Have you ever visited a flower shop and been so moved that you were left breathless?
Flower Shop PEPE (PEPE) is a flower shop where the shop itself feels like a work of art.
Everything in the shop—from the dried flowers spreading across the ceiling to the colorful bouquets and houseplants with unique shapes—harmonizes to create a beautiful space.
Flower Shop PEPE in Nitta, Kurashiki City, was created by owner Fukuda Sanae.
The flower shop, which resembles a work of art, was born from the skills Fukuda has cultivated throughout her life and her passion for flowers.
What experiences led Fukuda to create such a beautiful space?
We introduce Flower Shop PEPE and explore the story behind the creation of this artistic space.
The information presented here was accurate when this article was published in May 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is Flower Shop PEPE?
The striking building with a triangular roof in Nitta, Kurashiki City, is Flower Shop PEPE.
Follow the path lined with potted mimosa plants from the parking lot, and you will arrive at a garden brimming with nature.
What other delightful touches await at this flower shop, which welcomes visitors with an enchanting presentation?
Overview of Flower Shop PEPE
Flower Shop PEPE is a fresh flower shop in Nitta, Kurashiki City.
It is in the suburbs, about a 15-minute drive from central Kurashiki, home to the Bikan Historical Area.
It is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed on Tuesdays.
In addition to fresh flowers, the shop also carries houseplants and dried flowers.
You can also visit the shop, describe the bouquet you have in mind, and have one arranged.
When the writer visited for this article, it was graduation season, and the staff were carefully making each bouquet to order.
In addition to selling fresh flowers and bouquets, the shop also holds flower-arranging workshops.
If you are interested, take a look at Flower Shop PEPE's website or social media accounts.
Features of Flower Shop PEPE
The highlights of Flower Shop PEPE are not limited to its products.
One of its charms is that simply visiting the shop is an enjoyable experience.
Large branches of kobushi magnolia, tosa-mizuki, kuromoji, and mitsumata are arranged in front of the shop. Walking along the path to the entrance will make you feel as if you are in a forest.
As you step inside, you are first greeted by the smoke trees and dried flowers that fill the ceiling.
Flowers fill your view in every direction, and you will be overwhelmed by the colorful bouquets and wreaths.
Vases and antique goods are also on display to make the flowers look even more appealing.
As you venture farther into the shop, you will notice that the colors of the walls and ceiling change.
Near the entrance, dried flowers create a soft palette; farther in, the space is decorated with vivid fresh flowers.
And farther still, the fresh green of houseplants welcomes you.
The shop is filled with a space that makes you feel as if you are walking through a cave made of flowers.
Flower Shop PEPE's space-design work is not limited to its own shop; it also takes on floral decoration commissions for cafes, hair salons, and weddings.
The shop has decorated restaurants both in Okayama Prefecture and elsewhere in Japan. Apparently, customers have even recognized its work, asking, “Did Flower Shop PEPE do the flowers at that restaurant?”
Flower Shop PEPE owner Fukuda Sanae
Flower Shop PEPE owner Fukuda Sanae is active not only as a business owner but also as a creative floral artist, producing spaces and performing live flower arrangements.
In 1990, Flower Shop PEPE opened as a fresh flower shop in Mizushima, Kurashiki, using an exhibition hall built by Fukuda's father, an architect.
Fukuda and her mother ran the shop together from the beginning. As business grew, the premises became too small, so they moved to its current location in Nitta, Kurashiki City.
While running the flower shop, Fukuda took on one interest after another, including cooking, pottery, and flower arranging.
She also ventured into the world of table coordination.
There, she met a teacher she admired and honed her sense of space coordination and color in the world of table coordination.
At the 23rd Tableware Grand Prix—“The Gentle Dining Space Contest”—held at Tokyo Dome City in 2015, she won the top prize, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award.
Fukuda has an impressive career and a talent for creating breathtaking spaces, but she is also an unpretentious person whose natural smile is charming.
We asked Fukuda how she learned to create flowers and spaces that captivate people.
Here, we introduce Fukuda's charms through our interview.
Interview with Flower Shop PEPE owner Fukuda Sanae
What inspired you to start a flower shop?
Fukuda (honorific omitted)
Actually, it was my mother, not me, who started the flower shop.
When I was 18 and had just graduated from high school, gardening was at the height of its popularity.
With the trend of the times, my mother, who had always dreamed of owning a flower shop, started one in the exhibition hall run by my father, an architect.
At the time, my dream was to get married, so I wasn't interested in flowers, but I became involved in running the flower shop with my mother.
In fact, I didn't intend to run the flower shop for long; I thought of it as a temporary job.
It's hard to imagine that from the Fukuda we know today. What changed?
Fukuda
My mother not only had a qualification in ikebana, but was also skilled at embroidery. She even had a magnificent shelf of embroidery threads like the ones you see in a craft store.
When we started the flower shop, neither of us knew anything about running a business, but when it came to a sense of color cultivated through ikebana and embroidery, my mother was naturally the expert, and she was confident in her abilities.
As we continued running the flower shop together, I—being competitive—began to feel frustrated by my mother's confidence.
When I moved to the current shop at 25, I had responsibilities as an employee, and I was also becoming interested in management and flowers. I gradually came to realize that the flower shop I envisioned was different from the one my mother envisioned.
My mother believes that you need to be strict to acquire skills.
I, on the other hand, envisioned a flower shop with a more French sensibility, and my ideal was to run the business in a way that let employees work together happily and harmoniously.
Naturally, we clashed because we had different opinions about both flowers and management.
Through it all, my frustration drove me to deepen my knowledge of flowers and refine my sensibilities.
How I Developed a Sensibility for Color and Space
How did you develop your sensibility for space and color?
