Last remaining noodle restaurant in village designated evacuation zone to shut down(JAPAN)

[AsahinaKimi]

Yoshiharu Takahashi, left, and his wife, Chiyoko, right, make wheat noodles in the kitchen of their restaurant in Iitate, Fukushima Prefecture. (Mainichi)

IITATE, Fukushima -- The only Japanese noodle restaurant serving local residents in this small village after it was designated as an evacuation zone is set to close its shutters on June 21, but the owner vows to open it again in the future.

Yoshiharu Takahashi, the 64-year-old owner of "Ebisuan," had returned to the village and reopened his shop with his 62-year-old wife Chiyoko one month after evacuating in the wake of a nuclear crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant. The restaurant has served as a special place for local villagers to gather and enjoy chatting with each other. It was also used as a venue for farewell parties among villagers ahead of their evacuation. The Takahashis say, "We want to come back here and reopen it so that we can see the smiling faces of the villagers."

The restaurant first opened in 1953, and Yoshiharu is the second generation to run the shop. He opened a new restaurant across from the old one six years ago. The restaurant, whose hand-kneaded chewy noodles became very popular, has attracted a number of customers even from outside Fukushima Prefecture. Following the nuclear crisis, the Takahashis closed the restaurant and evacuated to their son's home in Yokohama. Although they came back to the village in early April, they did not reopen the restaurant.

more...http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110620p2a00m0na014000c.html

ganbatte Takahashi san!*bows*

[damntexdem]

1. Those who used their noodles have already left the town.

Radioactive chewy noodles: yum, yum.

[marions ghost]

2. sad

I have not been to Japan but I remember the movie Tampopo about the noodle shop as the local gathering place. I hope the Takahashis will be able to return.