Top Story: 12. May 2008

Flower Shop

By Editor in Chief, Jaakko Saari

I live near to a town called Myorenji. Going to Tokyo, I often pass this peaceful center that is built around an old shrine, thus the name "Myoren-ji".

There is hardly anything special about this town, except the huge shrine occupying the large area just behind railway station. Mostly old people and families live here. People in this town walk slower than people in Tokyo. Elderly people and housewives go to grocery shopping in noon, or to a nearby Kikuna-ike park.

When I moved here, I happened to notice a certain flowershop, near the station. There was something special about this flower shop, something how to say, intangible. The atmosphere of this flowershop was somehow different and it struck my interest.

The owners work cheerfully and efficiently, always smiling to everyone. They work without a pause, properly greeting everyone who entered. Although they work very late, there is no hint of tiredness in their faces.

Soon it occurred to me that it could be that most of the visitors must be regulars, and the owners remember the names of almost everyone.

Although they are busy, they have always time to chat with people, whether they buy flowers or not.

And every customer leaving the shop, always leave with smile on their faces. Everyone know this flowershop here.

The flowers they sell are fantastic. Most of their product is yet to bloom when in the shop, and customers can expect the flowers to last for long time. I and my wife bought set of flowers, and they lasted more than one month. The cost is very reasonable too, lower than in any other flower shop around here and the variety of these flowers are great. The flowers are imported from a company in Setagaya in Tokyo, so they are very fresh.

More than once, I've heard the owners saying to the customers "Oh, but this flower is a bit expensive, isn't it? How about choosing this..". This kind of honesty moved me. And it could be the secret for their extraordinary success. Direct, simple honesty.

After I made the video documentary of these extraordinary florists, I started to think that it could be that this flower shop supports the fragile balance of society in Myorenji. Especially for elderly people, it is important to have a place to chat, even if nothing else but weather. It is really important. Towns have souls too.

Japanese people are famous of their friendliness and politeness. But there seems to be more into that than just surface. I get the sense that Japanese have special skill of building harmony around them. This skill is free of any forced attempt.

Visiting Europe, I often see similar kind of professional skill and pride when visiting, flower shop for example. But their friendliness often lacks the same naturalness.

Friendliness of the Japanese come from the heart.

In the interview I made of the flower shop owner, I asked him, what he thinks about war. Only comment he made was that should the war come, he couldn't imagine joining it.

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