Bar Bossa is a wine bar located in a quiet back alley in Oku-Shibuya.
The owner, Hayashi Shinji, works at the shop and is also active as a writer.
He has several serials in web media and has published many books.
And this communication ability has been of great help to the management of Bar Bossa.
His columns and love advice, written from a unique perspective that makes use of the bar owner's powers of observation, have attracted many people and are receiving a lot of attention.
Shinji Hayashi｜PROFILE
Born in Tokushima Prefecture in 1969. Owner of the Shibuya wine bar "bar bossa". After working at a used record store, a Brazilian restaurant, and a shot bar, he opened "bar bossa" in 1997.
While managing a bar, he is also active as a writer. He has many serials, including " Beyond the Wine Glass ," the most viewed serial of all time on cakes, " Bar Bossa's Shinji Hayashi's Daily Diary and Stories That Can't Be Written Publicly " on note, and " Beautiful Women Are Supercars " on LEON.
His major works include " Love Always Begins and Ends Casually (Gentosha)" and " Why Do Bar Masters Wear Ties? ".
Twitter: @bar_bossa
This article is a dialogue-style interview between sommeliers Iwasu and Hayashi, who manage and supervise this website.
In the first part, we asked Hayashi about his new book , "Why do customers flock to that restaurant?" and about restaurant management.
▶ Towns, shops, and their management | Special feature: Bar Bossa's Shinji Hayashi ~ Part 1
In the second part, I will touch on the balance of revenue between his writing work and restaurants, and wine.
The interview for this article was conducted on February 6, 2020, before the COVID-19 state of emergency was declared.
Balancing writing work and store revenue
Iwasu : From here on, I'd like to ask you about your "writing work." How did it start, and what kind of balance do you have now?
Hayashi-san : Yes. I often talk about "how it came about," but this is probably the first time I've talked about "how it was balanced." Ever since we opened, we've been busy, and it may sound arrogant to say this. We happened to catch the wine boom, and there was also a "hideaway boom." At the time, there was nothing around here, it was pitch black, and it felt like a "hideaway." We were always featured in magazines when they had a "hideaway feature." Also, bossa nova was popular at the time. In this way, all the elements that we have became popular. The more hooks a restaurant has, the more likely it is to be a hit. It's like they're hooked. For example, if you only say "the melon bread is delicious there," no one will go, but the more conditions you have, like delicious melon bread, a beautiful sommelier, and it's actually cheap, the more customers will come.
Iwasu : These are conditions that can be used as an angle for the magazine.
Hayashi : Yes. The more things that are easy for the media to pick up, the better. We were very lucky to be able to do that and were always busy. But then the Lehman Shock hit and things went awry. At the time, I was writing receipts for a certain company almost every day. I was very grateful for that. But then the Lehman Shock happened and I couldn't write receipts for that company anymore. Also, since it was a music bar, we had a lot of customers in the music industry, but as you know, CDs stopped selling, and now I only write receipts for one music company.
Iwasu : Ah, that's your company name. (laughs)
Hayashi-san : Yes (laughs) As expected from someone in the industry (laughs) Then, sales dropped a lot, and I was wondering what to do, and then 3/11 came. At that time, it was fashionable to stay open until the morning while smoking, and that was probably the normal thing to do around here, and we were open until 4am. For example, there were a lot of people who would finish work at 2am, come sober at 2:30am, and open a 10,000 yen bottle. That was the world of "Shall we have some champagne?" in the middle of the night. That all disappeared on 3/11. Naturally, sales dropped a lot, and at that time, my friends around me also started to close their stores.
Hayashi : At that time, Facebook just started letting you create a store page. My customers told me, "You should do that." Actually, I had been selling records online up until then, but I hadn't been using SNS that much. But I thought I had no choice, so I started. That said, all I could write about was wine and records. Whatever I wrote, I didn't get any likes, I didn't get any followers, it was really no good. But when I stopped doing that and started writing about "the troubles of running a restaurant," "how to make money," and love stories, I got a ton of likes, and my followers kept growing.
Iwasu : I'm sure there must have been some kind of trigger for that, like someone sharing it with you somewhere?
