Osaka During Japan’s Rapid Economic Growth
Osaka made an amazingly speedy recovery from the devastation and confusion left by the war, leading the Japanese economy to regain strength and take the position as the second largest GNP country in the world.
With growing significance of Japan as the second largest economic nation, Suita, Osaka was chosen as the site for the 1970 World Exposition. The main theme of the Expo was “Progress and Harmony for Mankind”.
Rapid Economic Growth and Okosoba® (Modernyaki)
Overcoming the postwar chaos, the Japanese economy marked rapid growth and entered a period of high economic growth. And it is during this era when the Japanese economy was thriving that the Okosoba® (modernyaki) was born. To revive the cities and industries that were destroyed by the war, the people united and worked day and night to reconstruct the economy. With many of the workers being young, inexpensive food with substantial volume was high in demand. To meet these customers needs, BOTEYA® Group also developed new menu items. Inspired by the boarding food provided to our employees at the time, we came up with the Okosoba® (modernyaki), which consolidated both okonomiyaki and yakisoba into one dish. This new dish quickly became popular and spread throughout Osaka. Today, the Okosoba® (modernyaki) continues to be extremely popular as a Gotochi (local) gourmet food representing Osaka.
Meeting Global Needs
Japanese food has been recognized by the world as a sophisticated cuisine.
There are many distinctive features of Japanese cuisine such as “the quality of the ingredients”, “healthiness”, “beautiful presentation” and “hospitality”. Japanese food has become popular around the world as people appreciate these qualities.
Japanese food is an IMPORTANT part of our culture that represents the long history of our country.
Unfortunately, however, there are many restaurants that are offering “Japanese-style” food that is not authentic Japanese cooking. It is our hope to deliver “Authentic Japanese Taste” to as many people as possible by aggressively opening branches in Thailand.
Introducing Japanese Soul Food to the World
In countries abroad, there is a preconception that Japanese cuisine is a luxury food enjoyed only by the handful of wealthy people.
This is not true. There are many soul foods from different regions throughout Japan that are loved by the local people. Many of these foods are casual and simple and are eaten on a daily basis.
Today, Japanese soul foods, such as ramen, are being noticed and attracting attention.
Dishes that retain the qualities of Japanese food, and yet are inexpensive, are widely accepted. Such dishes in this category can be enjoyed on a daily basis, and thus there is a wide market.
The menu items offered at BOTEYA® also fit into this category of food. With this, we believe there is real potential for our restaurant to grow drastically in the coming years.
What is Okosoba® (Modernyaki)?
Okosoba® (modernyaki) is a local specialty of Osaka that combines okonomiyaki and yakisoba, a concept that was designed by BOTEYA® Group, allowing you to enjoy the delicious flavors of both in this one dish. Only Kansai people, known for their mercantile spirit, could have thought up of such an efficient and practical food.
Beginning of Okosoba® (Modernyaki)
Okosoba® (modernyaki) emerged during Japan’s rapid period of economic growth after World War II. During this time, our chefs needed to be creative and come up with filling meals for the boarding employees using the ingredients AVAILABLE to them in the restaurant. The Okosoba® (modernyaki) started out as a boarding food served only to the employees, but after many trials and errors, it evolved to a level where it could be served to customers. It was immediately well received by our customers, and in no time became a popular food in Osaka.
BOTEYA® ’s Okosoba® (Modernyaki)
BOTEYA®’s Okosoba® (modernyaki) is a well-balanced, hearty dish having thick yakisoba noodles and tons of cabbage sandwiched between our original batter pancake and fried egg. It is flavored with our pride salty-sweet sauce, mild white mayonnaise and Japanese mustard. It is healthy with lots of cabbage, hearty with lots of ingredients and reasonably PRICED, making this value-for-money dish one of our popular menu items.
The Secret Behind the Name
Okosoba® (modernyaki) originated in Osaka during Japan’s period of rapid economic growth. As the word implies, Okosoba® (modernyaki) is “modern” and the use of katakana in the Japanese spelling gives it a “fashionable” image. There is also another hidden meaning behind this coined word. It also plays a pun on the Japanese term “moridakusan” which refers to the variety of ingredients in Okosoba® (modernyaki), an Osaka twist to the name. In this way, the naming of Okosoba® (modernyaki) reflects how this dish was invented to match the needs of the era when the Japanese economy was growing at a rapid speed.
What is Yakisob