Home Visit Diary - Surrounded by Wooden Toys

Name	Mr. O
Your product	Movable shelves/wooden toys
Residence	Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture
Family Composition	Family of 3

From an encounter at an exhibition

In March 2016, the Shikoku Products Exhibition was held at the Hankyu Department Store in Osaka. As this was Nakayoshi Library's first time at a department store, we had many products on display. Among them was Mr. O, who stopped by our booth with his son, Sota, who was only one year old at the time. He loved the feel and quality of the toys so much that he purchased several of them.

Visit to your home

On Saturday morning, I visited their home in Sakai City. The wooden floors of the home are very pleasant. When I opened the large wooden door and entered the entrance, I was greeted by Sota and a large robot.

The O family consists of Akira, Rie, and their 4-year-old son, Souta.

Not yet

Please tell us why you chose Nakayoshi Library.

O-san's family

I happened to stop by the Hankyu Department Store during an exhibition and sale, and learned about the company and its products. It's a child's toy, but it feels so soft. I fell in love with the quality of the product when I saw how every last detail was polished to perfection. I knew I wanted my son, Sota, to play with it.

Not yet

They took their time to look at the wooden toys and the big robot that was displayed as a mascot, and it seemed like both the couple were interested in the products. It's been three years already, and it feels so nostalgic. When I visited their home, I saw that they really incorporated a lot of wood into it. It felt good.

O-san's family

Both of us love wood and natural things. We asked an artist to make us a wooden doll, and we love using a single piece of horse chestnut wood for our dining table. In fact, our house is entirely made of natural materials, so it's warm even in the winter. We even use washi paper for the wallpaper.

Use wooden toys

Carp streamers

My only son, Sota, plays surrounded by toys in the living room. Not only wooden toys, but also many toy trains and cars. What should I play with today? I'm jealous of him because he has so many toys to choose from (^^♪

Even now, two years later, she still plays with the toys she has had since she was one year old every day. "She lies down and plays by herself, looking at the trains ahead," says Rie. Watching her do this reminds me of when I was little. This way of playing expands her imagination and is fun.

Wooden toys that can be played for a long time

It has already been three years since Mr. O bought us wooden toys. Sota is now four years old. Although toys tend to be played with only for a limited time, they can be played with for a surprisingly long period of time. These are the wooden toys that Sota has been using since he was little.

His favorite toy is the train, "Locomotive Hobokun." He even sleeps with it. Other than that, the "Rolling Animals," which are animals that spin around and fall, are popular with people of all ages. Sota has been using it since he was 1 year old.

The couple's values

What Mr. and Mrs. O have in common is not just that their products are good, but that they also value things other than the product itself, such as "handmade" and "being able to see the face of the maker." I felt a strong connection with them.

Asahi-san says that if he thinks something is "good", he will make an immediate decision without any hesitation. Even if it is a child's toy, he always picks it up and examines it carefully down to the smallest detail. We guide many customers, but there are not many fathers who look at things so intently.

Rie-san is a certified first-class architect who also designed their home. Rie-san is also a design professional who is involved in manufacturing on a daily basis. I felt that it was only because of the two of them that they were able to provide such a place for their son, Sota, to play and learn.

Play and learning

Asahi's workplace is in Kyoto. Rie works at an architectural firm. In the midst of their busy schedules, Sota has a full schedule of extracurricular activities from Monday to Sunday, seven days a week, after kindergarten. What's more, he says he wants to do all of them on his own and has been attending them ever since. When asked what he enjoys the most, he replied, "Robots!" Programming is apparently the latest trend. He also studies English, gymnastics, soccer, and more. He's a very busy four-year-old.

In Mr. O's home, they don't say no to what their children want to do. When they are young, they are interested in many things. And when it comes to the importance of communication at this age, Mr. Asahi says, "First of all, communication with people is important at work and school." Having many opportunities to interact with various people outside of the nursery school will be an asset for the future.

In addition, there are no compulsory lessons 7 days a week, and the couple respects what Sota wants to do. During the two hours of the interview, we could clearly see from Sota's conversation and how he was used to being photographed that playing and communicating with others are connected to his growth.

The robot at the entrance

The robot that greets guests at the entrance contains a handkerchief that is necessary before going out. His name is Sota. It comes with a name tag. Sota's friends who come to play are jealous of this robot. His height is 90cm, not much different from Sota's.

Living room storage shelves

The movable shelf is located behind the dining table and holds toys and frequently used documents. There are lots of toys for Sota in the drawers. When you pull out the drawers, there are handles on both sides, making them easy to carry.

Family introduction

The living/dining/kitchen area of the home that Rie designed is one large space. Half of it is currently used as Souta's play area. In addition to wooden toys, there are many things to play with in the living room, including educational materials and toy cars and trains. The couple are both busy, and Souta himself has many extracurricular activities, so they have limited time to spend together as a family, but when the whole family is together they can play freely in the living room. "Even when he goes to sleep, I find it soothing to have his favorite toy train next to him," says Rie.

It must be largely due to the influence of his parents that Souta has cherished his toys for so many years.

The age of mass consumption is over, and we now live with things for a long time, cherish them, and maintain them ourselves. I believe this is the way to live with things in the modern era.

We buy things cheaply and replace them when they break - does this really help children develop their minds and feel happy?

Our manufacturing goes against that trend, but as a company we could not be happier if the things we make can bring happiness to children and their families.

Thank you for your cooperation in the interview.

Interview date: Saturday, October 13, 2019 Article/photo [Nakayoshi Library Hamada]