Yoshitoshi “Yoshi” Momoki didn’t just come back to Knoxville for a quick stop. The University of Tennessee alum packed his visit with the Knox Asian Festival, UT events, a little tailgating, a Knoxville Smokies game and nights out at local bars - a far cry from his 2019 trip, when, as he put it, he was a “nobody.”
Now, he’s a recognizable figure to Vols fans on both sides of the Pacific. Momoki, who opened Good Ole Tennessee Bar in Tokyo in 2024, drew plenty of attention during his return to Rocky Top, especially at the Knox Asian Festival, where he even took part in a K-Pop dance routine.
"Especially at Knox Asian Festival, so many people wanted to take a photo with me, so I feel so good," he said.
Momoki’s week in Knoxville also included the launch ceremony for UT’s Japan Center and the International House’s 30th anniversary. During his visit, he was named an "Honorary Tennessean" and added a certificate from Gov.
Bill Lee to a binder he already keeps full of memories from his time at UT. That binder also holds his commencement pamphlet, his original acceptance letter and, now, a Dolly Parton photo signed"To Yoshi" before her death.
Back in Tokyo, Good Ole Tennessee Bar is more than a novelty. It’s a personal project shaped by his time at UT, his family and the idea of creating a place where people can connect. Momoki said the bar also gave him a way to respond to a major life change after the death of his mother.
"As you may know, the Japanese are quite reserved until you get drunk," he said. "So, I thought a bar would be the best or ideal way to open up the place."
He also sees a clear contrast between drinking culture in the two countries.
"I think bar culture in the U.S. is more casual, you know, just to buy one drink or two and go home," Momoki said. "Whereas in Japan, that's so many salary men and businesspeople need to sit down and talk about bad things about bosses and stuff, you know, relieve the distresses and stuff. So it takes (a) longer time - they stay."
Running the bar mostly on his own means Momoki asks people to reach out before stopping by. The place can be quiet on some nights and packed with as many as 50 patrons on others. Volunteers and visitors have brought him T-shirts, flags and even majorette batons, which he uses to point out things around the bar.
Still, one item stands above the rest.
"The favorite item is definitely the mini helmet signed by Tee Martin," Momoki said. "Yes, that's my treasure."
That makes perfect sense for a Tennessee fan. Martin was the starting quarterback for the Vols’ 1998 national championship team and remains one of the program’s most cherished names.
Momoki’s Knoxville visit also stirred up a lot of reflection. Looking through old clippings and photos, he revisited his days as an international student - from dance nights at Lord Lindsey to a kindergarten class he visited as a student assistant talking about Japan.
He even kept the thank-you cards those children wrote him. And somewhere in those memories is an MC Hammer concert he saw in 1990 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
"I've seen so many changes on campus and around the city, and it's so good. But at the same time, it feels a little bit sad," he said. "Always scrap and build, there's no memory leaving behind."
He said change is part of the process, including new construction like the Student Success Building, which is replacing Melrose Hall, where he spent most of his student days. But Momoki also hopes UT and Knoxville preserve “portions of the city” so people like him can still hold onto the old feel.
Of all the new developments, the Japan Center meant the most to him. He said he is "so proud of" it because of what it represents for the university and for Tennessee’s ties to Japan.
He’s also encouraged by the growing number of international students at UT. His message to them is simple: throw yourself into American life, build relationships and don’t be afraid to go out on your own.
After all, he said, it’s a "once in a lifetime experience."
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