Hayashi : The biggest one is Mr. Kato. There is a man named Sadaaki Kato, the president of the company that runs cakes and note ( Piece of Cake Co., Ltd. ), and he has been a regular customer of ours for over a decade. Mr. Kato really likes wine. He is a famous person, so everyone says, "You know, that guy from ' Moshidora '...". But I had never spoken to him (laughs). I think it all started when Mr. Kato followed me on Twitter and shared my work. Because of that, my followers increased, and a company asked me if I would like to publish a book. At the same time, one day, Mr. Kato suddenly asked me, "Would you like to write for cakes?" Even though we hadn't spoken at all (laughs), I said, "Ehhh, are you sure it's okay to have such a professional group writing it?", but he said, "No, no, it's okay. Let's write it." That was the trigger for my followers and likes to increase.
Iwasu : Do you receive any compensation from cakes?
Hayashi : Yes, you get paid according to the number of pageviews. It's completely performance-based. That's why I was betting on cakes at that time. At that time, my sales were very low, so I researched how to get pageviews somehow. How can I get people to read my work? That's what you said earlier about "adapting to the needs of the customer," and that's when I first learned about it (laughs). Until then, I thought I was a young man of literature who wanted to write novels, but it turned out that readers wanted stories about adultery and how to seduce someone (laughs). I tried and tested things like that, and I asked my customers at the store, "Do you cheat?" "How do you seduce someone?" "Can I write this story?" They said it was okay, so I wrote it (laughs). So if I didn't have the idea of "earning pageviews," I wouldn't have written that kind of story.
Iwasu : I see. If it was simply a manuscript fee, things might not be the way they are now!
Hayashi : Yes, that's right. And I probably wouldn't have done it if 3.11 hadn't happened. I actually wanted to do both as a music writer and as a novelist. To be honest, I was also very busy as a music writer for a while. I wrote liner notes for CDs, selected songs, and was always invited to events. Whenever there was a feature on bossa nova music, I would always get orders, but as you know, CDs stopped selling and music magazines started disappearing one after another, so it just felt right.
Iwasu : Has your store's business improved since people started writing about it on Facebook and cakes?
Hayashi-san : The business performance of the shop gradually improved after I started using Facebook. Then I published cakes and my first book, and finally the number of customers increased. I thought, "Oh, I'm glad." I was seriously thinking about quitting the shop. I didn't know what to do, so I did lunch for a while.
Iwasu : I'm fine with just being able to answer, but what is the balance between your income from writing and the store like right now? Also, please tell me how you allocate your time for each. And also... your soul (laughs) What is the balance of your soul like?
Hayashi-san : My soul... (laughs) I really still think about quitting the shop every day, but right now... how long has it been... um... I'd say writing is about 6... and the shop is about 4.
Iwasu : Amazing. You've surpassed that!
Hayashi-san : To be honest, there are some jobs I turn down because I don't have time. Writing jobs. I actually want to focus on writing and not turn them down. I want to do non-fiction and reportage with interviews. But if I have a shop, I don't have time for that, so I want to quit the shop. I've always wanted to do that, but every time I say it, everyone says, "You should definitely not quit the shop" (laughs) including my wife, everyone (laughs) Everyone says, "You're not Haruki Murakami" (laughs)
Iwasu : (laughs)
Opportunities that arise because we have a store
Hayashi-san : And I think that if we have an interview location like today's "shop", it's easier for everyone to use. For example, if we did this interview at a hotel, it would cost money, and I don't think we would have had this conversation. Of course, I wouldn't want to do it at my own home (laughs). It's because we have a place that we can talk about all kinds of things. For example, I do " beauty interviews " at Leon, and that's only possible because we have this place. Also, Iwasu-san came as a customer yesterday, and when that happens, you can really get to know each other before the interview. You're a little drunk, so that's a great opportunity. For example, if we met at a coffee shop, I don't think we would be able to get to know each other right away. The power of alcohol works like magic, and people automatically think, "Hey, Hayashi-san, you're a nice guy" (laughs). That's why I think I'd like to continue the shop (laughs).
Iwasu-san may feel the same way, but our restaurant is a very old restaurant and we can't keep up with the trends anymore. However, we thought about trends during the 3/11 earthquake and the Lehman Shock. We thought that we might attract more customers if we brought in a young chef, served the food on modern wooden or stone plates, and served mostly organic wine. For example, there's Konno-san from "Organ" who appears in this book. I love this chef, and he's traveled to so many different places. He's been to New York and France. I think it would be good to keep up with new things, but it's just impossible now (laughs). Of course, I think a restaurant like this wouldn't be good (laughs).
Iwasu : But that's usually what happens when you work alone.
Hayashi-san : Yes, it will. If you're running it alone, it definitely will. So most people close the business at that point. Or they change their mind and renovate. There's a man called Takagi-san who runs Kashiwa Bistro Bang Bang , which is also mentioned in this book, and he says, "The lifespan of a restaurant is six years."
