Ze-roku - homemade ice cream in Hommachi
Just look for a long line
If you happen to be in Chuo-ku, Osaka city, look for the Hommachi Bridge that crosses the Higashiyokobori River. After crossing the bridge, go west on Hommachi-dori and you'll find a wooden house which is a coffee shop. It is called "Ze-roku", well-known for its homemade ice cream that is light in texture and simple taste - somewhat nostalgic. Especially during the hot summer season, you'll easily find the shop; just look for a long line of people! According to 80 year-old Hirose Tokuya, the second generation head of the family, "Reasonable price, delicious and clean. Over the years I have learned that never cutting corners is the key to obtaining high-quality techniques".
Just the right touch of old and new
His fathered established the shop in 1913. Formerly it was a Japanese-confectionery shop called "Ze-roku Misoka-do". Ever since it was refurbished in 1927 it has been standing strong till the present even through the worst times of war. "I have been told that my father invited a carpenter who specializes in tea ceremony rooms. He came from Kyoto and stayed with us until he finished the job. According to my father's orders, he elaborately-crafted the whole shop." The showcase, alcove and doors that remain from the original shop create a unique blend of both Japanese and western style. You can imagine how modern his father's ideas were, from the fact that he made ice cream and owned a diner in the early Showa period.
Nothing beats homemade
Currently, Tokuya's son, Mitsunori who is 48 has taken over as the third generation. And the whole family supports the Ze-roku brand. "The recent factory-made ice creams are not real ice cream. They are just frozen dairy products. We have to continue producing real ice cream that can never be factory-made." It is amazing how his confidence makes us proud.
We came across two young customers during our stay. Hirose gave them a traditional joke; "That's two for 2,000,000 yen."(which really means "two for 200 yen") The two were startled. It's a shame that young ones don't understand this joke anymore, especially because it is a traditional joke that fits right with Ze-roku's traditional atmosphere of Osaka.
There are three shops in Osaka that operate under the name of Ze-roku. In Hommachi and Doshoumachi both in Osaka city and one in Eiwa, Higashiosaka City. The owners of these shops are the three brothers of the Hirose family and Tokuya who is the youngest is in charge of the original shop. All three shops are financially independent. They refer to themselves as Honke (originator), Honten (main shop) and Ganso (original), always keeping in mind that there is room for improvement of the traditional flavor of their ice cream.
By the way Ze-roku is expressed in kanji, using characters that mean 'six luxuries'. The shop was named after the six luxuries that are considered unnecessary for merchants; stipend, clique, connections, education, sword and status.
1-3-22 Hommachi Chuo-ku, Osaka cityTel:+81-6-6261-2606