Fukuda
When I was 25, I started taking a course called Kurashiki Table & Life Creation, run by table coordinator Noriko Hara.
That course helped develop my sense of color.
I learned from Ms. Hara about color balance, color tones, and colors that create an impression of luxury.
After that, I studied table coordination under Ms. Hara for about ten years, and eventually began working with her on spatial design projects.
Four of us, including Ms. Hara and me, formed a team called “Bals” and began creating settings for wedding and other party venues.
What does the word “Bals” mean?
Fukuda
It’s the destruction spell from Hayao Miyazaki’s film “Castle in the Sky.”
In the film, the spell has tremendous power, destroying the castle floating in the sky.
We chose “Bals” as our team name because we wanted to be a team that destroys existing things and ways of thinking to create something new.
The name embodies our desire to offer spatial design that isn’t bound by convention and can break free of the usual framework.
Through our work with Bals, I developed my instincts and skills in table coordination, and later began entering competitions.
Table Coordination and the Mother-Daughter Relationship
What stands out most in your memory about table coordination?
Fukuda
In 2015, I won the top prize, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award, in the 23rd Tableware Grand Prix: “A Comfortable Dining Space” Contest (Coordination Division), held at Tokyo Dome City.
The competition was a major event, with celebrities such as flower artist Shingo Kariyazaki, actors Tetsuko Kuroyanagi and Koji Ishizaka taking part, and members of the Imperial Family attending the awards ceremony.
The award-winning work, titled “Oh☆Banzai!!,” was a Japanese-style table setting depicting a celebratory occasion.
In the competitions I had entered before then, I had created works that pursued my own style. But this time, I focused on creating something that would win the competition.
I was happy that my work had been recognized, but there was something I felt even more strongly than joy.
It was the importance of the people who support me in my everyday life.
I realized how deeply I valued my colleagues when I thought about how I had won such a prestigious award thanks to everyone involved in my life: the staff who kept the shop running while I was away at the competition, my mentor who taught me table coordination and color, and the friend who took my profile photo for the competition.
When did Fukuda-san take charge of Flower Shop PEPE?
Fukuda
In 2014, I became involved in running Flower Shop PEPE as its owner.
Before then, my mother and I had different views on management, and there was a period when we kept our distance.
She was a strict, craftsman-like person when it came to flowers, and I often felt that there were limits to running the business together.
But after I received an award at a table coordination competition, my mother’s attitude toward me changed.
Until then, I couldn’t remember her ever praising me, but she began telling people around her how proud she was of me.
At that moment, I realized what mattered most.
“I am who I am today thanks to my mother, who taught me about cut flowers so strictly.”
It was the moment my gratitude toward my mother welled up from my heart.
After that, my mother went her own way, focusing on bridal work in Okayama, while I set out on my own as the owner of Flower Shop PEPE in Kurashiki.
A Flower Shop with a Designed Space
Once you took charge of Flower Shop PEPE, were you able to create the kind of flower shop you had wanted?
Fukuda
After my mother recognized me and the public appreciated my work, I started doing whatever I wanted with cut flowers and management.
When I worked with my mother, I felt I shouldn’t handle cut flowers the way I wanted.
Cut flowers were my mother’s domain, and perhaps I lacked confidence.
At the time, the formal German style of flower arranging was the norm.
My mother’s certification from the Japan Flower Design Association was also influenced by the German style, but I love nature, so I prefer arrangements that are lighter and more dynamic.
When I went to study at a French-style flower shop in Kobe, I discovered that it was okay to arrange flowers freely.
After that, I began working with cut flowers without holding back.
I also made it a priority not just to sell flowers individually, but to design the spaces where they would be displayed.
Whether on a table or in the home, coordinating the space brings out the character of the flowers.
If you don’t understand the kind of place where the flowers will be displayed, you can’t sell the flowers your customers want.
Is there anything you particularly value in your relationships with your staff?
Fukuda
I’ve always wanted to have a warm, friendly relationship with my staff, and the competition also made me realize how important the people who support me in my everyday life are.
That’s why I try to create a comfortable working environment for them.
For example, I don’t want to create a workplace where people feel guilty about taking time off when their child has a fever or they need to care for a parent.
Even if it means working fewer hours, I want them to be able to focus on time with their families, whether raising children or caring for relatives, without worry.
Staff may also want time to study, such as by studying abroad.
In that case, I’m happy for them to take an extended break from work.
When they return to Flower Shop PEPE after growing and learning, they’re sure to be a great asset to us.
I hope they’ll develop professional skills and discover their own strengths.
From the Writer
When I first visited Flower Shop PEPE, I felt that the shop itself was a work of art.
At the entrance, branches that had sprouted in early spring are arranged as if they were growing in a beautiful mountain meadow.
Stepping inside the shop made me feel as though I had wandered into a cave made of flowers.
Near the entrance, pale-colored dried flowers in white and brown, along with interior decor, create a calm atmosphere. Farther in, bouquets and houseplants create a vivid space.
The contrast in saturation between the pale and vivid spaces makes the beauty of the flowers stand out even more.
The shop itself, along with the bouquets and interior decor displayed inside, all reflect Fukuda-san’s sense of style.
I came to understand that Flower Shop PEPE is a work of art that reflects the sensibility Fukuda-san has cultivated throughout her life.
Be sure to visit this flower shop that is like a work of art.
There’s no doubt you’ll be captivated by the charm of this work of art, created through floral design of the space.
Flower Shop PEPE Information
| Name | Flower Shop PEPE |
|---|---|
| Address | 3206-6 Shinden, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-434-4001 |
| Parking | Available Capacity: 22 cars |
| Hours | Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Tuesday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Website | Flower Shop | PEPE |
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