President Yoon's Visit to a Japanese Omurice Restaurant... A Budget-Friendly Eatery with a 3.8 Star Rating

Planning to Visit 'Rengatei' When in Tokyo
The Birthplace of Tonkatsu and Omurice
A Popular Spot Among Korean Tourists

President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are scheduled to hold a summit in Tokyo on the 16th (local time), followed by a dinner at a Western-style restaurant called 'Rengatei' in Ginza. Rengatei is a restaurant with a history spanning about 130 years and is known as the birthplace of 'Tonkatsu' and 'Omurice,' representative dishes of Japanese-style Western cuisine.

Rengatei is located in Ginza, Japan's largest downtown area. It first opened in 1895 and has been in operation for 128 years as of this year. The first owner was Kita Motojiro, followed by his son Kita Koichiro, and it is reported that the current third-generation owner is his grandson, Kita Akira.

Opened about 20 years after the Meiji Restoration in 1885... First to develop Tonkatsu

This image is for illustrative purposes and is not related to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

This restaurant is special because it was the first to develop 'Tonkatsu.' Rengatei opened in 1895, just over 20 years after the Meiji Restoration (1868). As this was a period of social and political upheaval, Japan was also in a state of flux at the time.

One of the biggest changes during this time was the influx of Western new culture. In particular, the Meiji government aimed to popularize 'meat dishes,' which Europeans ate as a staple, among the Japanese common people. Kita Motojiro, the first owner of Rengatei, quickly recognized this change.

After learning the Western-style meat dish called 'cutlet' (a dish made by frying thinly pounded meat and serving it with lemon juice or vinegar), he introduced 'Tonkatsu,' a Japanese-style adaptation. Tonkatsu became explosively popular among the Japanese common people, who were still unfamiliar with eating meat, and it widely spread, becoming the origin of Japanese-style Western cuisine known as yoshoku.

Omurice appeared shortly after the Russo-Japanese War in 1905

Western-style Restaurant Rengatei in Ginza, a bustling district in Japan [Image source=Google Maps]

The development of Omurice also took place at Rengatei. According to an interview article by the Japanese online media 'Ginza News' in 2010 with the third-generation owner Kita Akira, Omurice first appeared in 1905, shortly after the Russo-Japanese War.

At that time in Japan, fried rice dishes such as 'chicken rice' and 'shrimp rice,' influenced by Southern European dishes like risotto and pilaf, were mainly consumed. During this period, Rengatei invented a unique dish that wrapped rice in a thin layer of egg crepe.

This dish was initially a special menu ordered only by regular customers of Rengatei, but as its popularity grew, it was officially released under the name 'rice omelet,' and later the name 'Omurice' became established.

A world-class popular restaurant frequently visited by Korean tourists

(This photo is not directly related to the article content) [Image source=Pixabay]

Rengatei, a living witness to Japanese-style Western cuisine, continues to be loved by many Japanese people today. It is especially known to be popular among tourists from Korea, China, and Taiwan. It still mainly serves yoshoku dishes such as Tonkatsu, Hayashi rice, and Omurice, and has attracted high interest among netizens, with 1,374 reviews (average rating 3.8 stars) on Google Maps.

Although located in Ginza, a high-end downtown area in Japan, the dishes served at Rengatei are generally inexpensive and emphasize cost-effectiveness as common people's food. Reviews often highlight Rengatei's strengths as 'familiarity' and 'generous portions.'

One netizen praised, "The appearance is rough, so I was surprised at first, but the flavor is rich when I tried it. The large portion is a bonus," adding, "The lightly seasoned rice goes really well with the Tonkatsu." Another netizen emphasized, "You must try the Omurice and fried oysters."

Meanwhile, the Japanese media Yomiuri Shimbun reported on the 14th that after the Japan-Korea summit in Tokyo on the 16th, the two governments plan to move to Rengatei to continue their talks. The Japanese government has maintained the tradition of 'Omotenashi (おもてなし·hospitality),' serving Japanese cuisine whenever foreign leaders visit.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.