Welcome to DOMO!

Everyone calls us DOMO in a friendly way, but the full name of the restaurant is “DOMO Japanese Country Foods Restaurant”. When brainstorming for the name of the restaurant, some suggested that a combination of words “Japanese” and “Country” would make customers think of the Nation of Japan, but in this case the word “Country” means countryside or rural. If the restaurant were to be named in Japanese and translated into English, it would probably be “Taishu Shokudo DOMO”, an eatery for commoners. While the word “DOMO” in Japanese is a versatile word with different meanings, it’s often used to express one’s sense of gratitude.
 
Let me explain about the concept of “Taishu Shokudo”.
 
I was born in a city in countryside in the Tohoku region of Japan in 1950, and during my youth, the main means of long-distance traveling was by those smoke-belching trains. At almost every local train station in rural areas, you could easily find a small eatery or two for travelers and locals where they could eat comfort food and local specialties at reasonable prices. More like pubs in England, these eateries in countryside in Japan were favorite places for both locals and travelers to enjoy comfort foods, alcoholic drinks and to socialize.
 
These eateries are called generally “taishu shokudo” where the words “taishu” means roughly “ordinary people” and “shokudo” an “eatery”. From my memories, the interiors of these eateries weren’t particularly fancy; and the dishes and glasses, with which foods & drinks were served, were often inconsistent (and it was not unusual to see dishes and bowls with some dull-but-chipped-off edges).  Moreover, it was not unusual either to find sturdy, plastic or wooden liquor delivery cases to be used as chairs and tables, and when during busy times, the owner-chefs of these eateries would just call out from the kitchen, “Hey, it’s ready.” for customers to act as waiters.
 
After sundown, slightly buzzed customers often sung together local folk songs with some customers dancing, and eateries became izakaya at night.  (Izakaya in Japan, back then and today, are casual places for after-work drinking, similar to a pub, a Spanish tapas bar, or an American saloon or tavern.) It was common to see regular local customers to be told by the owner-chef at such eateries, “Look, your wife is here to bring you home.” before each customer went home with his wife while awkwardly pushing his bicycle along because they were often too drunk to ride it back home.
 
Titles like “restaurant” as we know it today did not exist in towns in rural areas back then, and the concept of restaurant was of such a “new style” and it was the envy of big cities, and restaurants in Japan back then were not somewhere ordinary people could easily enter. “Taishu Shokudo” and “Izakaya” still exist in Japan today, but it is unfortunate that the name “Izakaya” is in the name only in the U.S. while the word is used to evoke an image of luxury in the United States.
 
While DOMO has received numerous awards thanks to the support from many customers, DOMO is by no means a fancy, high-end restaurant. After all, DOMO remains to be a “Taishu Shokudo, an eatery for commoners.” Having seen high scores & high reviews that DOMO has received from various media outlets, some customers seem to imagine DOMO to be a high-end, fancy restaurant be-fore coming to DOMO for the first time, only to be disappointed when it differs from their expectations.
 
However, as the owner & head chef of DOMO, I am rather an old school business owner who cannot keep up with the current high-end, fancy trend-driven Japanese food restaurant market, and DOMO has been thriving not because we boast to be a high-end, fancy restaurant, but more because of warm understanding of our customers who appreciate unique dining experience DOMO has to offer.
 
With the above said, I have a favor to ask of our valued customers.
 
・DOMO uses a variety of ingredients and combines them to prepare DOMO’s unique menu choices. Please be advised that we are NOT able to change any of the recipes to accommodate individual customers’ food restrictions for allergies or dietary preferences.
 
・Please be considerate of other customers when taking photos of yourself or of a group photo among yourselves inside DOMO and/or while on the premises.
 
・When the outside temperature drops, we will close the partition between the inside dining area and the Garden area, but even when the heating is on, we will open the partition once every 30 minutes or so to let in & circulate fresh air. Customers visiting DO-MO are highly advised to bring a jacket, a knee blanket or something to stay warm and cozy while dining.
 
・You are free to visit the Musubido in the Garden (toward the left after exiting into the Garden) and the Museum (to the right after exiting into the Garden). If you are with your child/children, please be sure to bring your child/children with you when visiting these points of interest.
 
・DOMO is open for walk-in customers only, and DOMO does not take any reservations. During busy hours, it’s not unusual for a wait time to exceed 30 minutes. Immediate seating is often available after 2:00PM for late lunch and before 5:00PM for early dinner.
 
・DOMO is open from 11:00AM until 7:00PM on Tuesdays ~ Sundays.  DOMO is closed on Mondays.
 
We appreciate your understanding and continued patronage.
 
Gaku Homma
Owner & Head Chef, DOMO