Iwasu : This person says he will recoup his investment in two to three years.
Hayashi-san : Yes, I certainly think so too.
Iwasu : I'm sure it's especially tough in Tokyo in that regard.
Hayashi-san : Yes, it was written in the book, but Tokyo was too harsh. They would immediately ask, "Are you still doing it that way?" Takagi-san got fed up with it and went to Fukuoka. He would also ask, "Are you still doing organic?" Now the trend is completely towards Japanese wine and sake.
Iwasu : For us who work in regional cities, we don't really understand such trends. Even people from regional areas who come to Tokyo a lot are always catching information and thinking about what they can bring back and apply. However, even if we bring organic wine to Nagoya, customers don't seem to react.
Hayashi-san : I understand. It's difficult.
Media revenue and store opening hours
Iwasu : By the way, is note profitable?
Hayashi : Well, that's true... (laughs) I know that it's kind of weird to say it, but... (laughs) I can tell you the numbers...
Iwasu : Ah, it would be bad to give specific numbers.
Hayashi-san : That's right (laughs). As you know, I run a magazine for 300 yen, and thankfully, a fair number of people read it. But for some reason, the number of subscribers decreases by 10% every month. Apparently that 10% is a well-known figure. At first, I was depressed. I wondered why one in ten people would quit. I wondered if I had written something strange.
Hayashi : But it seems that a 10% dropout rate is normal for subscriptions like that. When I told the president, Mr. Kato, "10% will be gone, right...", he said, "No, that's a small number in the notes, so don't worry about it." So I think it probably wouldn't make a difference if I were to charge 100 yen for my magazine. When I made it free, 7,000 people read it every day, no matter what I wrote. Even if I wrote about really boring music. But those 7,000 people will decrease significantly if it becomes a paid service. But if the dropout rate is really high, it seems that after a year, none of the original members are left. So I said, "I think the dropout rate is low." Even now, the number of subscribers sometimes increases, but still, little by little, it decreases. I think that's the limit now.
Iwasu : But in terms of revenue, it's become a pretty good pillar, right?
Hayashi-san : That's right. It's really helpful. Also, like cakes, I can get paid for my " Beautiful Women Interview " based on the number of pageviews. Sometimes it gets a lot of views and I can make a lot of money, so it's a big deal. The content of the articles is really vulgar, but I really enjoy doing it (laughs).
Iwasu : Are all the women who appear in the film really beautiful?
Hayashi-san : Everyone asks this (laughs). Especially the women, more than the men (laughs). By the way, they are all really beautiful. The income of the writers is like this, and the rest is royalties.
Iwasu : I also write, but to be honest, I'm jealous. In my case, I write scripts for radio, so it's hard to link it with the work at the bar. Of course, I look for material myself, but in the end, it's work that I'm commissioned to do. Sometimes people check the scripts I write on the radio and give me their feedback, like "What did you think of that?", but it's rare. I think it's really amazing that you've mixed your talents together to create something original that only you could do. I think your writing work and your work at the restaurant complement each other. Mr. Hayashi, is there a possibility that you'll adjust the number of days the bar is open in order to have more time to write?
Hayashi-san : Actually, I'm thinking of reducing the number of business days. But before that, I've thought about hiring people many times. For example, I could only make a brief appearance and have two cute girls stand up for me. But when I asked various people what they thought about this, they said, "Well, there are plenty of places like that..." (laughs)
Iwasu : Well, there may be plenty of them in Tokyo, but when you go to the countryside you think, "That's nice" (laughs). But even at my store, there are customers who won't come if I'm not there.
Hayashi-san : That's right. If I said I wouldn't be working from tomorrow, I think everyone would stop coming (laughs). It's my fault for making the store into one that "can't do without me" (laughs).
Iwasu : Then we have no choice but to reduce the number of business days.
Hayashi-san : I also thought about relocating. I would have a very cheap store, and only be open for, say, 10 days a month. I would have a membership system, or one of the subscription services that are popular these days.
Iwasu : But right now, it's exciting to have completely unknown and unintended customers coming, right?
Hayashi-san : That's right. I think the same. In the end, that's the most interesting thing. Of course, it's stressful, but it also gives me the energy to write.
Iwasu : That's right. Me too. This kind of excitement might only be experienced at a restaurant.
Hayashi : Mr. Iwasu, have you ever thought about writing about it on the internet?
