3May I have a Babahera Ice Cream, Please!

What kind of customers buy babahera ice cream? Today, I’m finding out all about it. I’m with Emiko Funabashi to see her in action as she sells babahera ice cream at Unosaki Beach in Oga. As I chat with her, the first customer of the day appears.

EMIKO

Good morning!

YABUKI

Hi! Where have you come from today?

Customer

From Iwate.

YABUKI

Have you tried this ice cream before?

Customer

No, I haven’t!

YABUKI

Oh! It’s your first babahera then. Did you know what babahera is?

Customer

Yeah.

EMIKO

Everyone knows I think! Are you fishing today?

Customer

Yes. That’s right. I arrived in Akita yesterday. I’m staying in Akita City. I come here every year.

YABUKI

What fish do you catch round here?

Customer

I came to Akita to fish for masu salmon but I haven’t been able to catch anything. Today, I’m hoping to catch something in the sea at Oga.

EMIKO

It’s peak fishing season at the moment.

YABUKI

Look at that! You’ve made a rose! Beautiful……. This is called a “baramori” you know. Did you know that?

Customer

Wow! I see!

EMIKO

I’ve specially put a lot for you. Because it’s your first one! Thank you very much. That’ll be 200 yen please!

YABUKI

Your first babahera! How is it?

Customer

It’s delicious! Really refreshing.

EMIKO

Thank you very much!

(Another customer arrives)

Customer

Morning!

YABUKI

A regular of yours?

EMIKO

That’s right. He often has a treat for me as well.

YABUKI

Do you buy ice cream here every week?

EMIKO

Every week as the weather gets hotter, right?

Customer

Yep, I’m one of the early ones. I clean the toilets here at the beach.

YABUKI

I see! That’s hard work.

Customer

Now then! You should have one yourselves! Let me get you one!

YABUKI

What! Us!? Thank you! That’s kind of you! There’s nothing better than eating an ice cream with a view like this!

EMIKO

Right.

YABUKI

It’s nice to have such a good rapport with your regular customers, isn’t it?

EMIKO

Yep. They get to know me because I’m always here. He gave me a fish last time. It was very tasty!

Customer

See you next time!

YABUKI

Thank you for the ice cream!

(A customer drives up in a car)

Customer

Good morning!

EMIKO

Good morning! We saw what the time was and thought we should drop by.

YABUKI

Is this also a regular customer of yours!? Amazing! It’s like people are clocking in!

(Emiko-san speaks to the elderly gentleman in the passenger seat)

EMIKO

Hi there! Good morning!

YABUKI

Do you eat this ice cream regularly, sir?

Customer

You bet! I’ve been eating it for decades! I wouldn’t buy anything else. I have it once a week!!

YABUKI

May I ask you how old you are?

Customer

I’m 90 already!

YABUKI

What! You look so healthy!

Customer

(In a loud voice) Yep, I’m on top form and my voice is strong as well!
(Sings) Aiyasaaaa!

YABUKI

Eh! He’s started to sing!!

EMIKO

His wife is in hospital, so he drops by every week on the way to visit her.

YABUKI

You’ve got plenty of admirers then! Look, it’s another customer. A Yamagata numberplate.

EMIKO

Hi, how are you doing today?

Customer

Five ice creams, please!!

YABUKI

Are you on holiday? Where are you from?

Customer

We’re from Higashine in Yamagata.

YABUKI

Have you tried this ice cream before?

Customer

Yeah. We looked and looked for a babahera ice cream, so here we found one! There was a roadside station back there, but you have to go inside the building. It seemed a bit dull and not the right atmosphere.

YABUKI

It’s better just to have something right next to the road, isn’t it?

Customer

Wow, that’s pretty!

EMIKO

Were you staying in Oga yesterday?

Customer

Yes. (He turns to the passengers in the car) Everyone, you can get out!

EMIKO

So, here are your first two. Please.

Customer

Wow! Thank you very much! It looks delicious! That hits the spot!

YABUKI

Do you have ice cream like this in Yamagata?

Customer

No, we don’t! It’s so tasty and refreshing. Really pretty as well!

YABUKI

Where are you heading today?

Customer

We’re on our way back. We’ve been to have a look at Godzilla Rock [a landmark in Oga]. We come to visit Oga every year.

EMIKO

Really? Thank you very much! It’s nice to have seen you! I’ll be here waiting for you next year.

Customer

Thank you! That was delicious!

YABUKI

When you’re having a good chat like that, you don’t really want to stop do you?

EMIKO

Yes. I sometimes wonder what people who came last year are up to now or whether they’re going to come again this year.

YABUKI

Yes and I guess they’re thinking “I wonder if we’ll see the same old lady there again this time?”

EMIKO

That’s right.

With Emiko-san now busy as the customers kept arriving, I decided I wanted to know how the other ladies were getting elsewhere in the area. I went to see Tsutae Kato who had set up her stall by the tourist road known as the Namahage Line, also in Oga.

YABUKI

Good to see you! How is it going?

TSUTAE

It’s starting to pick up, thank you.

YABUKI

It’s hot here!

TSUTAE

Yes, there’s hardly any shade. I’ve got a parasol so it’s still quite nice, but when it’s as hot as it is today, the heat reflected off the tarmac makes it uncomfortable to sit down. So I have to stay standing.

YABUKI

So much about this job depends on the weather doesn’t it?

TSUTAE

It’s even worse when it rains. If it starts raining during the day, nobody is picking me up so I’m stuck here. It’s really frightening if it starts thundering! That’s the scariest thing. That’s when I’m scared about having this parasol.

YABUKI

I see. Oh look! A sightseeing bus is here! Look! Another car as well! That’s an added bonus! I hope Tsutae-san can handle it…

YABUKI

Hi there, are you visiting here from outside the prefecture?

Customer

Yes we’re from Iwate.

YABUKI

It’s lovely to have so many visitors from far away!

TSUTAE

That’s right!

Customer

We don’t have any ice cream like this in Iwate. It’s so hot today, this is just what we need!

YABUKI

Tsutae-san, you’re so skillful! You’ve done so many already and we still need another 10! They just keep coming!

Customer

You’ve got to make a living, right? (laughs). I hope your arm doesn’t get too sore!

(Tsutae-san makes another 10 ice creams)

TSUTAE

There you go. Thank you.

Customer

Thank you very much!

YABUKI

It’s hard work when they all come at once like that! Exciting!

TSUTAE

You’re right. As soon as one car pulls up, they all start coming don’t they! But if no-one stopped, they’d all just drive straight through. So I’m thankful that they stop by like this. You don’t normally get that many people all at once like that!

YABUKI

Ah, that was good wasn’t it? If it was me, I’d feel I had to apologize to the ice cream seller for bringing so many people like that.

TSUTAE

If you chat to them while you’re serving, they’re happy to wait. I might say something like, “We’re only just getting started…” The customers soon adapt.

YABUKI

It’s all about communication isn’t it?

TSUTAE

That’s right. Before, people were happy just to have their ice cream scooped onto the cone. Recently, however, they’ve all been asking for baramori. If lots of people turn up like just now, and the first one says, “Can I have a baramori, please?” then they all want one! (laughs).

YABUKI

It’s like getting an upgrade to a regular ice cream serving isn’t it? Tsutae-san, I think you’ve still got plenty of work to do today so I’ll leave you to it. Best of luck! Thank you very much!

TSUTAE

Thank you!

I’m so impressed by the skill of the ice cream ladies and their fun interactions with the customers. Having seen them in action, I wanted to try doing this myself. I asked Chigama-san if he would let me have a go at making a baramori!

④ Challenge! Baramori