“A Night of Yakitori and Laughter—The Honest Talk of the Owner and Regulars”
Owner: “The time after closing is the best, isn’t it? I get to relax and chat with you regulars. Thanks for coming today.”
Regular A: “By the way, I heard that the Kumamoto Regional Taxation Bureau went into Snack ○○.”
Owner: “Oh yeah, that place is pretty popular, isn’t it? So, what happened?”
Regular A: “They say the additional tax bill is 50 million yen!”
Owner: “F-F-Fifty million!? That’s insane! 50 million… that’s a number that has nothing to do with a small yakitori place like mine.”
Regular B: “They must have made a fortune. I heard they were investigated for several years of back taxes. But 50 million, that’s not something to laugh at.”
Owner: “That’s pretty shocking. But you know, I can’t help comparing it to my own situation. Sales tanked during COVID, my consumption tax was exempted for two years, and I’m still barely managing to pay off the interest on my loans. It’s tough, but I’m scraping by.”
Regular A: “Hey, maybe you should aim to be the kind of place that even the Kumamoto Tax Bureau keeps an eye on.”
Owner: “Nah, if the tax bureau is on you, it means you haven’t been doing your taxes right, doesn’t it? That’s not something to brag about. Besides, if I got hit with millions in back taxes, I’d be done for.”
Regular B: “Yeah, how would anyone even pay something like that?”
Owner: “Do you think you can ask for an installment plan? (laughs) No way that’d work, huh?”
Regular A: “Actually, I had a tax audit a while back. They hit me with a 1.5 million yen additional tax. I thought I was doing everything right, but they really dug into every little thing. It was rough.”
Owner: “Wow, that sounds tough. But yeah, tax audits are something every business owner wants to avoid. That said, there’s a part of me that would like to be successful enough to worry about the tax bureau showing up.”
Regular B: “Yeah, I get that. But it’s better to stay off the taxman’s radar, right? (laughs)”
Owner: “No kidding (laughs). Still, having big goals is important. But for me, what really matters is making sure I cook each skewer with care for the customers who come to ‘Satsuma Charcoal-Grilled Yakitori Izakaya Tsukasa’ today. Seeing them smile as they leave—that’s what brings me the most joy.”
Regular A: “You’re right. Big successes and profits are nice, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the customer’s smile.”
Owner: “Exactly. The ‘profit’ I really want is the customer’s smile. It’s those smiles that have kept ‘Satsuma Charcoal-Grilled Yakitori Izakaya Tsukasa’ going. Sure, we’re not big enough for the tax bureau to worry about us yet, but there’s a part of me that dreams of growing into that kind of place one day.”
Regular B: “That’s a good dream to have.”
Owner: “Thanks. But for now, delivering the best yakitori to the customers in front of me—that’s my purpose, and I believe that’s the heart of running a business. Today, tomorrow, and always… I’ll keep grilling yakitori, day after day. Thanks for everything, as always.”
Regular A & B: “No, thank you! The yakitori’s always delicious!”
