You'll notice some comments on my post on Hogetsu Bakery from back in 2005. Apparently, "FOY" Junichi found out that the folks from Hogetsu were set to retire! Oh my.....Jenne then chimed in with what she knew (it's so great to hear from you!). Based on this, I decided to head on down to Chula Vista.....man, I hadn't been in the area since 2019 and to Hogetsu since January of that year! Yikes!
I parked an walked on in. Things seemed like business as usual with Mrs Takeda at the front counter.
She looked at me and said "it's been a very long time, huh?" Yes, after all these years the Takeda's still don't know my name.....but they know me as the "kimishigure" guy, since that's the Missus's favorite and also, because of this thing I wrote back in 2011.
After placing my order; I broached the question......both Takeda's seemed surprised that I would even know about the possibility of their retirement. I told them that Hogetsu is much beloved (which earned a waved and "uugh" from Mrs Takeda) and that word spread fast. So, upon hearing this I drove on down to see them.
They explained to me that it was time; but that they are training two people. Also, that the target date for the retirement is January of 2022. By this time, customers were coming in and I didn't want to interrupt the flow of business. So, I'll return in a few weeks and let folks know if their is an update.
I have mixed feelings about the possibility of retirement for the Takeda's. As far as I'm concerned, they are a San Diego institution. But I also know that it would great for them to finally get a break and enjoy life. They've been mentioning retirement to me over the last couple of visits and also the physical limitations of getting on in years. I'm hoping they get a well deserved time to enjoy life.
And it looks like we've got some time to have our wonderful wagashi and let the Takeda's know how much we appreciate them.
There was one burning question that I did ask before I left.....you see, as of say 2018 the Takeda's still didn't own a home computer or laptop. So I asked if they have one now or plan to get one upon retiring. Mrs Takeda laughed and waved me off; "no, of course not......we haven't had one all these years and have been fine. And, I'm too old to learn those kind of things."
Ah yes...….some things will never change!
Hogetsu Bakery
1210 3rd Ave.
Chula Vista, CA 91911
Current Hours:
Wed - Sat 10am - 5pm
Thank you for the update. It's good to know that their target date is a few months away so I will make sure to trek down to their shop a few times. It has been quite a while since I've been there, and I've always enjoyed their mochi even if I wasn't sure what it was.
Posted by: Sandy | Sunday, 28 February 2021 at 08:35 PM
glad you will be able to enjoy their treats a little longer.
Posted by: kat | Monday, 01 March 2021 at 02:29 AM
I'm going to drop by again in a few weeks to see if there's any additional news Sandy. But it does look like we've got a few months to enjoy.
I am too Kat!
Posted by: Kirk | Monday, 01 March 2021 at 05:55 AM
Nice looking bakery.
Posted by: Soo | Monday, 01 March 2021 at 09:34 AM
Hooray, glad to hear we still have some time left. Thanks for sleuthing it out!
I actually stopped by this weekend as well and chatted with Mrs. Takeda but I didn't ask about the retirement, we mostly talked about sakuramochi :)
FYI they don't normally have them but you can order in advance--he's going to make me some for this weekend so call if you want some too!
(And it's great to get back in touch with you as well, Kirk! It's been a weird year and I've been kind of MIA from blogging, but Miko and I have a new project--we'd love any suggestions you have...)
https://convoyconquest.com/2021/02/01/new-project-where-in-the-world-can-we-eat-in-san-diego/
Posted by: Jenne | Monday, 01 March 2021 at 09:38 AM
A San Diego institution Soo!
That's good to know Jenne; I bascially just buy what the Missus tells me! ;o) I've read about you new project which sounds fun.....I do think that when you get to the tougher "letters" you might want to think about "regions/cities" as in 'X' is for "Xi'an". Have fun! It's great to hear from you as always.
Posted by: Kirk | Monday, 01 March 2021 at 12:05 PM
My brother goes in every few weeks and heard about their retirement. We've been going since we were little (something like 35 years now).
Posted by: Junichi | Monday, 01 March 2021 at 01:27 PM
Great article. Glad to hear that there are people who want to carry on the business. BTW, despite Mrs. Takeda's refusal to use a computer, there is a website up for the place. The new people?
http://hogetsubakery.top-cafes.com/
Posted by: alnc | Monday, 01 March 2021 at 03:06 PM
Been going to Hogetsu from when I heard of them back in 1999 - before we moved to San Diego Junichi!
That's funny Alnc! I'm going to mention that to Mrs Takeda next time I visit. I did notice that all the "comments" are from 2021....
Posted by: Kirk | Monday, 01 March 2021 at 05:04 PM
I think the last time I went there was years ago when I ran into you Kirk. The owners were a bit reserved when I came in, but after they saw me talking to you, they warmed up quite a bit. It was definitely a nice place to have when I lived there. Sad to hear they are retiring, but just means we're all getting older. Wishing them the best in their next step in life.
Posted by: sawyer | Tuesday, 02 March 2021 at 11:51 AM
Wow Sawyer...man, that was quite a while ago! Yes, we're all getting older.....time stops for no one.
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 02 March 2021 at 02:23 PM
Glad to hear of this update Kirk. Sad to know they will be retiring but hopefully good to know their business will continue. I just hope the quality is just as good.
I hadn't been there in person since the uproar last summer where someone online said they were going to go out of business!!! The lines were super long and it was kind of funny but sad because the owners (who don't have internet or computers) didn't even know about this and were wondering why they were selling out within hours each day after that social media post.
I felt bad for Mr. Takeda because he was cranking out their mochi and it was only the plain kind. The folks in line didn't know what they were missing. Many of their offerings are time consuming to make with various designs, color tints, and in some cases, fillings or powders. I wish them the best in their retirement. They are indeed a legendary South Bay institution.
Posted by: caninecologne | Monday, 15 March 2021 at 05:26 PM
The Takeda's have looked ready to retire for a while now CC, so hopefully all will work out well.
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 16 March 2021 at 05:49 AM