Long Reign Rice Miyori Takano ’10 takes a look at Tama’s top lunch spot and student favorite.
Whether it’s a highschooler using their senior privileges to go out for lunch or students grabbing a quick bite to eat before a sports fixture or concert, Sankichi—or as students refer to it, the chahan spot—has been the go-to local restaurant for ASIJers for the past 18 years. Established some 30 years ago, Sankichi was originally known as a popular bento spot for locals living in the Tama area. However, for ASIJ students, it’s the large, steaming bowls of fragrant fried rice that keep them coming back for more. The name Sankichi is a play on words based on the kanji used for the name of the name of the original owner, Mitsuyoshi—affectionately known by the current staff as ojisan. Originally located across from the entrance of Tama station, Sankichi moved to a bigger location across the tracks in January 2018. Their new location boasts additional seating that allows customers to eat in instead of either hurriedly scarfing down their meals at rickety outdoor tables or carrying their chahan back to school. The new owner and chef, Kazunori Nishiwaki, continues to dish up all the old chahan favorites to his ASIJ customers. “We changed our offerings when we moved because the original menu was too large, but when people ask for things that we use to serve, we just make it,” he explains when asked if there’s a secret menu for Sankichi regulars. Prior to Sankichi, ASIJ students used to frequent North River, a burger-and-fries spot that closed down many years ago. With their usual spot no longer available, it seems like Sankichi has done a wonderful job of stepping in and keeping our hungry students satisfied. Having started working there as a high school student, Nishiwaki has now been at Sankichi for over 10 years. He recently became the owner after they switched locations in January. Despite the move, the change in ownership and the revamped
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THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN
menu, Sankichi remains an ASIJ community staple after nearly two decades. These days, students are greeted by the warm wood in the front-of-shop bar seating and just four tables in the back, which makes the busier eatin hours quite cozy. After ordering your chahan dish, it only takes a couple of minutes for Nishiwaki to cook your order. Even in that short time, the sizzle of the oil hitting the wok, the clang of the metal ladle tossing the ingredients and the smell of cooking from the open kitchen cause your mouth to water. Nishiwaki notes that the chicken chahan is one of Sankichi’s most popular dishes for ASIJ students and alumni alike. “They don’t really eat the pork though, I wonder why? Is it a cultural thing? They always order chicken or beef. There’s also a few who don’t eat meat at all.” Nishiwaki himself prefers the beef chahan, laughing as he admits that he’s not a huge fan of chicken. When asked why they served chahan and not other popular dishes like ramen, he chuckles and responds, “Well it’s Chinese cuisine, but ramen is a different type of cooking. I can make chahan...it’s something I’ve been making for a while.” His secret to delicious fried rice? Lots of practice and experience making this staple dish. As a local restaurateur, Nishiwaki only speaks Japanese, which can be a bit of a challenge for our students who are still learning the language. The language barrier hasn’t deterred Nishiwaki’s enthusiasm. He has happily made chahan for many ASIJ students throughout the years. In his decade of experience at Sankichi, Nishiwaki notes that while the students change, the patience and friendly demeanor and attitudes of the ASIJ students has not. While he may not remember the students’ names, Nishiwaki remembers ASIJ students by their faces and their orders. He recalls that even when students call in ahead of time to order chahan, he can usually guess who it is based on what they
