Nishiasahi's dream is to bridge East and West for mutual benefit.

My name is Dai Kato, I am the fifth generation of Kato family, who owns of the most traditional coffee shops "Nishiasahi", in Nagoya, Japan for 84 years. Two years ago, I took over my family's historical coffee shop business from my father. I had the dream to add a hostel on the second floor of Endoji shop and we manifested this dream two years ago with new franchise owner.  Because of this addition, we are able to invite guests from all over the world to introduce the historic center of Samurai town of Nagoya. After the westernization,  many Japanese people lost their interest in own traditions. But I have been a strong advocate to revive and preserve Japan spirit. As I have been living in both in Japan and the U.S., I recognize the value of Nishiasahi and neighborhood around the castle are really precious. I have been active to preserve those historic buildings and community in the Endoji Shopping Arcade and Shike-mich area.

 

Two yeas ago, my father retired from running the Nishiasahi coffee shop after 50 years of the operation. During his management time, he gained strong application from customers and media. He created Nishiasahi's reputation as "Legendary Coffee Shop". People liked Nishiasahi's taste of coffee, authentic hospitality, and originality such as "Tamago Sand, the Famous Egg Sandwich"  I decided to continue this tradition and started a new chapter of the business as "Nishiasahi" franchise headquarters. The current Endoji shop has the first franchise owner who would like to continuously use "Nishiasahi" for the coffee shop at the same location. We are still developing franchise model to integrate tradition and creation at newly renovated "Nishiasahi".  I would like to transmit not only menu and operation but also authenticity and historic tradition to franchise shops. Nishiasahi has been creating a network and holding a community around the coffee shop. That is the essence of Nishiasahi.

 

I was born in Meijo hospital right next to Nagoya Castle and my family owned one of the oldest famous coffee shop "Nishisashi" in Nagoya's historic neighborhood. When I was little, my family owned more than seven shops and restaurants. We even had a few dormitory buildings for our employees and creating our community. Past 60 years, Japan adopted a Western style of commercial land development and expanding suburbs on the outskirt of a metropolitan area. They built a "New Town" and pushed business center out from old town to those new development areas. Some of my friends took over their family business and changed into corporate style with centralized kitchen and standardization of the operation. But my father refused to adopt a corporate style of expansion and kept the authentic atmosphere at Nishiasahi. Ironically, so many customers and media attracted by Nishiasahi because of the authenticity and originality, which cannot produce by standardized "cookie-cutter" shops. I have been living in both Japan and the U.S past more than ten years but I am excited to continue Nishiasahi's tradition wherever I live in this world.

 

Bio: Dai Kato, MA is a researcher, practitioner, and a founder of the SMART therapy. Currently, he has a private psychotherapy practice in Boulder, Colorado. About 14 years ago, he started working at a psychiatric transitional facility in Tokyo, Japan as a residential caregiver. He was a sole caregiver at this halfway house and lived with 5 clients who were right out from psychiatric hospitals. All of his clients were diagnosed as either Schizophrenia, Autism, or Intellectual Development Disorders. He observed many relationship conflicts at the facility and found that relationship conflict stems from their internal conflict. He developed this theory and found the interconnection not only between our internal conflict and relationship conflict but also conflict extended group and organizational conflict. He first awarded his year-long grant to organize monthly workshops to facilitate dialogues among with medical doctors, nurses, therapists, caregivers, patients, and families. After moving to Colorado in 2006,  he was a researcher at CU-Boulder Communication Department and presenting the connection between intra-personal and relationship conflict for dispute resolution at American Bar Association and other national conferences. Last year, he received The Winkler Family Scholarship at Denver Family Institute and improved SMART program. He is a registered psychotherapist and earning Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist credential in Colorado. He is originally from Japan and started his Zen meditation practice at age of seven at Eiheiji Head Monastery. He attended Japanese Private Christian school for ten years.    Website:  daikato.wixsite.com/boulderfamilyinst