For more details on KAMA-ASA's charcoal grill, click here
The MakersTeruhime
- Founded in 1930 by Yoshinori Ue, the father of Chairman Katsuji Ue, to make Kando pots in Ryusen, Taito Ward. President Norihiro Ue (right) and Executive Director Hiroshi Ue (left) are cousins, sharing roles while supporting each other, with Norihiro at the Toride factory and Hiroshi at the headquarters in Kita Ward, Tokyo. By the way, the company name changed from "Ue Seisakusho" to the current "Teruhime" about 40 years ago, named by a female Shinto priest they were close to. www.teruhime.co.jp/
TOPICS 01Arranged for easy use at home, the professional charcoal grill
Charcoal grilling, which cooks food deliciously with the effect of far-infrared rays, has been loved as an essential cooking method in Japanese cuisine. However, it was once common for each household to have a hearth or hibachi. Especially after the war, with the evolution of cooking tools powered by gas and electricity, cooking with charcoal became something to enjoy in restaurants. However, if you could casually enjoy the deliciousness of grilled chicken with a crispy outside and fluffy inside, beef with just the right amount of fat rendered, and grilled fish with a crispy skin at home, it would greatly enhance the joy of living. The "KAMA-ASA's Charcoal Grill," which embodies the concept of "Slow BBQ" that KAMA-ASA arrived at after the COVID-19 pandemic, was born from close communication with Teruhime, which has long been handling professional grills.
With charcoal grilling, you can enjoy professional-level grilled chicken with a crispy outside and fluffy inside at home.
In fact, the original charcoal roasting machine "YK-T" created in collaboration with "Charcoal Grill Yuji" was also manufactured by Teruhime.
The original plate-equipped "YK-T" used at "Charcoal Grill Yuji." For more details, please read the user's story #02 [Charcoal Grill Yuji].
Kono: The "YK-T" was released in 2011. After that, many requests came from restaurant owners in Tokyo for a slightly smaller grill than Teruhime's standard size, so we had them create a grill measuring 45cm wide, 24cm deep, and 16.5cm high. While this size had a lot of demand from general customers, it was still a bit large for home use, and we received many requests asking if there was a smaller option. So, we decided to create one measuring 34cm wide, 21cm deep, and 17.5cm high for general customers. This became "KAMA-ASA's Charcoal Grill." Surprisingly, this also attracted a lot of interest from restaurant owners. It seems to match the needs of those who want to do charcoal grilling in their existing establishments but lack space, or those who want a grill to add aroma to grilled meat.
Kono receiving explanations from Norihiro and Hiroshi in the factory.
TOPICS 02Efficient manufacturing in a beautifully organized factory
Upon entering the factory, I first noticed that all materials and tools were beautifully organized. "Since not everyone uses things as expected, I always think we need to keep it clean!" says Norihiro. In the factory, there are about 12 to 13 people working, including Norihiro and his wife.
Bending stainless steel sheets with a bender. The parts are quickly bent into shape.
Standard-sized stainless steel sheets measuring 1m x 2m are cut to size using a shearing machine. At this time, a force of 5 tons is applied to the sheet. After cutting the parts, necessary areas are bent using a machine called a bender. To prevent scratches on the stainless steel, the trick is to lay down a mat for protection before inserting the sheet. Additionally, processes such as attaching sliding air vents and handles are done using spot welding (Note: a method of joining metals by applying current to the contact surface to generate resistance heat that melts the metal). Once the work on each part is finished, the main body is assembled using spot welding as well. I was surprised that even though there are no marks indicating where to weld, everything aligns perfectly.
Parts that have been bent at necessary locations are lined up. Spot welding work will begin from here.
Spot welding is rhythmic. Even without a guide, it is welded at almost equal intervals. The person in charge of the welding corner has only been with the company for three years!
Once the main body is mostly assembled, fireproof stones are attached inside. The parts that support the stones are attached while pressing the stones down with spot welding. After this is completed, the metal fittings for the base to hold the grill are attached, the bottom plate is installed, and insulation material is added. Finally, the gaps between the fireproof stones are filled with cement to complete the assembly.
