, drawn by 80-year-old Mr Makoto Takahashi. One read, 'A red persimmon ripens, and the doctor turns blue.' These messages are a highlight. 'The messages always warm our hearts. Everyone looks forward to them,' says one recipient.
Despite its success, Gbaa has faced financial hurdles. It operates without government subsidies and had been running at a monthly deficit of about ¥1.5 million. In response, Mr Nagano initiated a collaboration with HACHI to develop a station lunch box, priced at ¥1,650, sold at Sendai Station, which sees roughly 90,000 passengers daily. 'We're hoping to create a new Sendai speciality together,' he says.
For Mr Maruyama, this project meant taking on the challenge of preparing the dashimaki tamago for the lunch box. 'Even though I'm not used to cooking, I want to give it my all,' he says. After daily practice, including using a yellow cloth to simulate eggs, he succeeded. 'This is good enough to serve,' a colleague told him.
On 1 March, the two-day test sale began. 'These are handmade by local grandmas and grandads using regional ingredients,' said Mr Maruyama, who was energetically promoting the boxes. A total of 210 lunch boxes were sold. 'My wife has cancer too, so she's doing her best, and I am too. It's like we're saying, 'Let's do our best together,'' he says.
Gbaa's impact continues to grow. In Tomiya City, 15 seniors now run Shinmachi Kitchen, making rice balls and seasonal dishes. In Sado Island, where the local gold mines were recently designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mr Nagano is helping to open another restaurant in a 100-year-old home. 'If local grandpas and grandmas cook and serve, I think Sado will gain even more fans,' he says.
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