Hello. I am Yuge from the Food Hub Project, and I have received the baton for the Monosus member introduction relay.
I am the manager of Kamapan & Friends (Natural Products Store), which is jointly run by Monosus and Food Hub at Ginza Sony Park in Ginza.
I have written an article before about what I am doing, so please take a look if you are interested.
Kamapan & Friends <Natural Products Hall> is the first project of Monosasu Shokuken, which has been featured on the Monosasu website several times. The person who oversees and supports the operation of the entire store is Mr. Arai, the Monosasu Shokuken business manager and my boss.
This time, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce the real Arai from my perspective as someone who currently works closest to him, something that he would never reveal himself.
His catchphrase is "To put it simply,
My first impression of Mr. Arai was that he had the aura of an "overwhelmingly capable man."
One phrase that Arai uses that became a topic of conversation among the store members is, "To put it simply..."
"The bottom line is that you should follow the numbers and draw your own conclusions."
"In conclusion, I think Yuge's idea is fine."
"The bottom line is, I'll take charge."
This phrase pops up at the beginning of many conversations. It may be common in the business world, but it was a completely new experience for me, who has always worked in retail stores.
When I'm in sales at a store, I have almost no free time, so I'm very grateful for this way of speaking, where he conveys the main points concisely. I always listen to what he has to say with a nod, thinking that this is a typical habit of Mr. Arai, who originally loved the field and placed importance on store operations.
Arai-san is cute when she's a little excited.
It may be very presumptuous of me to introduce this, but I'd like to sneak in and reveal a cute side of Arai-san that you probably don't know about yet.
Once, he came to the store with his daughter, and there was something different about him. He looked a little more stylish than usual, and he bought a lot of souvenirs while talking about his daughter and family.
By the way, Arai's goal after retirement is to open a small cafe with his wife and visit World Heritage sites. (How nice!)
After his daughter, Arai-san was most excited when he was introduced to his buddy, Chef Iino, who he has worked with for 10 years.
He usually has an image of being firmly planted, but at this moment, he seemed to be a centimeter off the ground. I caught a glimpse of the boy's light-hearted face, as if to say, "Now that I have someone to take care of him, I can charge ahead!"
This photo gives us a glimpse of Arai's playful side.
A scene from the mozzarella cheese demonstration and sale by "SHIBUYA CHEESE STAND," which came to the open-air market held in Ginza.
When Mr. Arai is with people he trusts or who he knows well, his eyes sparkle like a young man who can't stop thinking about fun things. His eyes also sparkle when he sees delicious food in front of him.
A passion for food and friends
In fact, Arai-san began his career in the food industry in his late 20s. (Click here to read his "Past and Future" story.)
After working as a barista, he moved into the company cafeteria business and then into management.
I'm sure that experience was a series of challenges beyond my imagination, but I got the impression that you valued the bonds with your teammates who took on these challenges more than anyone else.
I had the opportunity to meet several of the team members that Arai had worked with, including Iino-san, who joined Monosus as a chef. In addition to being attracted to Arai-san's playful personality, I felt a sense of hope in their belief that "if I follow this person, I can realize a better future through food."
At Friends, Arai-san is also a pinch hitter when something goes wrong. Various things happen every day at the store, such as sudden illness or delivery issues.
When something absolutely needs to be done, Arai-san rushes to the scene even when he's busy, and the part-time Friends staff have the trust of him.
In addition to the Kamapan & Friends Natural Products Center, Monosasu Shokuken plans to start various other projects. Among them, we are looking forward to seeing a new team formed around Mr. Arai, and the creation of a cycle of delicious food and daily life!
Photo of Arai eating cheese: Kawase Kazue
モノサスアーカイブ