Chizu Town
Akiko Teratani

Mitakien is a restaurant that takes advantage of the natural scenery of mountains and fields in Chizu.
The heartfelt country cuisine and excellent hospitality have earned it a reputation that has even been featured in the Michelin Guide.

Carrying on memories of the land with a spirit of hospitality.

The former town mayor Seiichiro Teratani started the restaurant “Mitakien,” which serves wild vegetables and country cuisine, and it has been about 30 years since his wife, Setsuko, took charge of it when he was assumed the town mayor. Since 2017, their eldest daughter Akiko has been supporting as the “young prorietress,” this place where Setsuko has cultivated so richly that the rumors became known to the Michelin Guide.
“This place, Ashizu, is an important place for me. I may have been more drawn to this place after getting married and leaving this place. After going away from here, when I realized how much Mitakien was loved by customers, I thought, “I want to preserve Mitakien,” she says.
She felt in her mother’s role as a landlady was “the power of working hard.” She says, “As my father often says, if my mother had not led Mitakien with such strictness, it would have disappeared long ago.”
In response to her daughter’s words, Setsuko remains modest and says, “I’ve just been thinking about how we can repay the customers who pay us.” “The people of Chizu are bright and strong, able to do anything, including work in the mountains, rivers, and sewing. When I was young, I was surprised to see such people, and I admired them and thought, “Wow...Is this what it means to live?”
And then, Akiko, who is now about to take the baton from Setsuko, says, “Perhaps it doesn’t have to be limited to local people who will be able to pass on the wisdom that has been passed down here to the future.” It is true that Mitakien already has staff working not only from outside the prefecture but also from Asia, and the number of visitors from overseas has increased significantly. And the online shop that Akiko focused on during the coronavirus pandemic has received orders from people all over the country who want to taste that taste again, and the taste of Mitakien is being delivered all over the country. The wisdom of Chizu is beginning to spread widely as a wisdom that Japan should be proud of.
“By continuing Mitakien, we want to preserve what has continued in Ashizu and Chizu. I want to grow together with them, so that we can pass on the memories of people who lived with the land through food and hospitality. I want to continue working on it.”

Interviewed in January, 2024
Writer : Mikiko Tamaki / Photographer : Kenta Sasaki