Iwasu : I'm running this website, but I'm not doing it to earn a living, but to spread the word about my beloved New Zealand wine. Of course, I need to start making a profit, but I'm not at that stage yet. Also, I've been writing scripts for radio since I was 19, so I've gotten into the habit of writing things that other people ask me to write, so I don't have my own style (laughs).
Hayashi-san : That's what professional writers often say. Even when I say, "How about selling a little bit on note or something?", they say, "I don't know what to write if I write from scratch without being ordered. Please order it, Hayashi-san." (laughs)
Iwasu : I'm currently making money from writing for Nack 5 , bayFM , and Nippon Broadcasting System. The Nack 5 show is in story format, and I start from scratch every time. The main character is a bar owner, and I'm writing a story about the customers who visit, but I really can't write it (laughs).
Hayashi : But if you do it over and over again, you start to get a sense of the pattern and how you should do it, right?
Iwasu : That's true. However, I only do one job a month, so maybe I don't get enough muscle training.
Hayashi-san : Let's do a note (laughs)
Iwasu : But with Note, the manuscript has to be one that allows you to see the writer's face.
Hayashi : That's right. The more you can see, the better. The more you reveal everything and write in detail. Even the embarrassing parts. But the point is that you can't change the price of a magazine on note. I was also very worried at first. I'm trying to restrain myself from raising the price because it's become popular.
Iwasu : I see. But now that I've heard your story, I understand how you feel about what you do, and I want to follow your example and do my best.
Hayashi-san : Thank you (laughs).
The benefits of French wine
Iwasu : Next, let's talk about wine. Bossa is mainly from Europe.
Hayashi-san : 98% of it is French. Actually, my wife chooses the wine. My wife and I used to go to the Academie du Vin together, and she got the qualification, but I gave up halfway through because I thought, "I can't remember this" (laughs). At that time, I wasn't thinking about opening a wine shop. I used to train in a bar, so I can make cocktails. But for example, if four girls come here, they order four different cocktails. They shake them up one by one. But Japanese people wait until everyone is together before toasting, so the first cocktail gets lukewarm. So I thought this wasn't good. If there were two or three bartenders, everyone could shake them up, but I'm the only one in the shop.
Hayashi-san : And, partway through, my wife loved wine, so we changed the focus to wine. It was just before the wine boom, so the timing was good. One reason we focused on France is that both my wife and I love France. The other main reason is that it's easier to keep the unit price down by sticking to French wines. When we first opened, cheap Chilean wines were just becoming popular, but there's an image that French wines are expensive, so we've continued with the same style.
Iwasu : It's true that there is still an image that there is no cheap wine in France.
Hayashi-san : You could say that people just assumed that. Nowadays, everyone knows that California is expensive, but back then, everyone just assumed that California and Chile were cheap. Well, they actually were cheap.
Iwasu : Back then, only cheap things were selling.
Hayashi-san : So, I felt like people would be a little put off if we were to charge high prices for non-French wines. So I thought, why not just stick to French wines? That's how I've continued.
Iwasu : Also, if you only do France, you can talk about France with people who love France. There are also designated local specialties.
Hayashi-san : Yes, it's easy. To be honest, France is the easiest.
Iwasu : Yesterday, I went to a New Zealand wine store in Ginza called Cheese & Wine Salon Murase , and it was really niche.
Hayashi -san : I see. If you want to do a New Zealand restaurant in Ginza, you have to be really maniacal. I guess it's a restaurant that brings in important New Zealanders, right? So you have to be really maniacal.
Iwasu : It was about 3,000 yen per cup. Of course, there were some for 1,500 yen too.
Hayashi-san : Of course, it's Ginza, so everyone is okay with that. It's the magic of Ginza. Well, the rent is expensive, so it can't be helped.
Iwasu : I think it's amazing what they're able to do there.
Hayashi-san : No, that place is really different. Only people who are doing well are there. For example, even if the companies that we used to write off as expenses no longer come, there are people from Google and Apple (laughs).
Iwasu : It means that Ginza's brand as a place to have fun or to pay a lot of money will not change.
Hayashi-san : Of course, I think there has been a change in that people like that no longer choose clubs as a place to hang out. But there are still wine lovers. If you specialize in wine, you probably won't go hungry compared to cocktails. And foreigners do love wine after all. When they come, they say it's really cheap. I heard that in Europe, a glass is usually around 1,500 yen. So when I tell them that a glass of Burgundy Rouge is 1,100 yen and a glass of Champagne is 1,050 yen, they say, "Wow, that's cheap!" and keep coming back.
The charm of New Zealand wine
Iwasu : Finally, since this is a New Zealand wine site, let me talk about NZ wine. What is your impression of NZ wine?