The fireproof stones have been attached.
The gaps in the fireproof stones are filled with cement using a spatula. This task is handled by Norihiro.
TOPICS 03The history of cooking tools that began with the making of Kando pots
Now, Teruhime is a well-known manufacturer of various stainless steel grills and kitchen equipment such as tables equipped with plates for Okonomiyaki and teppanyaki. However, when Norihiro and Hiroshi's grandfather opened the business in 1930 (Showa 5) in Ryusen, Taito Ward, they were making Kando pots, tools for boiling water and making warm sake using charcoal heat. Hiroshi: Initially, it seems they were hand-making Kando pots that were dropped into hibachis to hold water. Later, they received a request from a company in Kappabashi asking if they could make aluminum Yukihira pots, and it seems they started making pots from there. At that time, Yukihira pots were made of ceramics. They had been making chimney-type shabu-shabu pots for a long time.
It takes about an hour by car from the headquarters to the factory, which is convenient. At the headquarters, Hiroshi and his wife work together, and he visits the factory every 2 to 3 months.
After that, the manufacturing bases were in Toshima in Kita Ward and the current headquarters in Horifune. The factory was relocated to Toride City, Ibaraki Prefecture about 60 years ago. Hiroshi: My grandfather and the current president's father (Chairman Katsuji) came here to establish the factory. The convenience of being able to reach Tokyo via a single national road and the existence of the Joban Line likely influenced the location choice. They decided to do 100% of the manufacturing here. It seems that stainless steel processing using machines capable of cutting hard metals started after moving here. I joined the company in 2000, and at that time, they were still making Yukihira pots, oden pots, and kettles.
Assembling a large "fireproof brick charcoal grill" for store use.
TOPICS 04Realizing products that meet user needs through built trust
The relationship with KAMA-ASA has been long-standing, even before Hiroshi joined the company. Kono: I heard that our Kumazawa (the fourth-generation owner, Daisuke Kumazawa) and Hiroshi joined around the same time, and that our dealings had started before that. Hiroshi: That's right. By the time I joined, our transactions with KAMA-ASA had mostly shifted to charcoal-related products. By the way, wasn't the "fireproof brick charcoal grill" the chairman's idea?
Kono: "I've really consulted with Hiroshi on various matters since my first year of joining the company."
Kono: It seems so. Initially, I heard that Teruhime only made the outer part, and we assembled it in our factory. It was around the time our president became president (2004) and Hiroshi became executive director that we started discussing things like, "Can we make something like this?" The fireproof stone (Note: porous pumice collected from Niijima, Shikinejima, and Kozushima) used in the "KAMA-ASA's Charcoal Grill" was already available from Teruhime, right? Hiroshi: Yes, that's right. From around that time, we started consulting with them whenever something came up, including for a ramen shop's kamado.
Hiroshi: "The collaboration with KAMA-ASA, as well as tables for Okonomiyaki and teppanyaki, were born from customer consultations asking for things like, 'Can you make something like this?' We didn't just come up with the ideas ourselves."
Hiroshi: Kono has become quite reliable! He understands most things about manufacturing, so even if we give vague answers, he understands. It's a blessing for us to be consulted. I wouldn't want to be asked only about delivery times (laughs). Kono: What I strive for is to effectively communicate what I can hear from customers directly to the makers. If I only talk about delivery times, it will be difficult to gain their trust (laughs).
Assembled grills.
Kono: Hiroshi, are there any challenges you want to take on in the future? Hiroshi: Actually, a new welding machine is coming in soon. When welding, the metal melts, so it can sometimes become deformed. With the new machine, it will be less likely to apply heat to unnecessary parts, so I think we can create something of a higher level. Kono: Is that so? I'm looking forward to it!
The two smile for a commemorative photo. "I often hear that I listen to requests from KAMA-ASA honestly," says Hiroshi.
