Community Highlights: Meet Koji Tamura of Osaka’s

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Koji Tamura.

Koji, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Koji Tamura arrived in Los Angeles to study at Doshisha University in Kyoto exactly 52 years ago. He was majoring in electronic engineering.

One day, his classmates suggested, “Let’s have a party on Friday night. Since I was the only Japanese person, they asked me to prepare some Japanese food.” The only dish I knew how to make was okonomiyaki, a traditional Japanese dish (by the way, it originated in Osaka). Everyone loved it at the party, and it sparked my dream to one day return to America and open an okonomiyaki restaurant.

After graduation, despite lacking knowledge of restaurant management, I joined Motorola and spent nine years as an expatriate in Germany and the United States. Later, I worked for many years at Sysmex, a partially listed company in Kobe that manufactures medical diagnostics equipment.

I boosted the company’s sales from $300 million to $3,000 million, and by the time I retired as an executive, I had over two thousand subordinates worldwide. I retired from my executive position at the age of 66 and moved to Boulder two months later, with the intention of starting preparations and opening a restaurant one year later.

Why Boulder? The professional women’s athletics team, which was sponsored by Sysmex and which I was managing, included Mizuki Noguchi, the gold medalist in the women’s marathon at the Athens Olympics 2004. She aimed to participate in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics and began training in Boulder ten years ago by purchasing a house.

My daughter, Tomoko, had a connection with her as she had supported Mizuki as an athletic trainer in Japan. When Tomoko expressed her desire to further her studies, she consulted the hospital director where she worked, who recommended studying Rolfing, a form of structural integration expected to spread in Japan at a school in America.

(The only Rolfing school in the world is located in Boulder). When Tomoko decided to study abroad, and I informed Mizuki, she was so surprised. It turned out she had just bought a house in Boulder for the Rio Olympics. The distance from the house to the school was just over 10 minutes. They both arrived in America only a week apart. Consequently, they ended up living together, and my wife and I found ourselves in Boulder for the first time.

I noticed at that time that Boulder was a city with a strong emphasis on health, a keen interest in food, and a large number of sports enthusiasts. Thus, I became intrigued by the idea of opening my first restaurant here. One year later, Mizuki decided not to compete in the Rio Olympics and chose to retire.

At that time, Mizuki suggested that Tomoko and I could live together in her house and start a restaurant in Boulder. This felt like a divine calling to me, and I decided to open Osaka’s here in Boulder. I feel there was a special and serendipitous attraction between “me” and “Boulder,” and coming here feels like following destiny. Everything—the place, the timing—feels orchestrated by some greater force. And now, the restaurant is thriving as an okonomiyaki restaurant, and I hope to expand it further throughout the United States from this location.

We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Having spent my entire career in a completely different industry until I was 66, I had no idea how to run a restaurant in the US. My wife, Mari, was incredibly helpful. Before we moved to Boulder, she spent nearly two years in Kobe, opening a small fast-food restaurant to develop our menu and find staff.

Our main dish, Okonomiyaki, is not very familiar to people in the US, particularly in Colorado, where there aren’t many Asians, including Japanese. Initially, it took time for local customers to get to know and accept our cuisine.

As you know, we’re big fans of Osaka’s. What can you tell our readers who might not be as familiar with the brand?
Okonomiyaki is one of the most popular foods in Japan, just like ramen. Here in the US, ramen has become a widely beloved Japanese dish, with ramen restaurants found almost everywhere.

We’ve also given our original Okonomiyaki an American twist, creating the Osaka Burger. Thanks to our customers’ support, the Osaka Burger was selected as the 19th best burger around 100 in the US for 2023. We are confident in promoting Okonomiyaki.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Why are we so successful in our business? Fundamentally, boils down to these key factors.

Food quality: We have five original Japanese kitchen staff who prepare authentic, high-quality dishes.

Service: Our team of four Japanese and local staff are well-trained in Japanese omotenashi (hospitality), ensuring that you feel as if you were dining in Japan.

Atmosphere: This is my top priority, so I visit tables and chat with customers to ensure a welcoming environment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://osakasrestaurant.com
• Instagram: @eatosakas
• Facebook: @eatosakas

Image Credits
Koji Tamura