Hayashi-san : Well, first of all, it's high quality. And the most important thing is that no matter what you buy, you can't go wrong. I haven't actually had a single NZ that went wrong yet. It's strange, though.
Iwasu : It's quite expensive, and there's nothing super cheap. It's not expensive compared to France, but it's a bit more expensive than Chile. However, it might be a good deal compared to a Pinot in the same price range in France.
Hayashi : Yes, there are a lot of Burgundy Rouges that are not tasty, but I have never been disappointed with a New Zealand Pinot. I don't know why, but it's the most reassuring thing (laughs). Kato from cakes also wrote on note that "If you're going to buy it, you should buy New Zealand." If you don't know anything, it's best to buy New Zealand. I really think so too.
Iwasu : Do you think New Zealand wine is "normally sold" in Tokyo? In Nagoya, it's not sold very often. Even if you go to a supermarket that sells it, you can only get three bottles. There are hardly any stores that sell it in the first place.
Hayashi-san : When we buy wine, we imagine the basement of a department store. I think there are about 12 to 13 bottles of New Zealand wine in the basement of a department store. When people say "I'm going to buy wine," they probably imagine the basement of a department store. Like the basement of Kinokuniya or Tokyu.
Iwasu : I don't know where wine stores are in Tokyo, and when I search "wine store" on Google, all that comes up is Enoteca. But Enoteca and SILENI in New Zealand are limited (laughs). Yes, department stores. But there aren't many in Nagoya department stores...
Hayashi-san : When I think of my hometown Tokushima, I think of France. But when I buy wine in Tokyo, I think of the basement of a department store, so I can say, "In that case, you'd be better off choosing from New Zealand." In Burgundy, you don't know which one to choose, and in Italy, the quality is really high and I don't know. In Australia, it's difficult to choose Shiraz, and the hurdles are high. When you think about that, New Zealand is the best. In Tokyo, I think of buying wine and taking it to someone's house and having a party there. So, people ask me, "What should I do in that case?" When they're deciding whether to buy Champagne, Crémant, or bio, I say, "In that case, New Zealand is the best." There's no overlap with New Zealand.
Iwasu : These words support what I wrote on my blog the other day! The first thing that comes to mind is champagne, but I think it would be nice to have New Zealand as an option.
Hayashi-san : For example, champagne is expensive, it's the same as other brands, and it's a bit unfashionable. Like Moet & Chandon. But New Zealand wine is not so widely available, it's hard to beat, and it's really good. I really recommend New Zealand wine.
Iwasu : Thank you, Hayashi-san!
Editor's Note
Hayashi is a unique individual with his original combination of being a bar owner and writer.
As someone who has been in the customer service industry for a long time, he spoke in a very gentle manner.
However, we also got a glimpse of his keen perspective on today's world, including his thoughts on local trends and restaurants.
I felt that the antennae that have grown from operating a shop in Shibuya, the epicenter of Japanese fashion trends, and the ability to disseminate information that has been picked up by that antennae are what are unique to Hayashi.
Even during this COVID-19 pandemic, Hayashi-san continues to share his thoughts on note and cakes, and answer questions from his readers. Even though he's not running a restaurant, he's still communicating with his readers, his customers. I think this is amazing. I believe that restaurants are communication spaces, and I think Hayashi-san's style is the ultimate evolution of that.
This interview was in the form of a dialogue, and Hayashi proved to be a good listener.
Iwasu, who usually stands at the counter and listens to customers, was able to talk to him without pretense or hesitation. He also seemed to be very inspired by Hayashi's "ability to communicate."
"I can't drink alcohol anymore," says Hayashi, "I should probably quit the bar."
However, the new book , "Why do customers flock to that restaurant?" , states the following:
"Running a restaurant is definitely fun. Everyone says, 'Running a restaurant is hard work, but it's fun.'
I hope that after you finish reading this book, you'll think, "Okay, I want to open a restaurant too!"--From the article
In this day and age when working styles are becoming more diverse, Hayashi is attracting attention for his style that makes use of the combination of his skills as a bar master and author, but above all, I felt that Hayashi himself is a supporter of people who are thinking about starting a restaurant.
This book is full of lots of useful tips, so be sure to read it!
▶ Why do customers flock to that restaurant? (Amazon)
And I encourage everyone to try and venture deeper into Shibuya.
Bar bossa is here.
▶ This is what bar bossa is like (note)
Thank you, Hayashi-san, for this wonderful opportunity!
