Interview with Miyahara Akemi and Miyahara Katsunori
Miyahara Florist started by selling flowers to flower arrangement teachers.
By adding various flowers and services, it now operates a diverse range of businesses.
We interviewed Miyahara Akemi and Miyahara Katsunori, who manage the store.
Changes in the Times Change the Flowers in Demand
Please tell us about the history of the business and the store.
Miyahara Akemi
The predecessor was my mother selling flowers while my father, the first generation, was a flower arrangement teacher, so it started from teaching flower arrangement.
In 1989, it was incorporated and became Miyahara Florist Co., Ltd., and later we were able to provide practice flowers to flower arrangement teachers.
The current store was established in 1994, and during my generation, we sold retail flowers as well as gift flowers.
During the bubble era, weddings became extravagant, and table decorations became in demand.
Gradually, we shifted from flower arrangement to flower arrangement classes.
I wonder if the spread of flower arrangements fits the current style of the times.
As homes have lost their tokonoma (alcove), and houses have become Western-style, the containers have become glass, and the use of kenzan (flower holder) has decreased.
Miyahara Katsunori
In the past, flower arrangement was learned as part of bridal training, but that has disappeared.
Miyahara Akemi
With the flow of the times, the things that are in demand are changing, and there are fewer flower shops where flower arrangement teachers can buy flowers.
Flower arrangement is a traditional culture, and we cannot let it disappear, so we continue to be a "flower shop where flower arrangement teachers come to buy."
We feel that we should not reduce services but rather add to them.
We are adding flower arrangements based on flower arrangement.
Customer needs are changing in various ways.
There was a time when gardening was a trend.
At that time, we had a lot of seedlings in stock.
Gathering pot seedlings in a basket, the mixed baskets sold well.
As dual-income households became more common, everyone became busier and stopped planting flowers in their gardens.
Gardening requires replanting with the seasons, and more people have found they cannot devote that much time.
In the past, gardens were overflowing with flowers, but now it has become an era of a few flowers and a symbolic tree.
We need to know what is in demand now and adapt.
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, demand has changed, and there has been a tendency to want flowers and greenery at home while staying home.
I feel that the trend has shifted from flowers as gifts to flowers for home or personal use.
Therefore, we started a flower subscription service (a service that delivers flowers regularly).
The Charm of Flowers
What is the charm of flowers for you, Miyahara-san?
Miyahara Akemi
I think flowers have a great power.
When I look at flowers, I feel very calm and peaceful.
Just having a single flower at home allows you to notice changes like a bud blooming, which brings a sense of calm.
I believe that both the giver and the receiver of flowers can become happy.
I think the feelings of the giver can be conveyed.
In our store, we provide a longevity agent called "Thoughtfulness Card" to ensure that important flowers last longer.
With the Thoughtfulness Card, flowers can last for 1 week to 10 days without needing to change the water.
I Want to Increase Opportunities to Touch Flowers
Miyahara Akemi
I believe that if children are exposed to flowers when they are young, it can change their lives.
I am focusing on flower education (hananiku) for fifth-grade elementary school students.
Both boys and girls are very sensitive and can feel, "Flowers are nice."
Children who have never visited a flower shop will likely not have the opportunity to touch flowers in the future.
Miyahara Katsunori
With fewer homes having gardens and planting flowers, children have fewer opportunities to touch flowers.
Miyahara Akemi
I would be happy if they could experience the beauty of flowers at an early stage in life.
Once they have the experience of touching flowers, I think it will be easier for them to visit a flower shop.
I want to spread a life with flowers.
In flower education, students sometimes take flowers home, and I receive feedback like, "Everyone in the family was happy."
I also receive comments like, "I understood the meaning of your words, 'Please feel the power of flowers. Flowers bring peace to everyone.'"
There is a big difference between seeing flowers in a video and actually touching them.
I want them to start with just one flower, to touch and observe it.
Miyahara Katsunori
I think there are various routes for people who want to preserve what they received as dried flowers to have opportunities to touch flowers.
I want to make our flower shop one that can respond to various approaches to flowers.
Conclusion
Miyahara Florist continues to provide what people seek through various challenges.
There have been failures, but they have always thought about what they can do next and have developed their services.
The methods of providing have changed with the times, but what people seek from flowers remains the same, doesn't it?
Whether giving or receiving, it brings joy, and just looking at them calms the heart.
In the future, the power of flowers will continue to bring happiness to people.
Through this interview, I realized that Miyahara Florist, as stated in their corporate philosophy, "Flowers need water, and people need love," is a store that wishes for love for flowers and the richness and happiness of people's hearts.
Data on Miyahara Florist
| Name | Miyahara Florist |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-7-22 Kamejima, Kurashiki City |
| Contact | 086-447-1187 |
| Parking | Available |
| Business Hours | 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM (until 12:30 PM on Sundays) |
| Regular Holidays | Irregular Generally closed on the first Sunday |
| Payment Methods |
|
| Website | MIYAHARA |
