Owner of Tokyo’s viral Philly cheesesteak joint dishes on what he loves most about the city

The owner of Tokyo’s Philadelphia-themed cheesesteak restaurant, who went viral on social media last summer, made a trip to his favorite city on earth this holiday season. What he found was a city rich in diverse cuisine and culture.

“Philly has a real sense of community and local love with kind people,” said Kosuke Chujo about his admiration for Philadelphia.

Before Chujo became a proprietor of Philly’s finest export, like many fellow Japanese teens coming of age in 1980s Tokyo, he was infatuated with the United States.

“American culture had rapidly made its way to Japan, and kids at that time were enthusiastic about American fashion, music, sports — I was one of them,” Chujo said after a recent trip to Philadelphia.

As a teen, he spent most of his days draped in Levi’s jeans and Nike sneakers, eating pizza, and listening to the Philadelphia Sound, a genre of funk and soul popularized by local legends Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell, which “conveyed a tremendous scale, exhilarating rhythm, a sense of melancholy, and love,” Chujo said. As he grew older, his intrigue for Philadelphia only intensified.

In 2011, he opened an Italian restaurant in Nihonbashi, a bustling commercial district of Tokyo where his family has lived for almost a century, and named it “Philly.” When he married his wife, Tomomi, they pored over cookbooks and online videos of American cuisine, especially the cheesesteak, his favorite city’s time-honored delicacy.

“When a Philadelphia native living in Japan came in and tried it, they said, ‘This is delicious, but not quite a cheesesteak,’” Chujo said. “We improved it and modified our recipe over time, but the word ‘cheesesteak’ in Japanese reminds people of a grilled steak with cheese poured on top, not realizing it’s a cheesy chopped steak sandwich. Customers never ordered it.”

After studying the cheesesteak over the last decade, including at local giants like Dalessandro’s off Henry Avenue or Angelo’s in South Philadelphia, he learned to hone his craft.

Anytime he visits Philadelphia, Chujo almost exclusively eats cheesesteaks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for research. He measures each cheesesteak with a mini tape measure and digital food scale, writing extensive notes in a cheesesteak notebook he carries with him everywhere.

Today, he has customers who venture to the shop from all across the U.S., United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, Indonesia, and Europe. Last summer, his restaurant went viral after being shared by Philly-based social media accounts and media outlets, including The Inquirer, for his authentic cheesesteak on a long roll, served in a restaurant intricately adorned with Philadelphia sports memorabilia, murals with local slogans, and merchandise from various Philly businesses.

We sat down with the Chujos during their recent trip to the City of Brotherly Love to better understand their passion, and learn about what makes “Philly” for a visitor.

This interview is translated to English from Japanese, and edited for clarity and conciseness.

Philadelphia is like “nostalgia” to us.

Today, Nihonbashi is one of Japan’s leading business districts, but 50 years ago there were many family-run shops and restaurants that are no longer here. It feels like Philadelphia’s atmosphere and scenery are similar to what once existed here.

While the number of such shops has diminished, there are still people like us, who continue to reside in this area. Locals who grew up in this area are referred to as “Edokko” (meaning people from Edo), derived from Tokyo’s original name. It’s somewhat akin to being called “Philly” or “Phillies.” My family has been living here for the past 90 years.

The Japanese are kind, but communication between people has become less common. Whereas in Philadelphia, if we wear Eagles merch, people will say “Go Birds!” There are people opening doors for me or helping me up the stairs when carrying heavy luggage.

There are so many rules in Japan that cars are slow and easy to drive. Philadelphians drive fast. People also park in the middle of the road, like on Broad Street.

Sports in Philadelphia seem indispensable to daily life.

In Japan, it’s common to have quiet, prayerlike cheering, and few people shout loudly so as to not interfere with your opponent’s play by making noise. I realized that making noise is part of cheering in Philly! It was so fun and I felt like I was fighting with them.

Cheering for the Eagles with 60,000 fervent fans at Lincoln Financial Field was enjoyable. During the Eagles’ loss against the Giants in week 18, when I watched it at a Center City bar, it was eerily quiet after the game as if people had vanished from Center City.

My wife was impressed watching hockey. In Japan, there’s no custom of booing the opposing team. The style of getting excited with boos and rough play was fresh and enjoyable. She has become a big fan of Gritty! In Japan, mascots don’t perform as much, and she felt a new style of sports watching.

In Japan, American sports team apparel is sometimes worn by young people as fashion. It’s not common to wear Japanese sports team apparel as daily wear. However, in Philly, it was surprising to see many people wearing team gear in their daily lives. That’s hometown pride!

My favorite is from Angelo’s in South Philly, and my wife loves Café Carmela in North Philly.

I understand that Dalessandro’s Steaks has gained tremendous support from the locals. It was really delicious! Every restaurant we visited this time had uniqueness and dedication, and it was a great learning experience.

My favorite cheese to put on the cheesesteak is Cooper Sharp. During our recent trip, we noticed that people in Philly prefer Cooper Sharp cheese over Cheez Whiz when ordering cheesesteaks. The experience was eye-opening. It was very creamy and delicious with the perfect balance of salt, making us appreciate the deliciousness of cheese once again. It became clear that Cooper Sharp cheese is a Philadelphia specialty and represents a fundamental aspect of its cheesesteak culture.

Unfortunately, it’s not available in Japan, so I’m thinking of coming up with something creative to get it over here. I envy Philly for having it readily accessible.

McGillin’s Olde Ale House is a wonderful place that exudes history. The building, church chairs, old historical photos, and the lively interior — everything felt fantastic.

Just one menu item, the cheesesteak, changed our lives. Culture, cuisine, and pursuing the cheesesteak connected us to the world in ways we never imagined.

Before, we didn’t have foreign customers but now customers from Philadelphia visit us almost every day. Not only travelers from Philly, but many Philadelphians who live in Japan also visit. They are especially happy because everyone misses authentic cheesesteaks and couldn’t eat them in Japan before us.

As an unofficial ambassador for Philadelphia, we want to spread the specialty of the city throughout Japan.