Ishida Issei visited the opening of Ishida Junichi’s yakiniku restaurant!
On March 16, Ishida Junichi (69) opened a yakiniku restaurant in Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture. Ishida said in an appearance on “Poka Poka” (Fuji TV) last month with his son, Ishida Issei (48), “I’m opening a yakiniku restaurant next month,
We will open a yakiniku restaurant next month.
Ishida is known for his ‘Yakiniku’ (barbecue) restaurant, which he opened last year. Ishida went to Okinawa in April 2008 during the declared state of emergency of the COVID-19 crisis, and as a result of a series of golf outings and dinners, he became infected. He was heavily bashed by the public. After that, he was reported to have attended banquets without a mask, and his business declined sharply. He lost his income and was driven to the point of pennilessness. On the 15th, Issei told “Toso Web” about Ishida’s thoughts on the yakiniku restaurant,
He also said, “I think this will be my last game. I think it’s rare in recent years.
He was also saying, “I think this will be the last game for me. So “FRIDAY” contacted Issei’s office on the day the yakiniku restaurant opened. We asked him about his current relationship with his girlfriend, who was scooped by the magazine, and about his feelings toward his father,
He said, “I’m going to my father’s restaurant tomorrow (17th), so why don’t you meet me there?”
We arranged to meet in front of Ishida’s yakiniku restaurant at 5 p.m. on the evening of the 17th.
Surrounded by mothers with their small children
When I arrived at the scene a little before 5:00 p.m. on the 17th, I found that the storefront of Junchan, a yakiniku restaurant in Ishida, was decorated with so many congratulatory flowers that they covered the exterior of the restaurant. In the storefront, moms and dads with their small children were chatting and laughing in one mass. Ishida was at the center of the crowd. Ishida responded to the moms’ requests for handshakes and photos with a smile. The mothers did not seem to be customers, and he approached them just as they were leaving the place.
-Congratulations on your opening, Mr. Ishida! This is Friday.
Mr. Friday? What? Are you here for an interview?”
-Yes. I’m supposed to meet up with Mr. Issei here at 5:00 today. And we promised to talk to Mr. Ishida and Mr. Issei…
“Eh, I haven’t heard… Wait a minute…Is Issei-kun coming today?”
-Yes. He said he was going to make a reservation at the restaurant.
“Issei-kun? I don’t have a reservation. Um…Issei-kun is the kind of person who can’t make reservations or anything like that…. Even if it’s an interview, I can’t go in today or tomorrow because I’m fully booked, as was the case yesterday. Because, you know, right?”
-Yes, that’s right. I am sorry. I thought that Issei-san had already contacted you.
I didn’t. I don’t know anything about it. I have no idea. …But since you’ve come all this way, I’ll talk to you. But I really don’t have much time, so I’ll only talk for a little while…”
-I’m sorry too. Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule. First of all, congratulations on your opening.
Thank you very much. Thanks to your support, we are full of reservations for yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
-I heard that you told Mr. Issei that this would be your “last game”?
I think it’s the last game, or…well, in terms of money, maybe. Well, we have to do our best. We know that operating a barbecue restaurant is difficult. I don’t feel half-hearted about it. We will be at the restaurant every day, of course. Because it wouldn’t be good without a sign, would it?”
-It’s quite far from your home.
But I can catch the last train. The last order is 23:00. But it’s tough. I have golfing tomorrow, so I’ll go to the restaurant after that. Here in Funabashi, there are many people who have been very kind to me, and I have gathered all the ingredients and flavors that I have eaten all over the country that I thought were delicious. So I am really confident in the taste. It’s absolutely delicious, so please come try it.
