Since 1955, Udon Grandpa has been a family-run noodle-making business in a small town in Hokkaido, passed down through generations. Along with techniques and experience, it has preserved a way of life rooted in traditional Japanese culture.

Building on this legacy, one of the third-generation grandchildren launched a new project in Madeira in September 2023—shaped by growing up in Japan and later experiencing the world through a global lens. At the same time, another grandchild continues to work alongside the second generation at the family noodle factory in Japan, ensuring the tradition remains alive at its source.

The founder believed deeply that noodles have the power to nourish both the body and the heart. He dedicated his life to creating original Japanese noodles, guided by this belief.

There is a small but meaningful story from the very beginning. The first time he made udon, his wife and six children gathered around, watching with excitement. Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Oh my! I forgot to add salt!" That humble moment marked the start of everything.

1. Cultural Connection – Madeira shares similarities with Japan's traditional environment, making it a natural setting to explore Japanese food culture.
2. Fresh Water for Noodles – High-quality, fresh water is essential for noodle-making, and Madeira is abundant in it.
3. Local Premium Ingredients – Madeira offers high-quality ingredients that allow us to express authentic Japanese home-style cuisine.
4. Sharing the Value of Fresh Noodles – We want people to understand how noodles made from only water and flour can positively affect both body and mind, and to experience authentic Japanese cuisine through our noodle-focused approach.
5. Accessible Japanese Home Cuisine – Providing high-quality home-style Japanese dishes in a style similar to kappo cuisine allows us to reach a broader audience.
6. Balancing Quality and Accessibility – While traditional kappo restaurants in Japan are expensive and exclusive, we want to offer authentic Japanese dishes at a fair price so that more people can experience them without compromising quality or the brand's value.

By addressing these points, Madeira was chosen as the ideal market to create a restaurant inspired by "a kappo-style inn in the Japanese countryside," combining noodle-making and authentic Japanese home-style cooking. We decided to grow gradually, following the market trends and proceeding step by step—baby steps.

Our first step was to bring authentic Japanese cuisine, crafted with Madeira's local ingredients, to as many people as possible.

Operating without reservations, we adopted a Japanese chaya–style shared seating approach, encouraging short stays and high turnover.

This allowed us to build recognition while managing both production and restaurant operations efficiently.

Within ten months of opening, demand exceeded our capacity to serve walk-in guests while maintaining the meticulous standards of Kappo-style cooking.

We introduced a reservation-based system and created personal dining spaces, allowing guests to relax and enjoy a more elevated experience.

Our services expanded to include:

• Course menus
• Yatai-style special events
• Group-exclusive menus

We expressed the original vision of the project—"Madeira Meets Japan"—through a special Christmas Thanks course.

As we move ahead, we are ready to strengthen and thoughtfully promote each of the Kirita brands.

With careful planning and a commitment to steady, meaningful growth, we continue to progress—always taking deliberate, well-considered baby steps.

Ichigo ichie (一期一会)-A once-in-a-lifetime encounter—begins,

adding another chapter to the evolving story of Kirita.