I think there are surprisingly many words that we've heard on TV or radio, seen in online news, or have heard of, but have never used. My vocabulary is surprisingly limited, so there are a lot of Japanese words I've never used. I'm trying to improve my vocabulary even a little through this blog. The reason I'm suddenly talking about vocabulary is because I suddenly realized that the word I was going to use at the beginning of today's post was the first time I'd ever used that word in my life.
That is, "In these times..."
It wasn't a word I really wanted to use, but I thought it was necessary to start what I was going to say today, so I used it.
Now, here's today's story.
I went to a furniture exhibition.
Despite the current situation, I went to an exhibition.
Yes, today's topic is about whether it was right to go in these times, and it's a difficult decision to make, but we went to an exhibition where our future depends on it.
Of course, we are fully prepared to take all possible measures...
I have been to many exhibitions before, but this one was large in scale and it was a business trip where I encountered new places and people for the first time.
At every venue, there were temperature checks, alcohol and masks, and I entered wondering if this would become normal in the world.
The place where I work has two interior design shops built side by side. One shop sells furniture and miscellaneous goods with a focus on modern and Scandinavian designs from European brands, while the other sells furniture and miscellaneous goods from Japanese brands, handcrafts, and items that emphasize the warmth of wood. Our shop is made up of these two stores.
Not only do staff come and go, but customers select combinations that suit their tastes and purchase them at the two stores.
Although there are some similarities, the relationship between the shops, where each can support the other, is different from that of a large furniture store with a large selection of products, and we have been able to create a wonderful (sorry for the self-praise) shop that makes the most of the strengths of each.
The purpose of this trip was to find products and people who will be key to the future of the shop, which sells furniture and miscellaneous goods that value Japanese brands, handcrafts, and the warmth of wood.
It's not easy to visit manufacturing sites in faraway places, so exhibitions where you can see, feel, and talk directly with the people involved are a great opportunity to learn.
To become the most popular sofa manufacturer
This was my first visit to the showroom of our store's most popular sofa brand. I was able to experience the comfort of sofas that I normally can't sit on (because they're not on display), and I was also able to check out the comfort of their new sofas.
The most important thing about a sofa is how comfortable it is to sit on.
When I first joined the company, I had no idea what comfort meant. They all felt the same somehow. They were all generally good, right? I'm amazed I've been able to get by like this. Little by little, I've come to understand the difference between a good sofa and a bad one. It's been 10 years since I started working in interior design, so I even think to myself, is this really the case?!
It's a wonderful feeling to imagine the customer's lifestyle, imagine our two stores, think about what's missing and what's needed, and then find the sofa that's just right.
This time, there was! I'm so happy!
I'm looking forward to exhibiting the sofas. I'm already excited and grinning when I imagine meeting customers who will say, "This is it!"
To the lumber store
The next place I came across that I found comfortable and nice and that gave me a sense of the people's personalities was a lumber store run by three sisters.
I was really inspired by seeing the showroom and the workplace where the three sisters have taken over the family business, which has been a lumberyard for a long time, and are now taking on new challenges and cherishing their own individuality. One of the criteria for selecting furniture in our shop is "gentleness." We select items based on various "gentleness" criteria, such as our senses, the feeling when touched by the skin, consideration for the materials and the environment.
We felt a strong connection with the way they create things and treat people with the same kindness that we believe in, and we learned a lot that we wouldn't have known if we hadn't been there.
I'm really looking forward to seeing these on display. I was impressed by the attention to detail, such as the curves that are unique to a woman's perspective. Even though I've visited many places, I've only been able to talk about two brands so far, and I feel like I haven't talked enough, so I'm sure I'll be talking about the exhibition again next time. Even though I said last time that it's not good to talk for too long, I'll still be talking about the same exhibition next time, so I hope you'll read it casually in your spare time.
(text: Shimazaki)
SHIMAZAKI AYAKO
I loved redecorating and constantly rearranging my room as a child, and before I knew it, 12 years have passed since I started working in interior design. I am the manager of two different interior design shops, and I've recently started working in the e-commerce business. I'm a bundle of curiosity, and although I have a high level of concentration, my persistence is quite low, so I'm secretly worried about writing a blog.