This time, Layout's trip will see buyer Hirai travelling alone to various places and meeting rugs and senior rug enthusiasts, creating a "new style of travel".
In the two weeks or so leading up to the rendezvous, they had traveled approximately 3,000 kilometers. After visiting new cities and reuniting with his usual friends, Hirai's knowledge of Persian and rugs had improved dramatically.
Hirai has always had a stronger passion for rugs than anyone else, and a boundless desire to explore. After spending time in the area, the words of many of his predecessors served as a confirmation, and I believe the questions he had were resolved and organized.
"I was able to come here thanks to everyone, so I have to take a lot back with me," she says, and every day she visits carpet shops around the country without a break, choosing rugs and listening to the stories of her senior colleagues.
As I read the reports he sent me, I thought, "That's typical of Hirai," but I also began to feel worried, as if he was going too fast.
Layout
Layout has its own warehouse and maintenance workshop on-site.
This is because we want to provide thorough support for the parts that customers cannot check themselves, giving them peace of mind before they even get their hands on the rug.
Another purpose of this trip was to convey Layout's commitment and quality check methods to the craftsmen working in the workshop.
The person who runs this place is Ali, who I've known for over five years.
Initially, he supported Layout as an interpreter and guide, but he became completely absorbed in lag and now works as our dedicated manager.
The local craftsmen probably couldn't understand Layout's attention to detail and wondered, "Why go to such lengths...?" However, perhaps because they could sense Hirai's passion and respect for the craftsmen, they listened intently.
Seeing that, Hirai was reminded once again of the fact that "our rugs are supported by so many people." He was so moved that he burst into tears, leaving the other craftsmen around him at a loss.
Rugs tend to be focused on the weaving process, but in fact they go through many steps before reaching Layout, including spinning the yarn, weaving, repairing, finishing, washing, etc.
The craftsmen at Layout are all wonderful people with the skills and passion that Ali has gathered.
"That's why we have to carefully introduce our rugs!" Hirai said with great enthusiasm. (We'll introduce the artisans who work at Layout soon.)
Hirai once said something to a veteran craftsman:
"It's rude to customers to sit on a rug after it's been cleaned."
"Don't put your feet on the rug, it'll make you sad."
What may be considered normal behavior locally is meaningless compared to Hirai's belief that "rugs should be treated with care" (laughs).
This may be a slightly cheeky statement, coming from Layout's belief that "not taking care of rugs means not taking care of our customers or business partners."
However, I think it is because they see Hirai's sincere attitude towards lag that he is accepted by his senior colleagues.
Calling and determination
When I met up with him, Ali told me, "Hirai-san is a hard worker. He's been studying ragtag and Persian all this time, even while traveling in the car."
Indeed, Hirai is currently writing his report in the car.
That's right, the reason you became interested in rugs was because you were attracted to Hirai's determination and strong will, as he said, "This job is my calling."
Hirai's deep knowledge of rugs allows him to converse on an equal footing with carpet dealers from all over the country, and his barrage of questions, born from his strong curiosity, leaves the shop staff amazed, asking, "Who is this kid?" His strong love for rugs has even earned him the respect of the veteran older men.
As we traveled together, I saw how, wherever we went, he tried to honestly express his feelings about rugs in his own words, and even if I wasn't affiliated with Layout, I was moved and thought to myself, simply as a human being, "I'd be so happy if I could get my hands on one of Hirai's rugs."
"My life is not long enough to know everything about carpets," is a typical Hirai quote.
Meet people, meet rugs
In an age where life can be completed without making eye contact, exchanging words, or feeling the warmth of someone's hand, Layout chooses to "travel" in order to visit local places, meet many people, exchange words, and inherit the beloved rugs they have collected.
To collect a lot of "truth" and deliver it to people who believe in Layout.
Although beautiful words can be created by typing on a keyboard, I don't mind being clumsy because I want to weave together the "honest and heartfelt words" I have collected on the ground.
Layout will continue its journey of fateful encounters between people and rugs.
At the end of the journey
When we visited a new city on this trip, we declined an invitation to dinner from an influential person in the city, who said, "It's impossible for you to come to this city and not have dinner with me," and the next day we were almost forced to have lunch at his 23,000-square-meter mansion.It was a pleasant surprise for us who were short on time, but it was a heartwarming trip that allowed us to experience the feelings of our usual friends who care about Layout and the kindness of Ali, who supported Hirai for a month.
Why are the people here so warm and helpful?
It was so much fun that I felt like I had to come back again.
In the middle of a dream
While traveling on the plane, Hirai, who was sitting next to me, said, "I have an email that I've been saving for a long time," and showed me an email exchange between us seven years ago, when Hirai had not yet joined the company.
With a nostalgic feeling that touched my heart, I remembered that during the interview, when I asked her, "What can you do if you join our company?", she answered, "What can I do?"
Seven years later, since the launch of Layout, Hirai's passion for carpets has not wavered but has only grown stronger, and he has now become an irreplaceable leader for his colleagues.
Since Hirai joined the company, he has spoken of his dream to "change the rug industry" and "get Hirai on Jonetsu Tairiku." Hirai's dream is to "learn more about rugs and be able to provide domestic maintenance services in-house."
So, it's still a dream.
We will move forward little by little with our beloved Layout friends.