Home Visit Diary - Raising Children with Wooden Toys
| Name | Mr. N |
| Your product | Flower tables, changeable chairs, and many wooden toys |
| Residence | Aichi District, Aichi Prefecture |
| Family Composition | 3 households |
It all started with the first baby set I bought.
Mr. N first encountered Nakayoshi Library when he purchased a baby set for Anna when she was born. Since then, his family has become fans of Nakayoshi Library. This photo is actually used on the Nakayoshi Library website. This time, we visited his home in Aichi to meet Anna, who is now a little older.
This time, the interview will be conducted by Kawazoe, a staff member at the Kobe store. This is my first interview, so I'm excited.
The house is in a quiet residential area. There is a park full of greenery right in front of it. It is a pleasant place that makes you want to take a deep breath. The family welcomed us warmly.
Here you go ♪
While most households are nuclear families, N-san's house has three generations living in it. Because of this, there is always someone in the house and laughter never stops. For Anna-chan, this is a great source of stimulation. There are many children of the same age in the neighborhood, making it a great environment for raising children.
Mr. N has a lot of wooden toys at home. "These products are so good that I don't want to tell anyone about them!" says Mr. N.
Thank you for the wonderful compliment! Lots of wooden toys. Please tell us how you found out about Nakayoshi Library (^^♪
I thought that the first thing I'd give to my baby after birth should be something made of wood rather than plastic, so I searched extensively online. I bought wooden toys from various manufacturers, but they were colored or had splinters... among them, the toys from Nakayoshi Library are uncolored and have nicely rounded corners, so I felt they were the safest to use.
In order to ensure that our customers can use our products with peace of mind, we put our utmost effort into each and every step of the process, from purchasing the wood to shipping it out. I'm glad that our steady efforts have been noticed.
Do you have a favorite toy that you purchased from Nakayoshi Library?
My favorite is the "Markt the Engine." I always pull it with a doll on the back or ride on it.
All aboard~ 
Put your favorite doll on it ♪
Anna playing with the locomotive Markt. I'm so happy that she had so much fun (laughs).
A changeable chair and a flower table are essentials
Whenever she wakes up in the morning, she sits on the [Hanging Chair] and plays house on the [Flower Table]. The Henshin Chair and Flower Table were in use throughout the interview.
What we, the production team, hope most is for this to become a part of Anna's life.
[The changeable chair is a versatile chair] Sometimes it can be used as a child's chair, and sometimes as a plaything. It changes to suit the child's life throughout the day. It supports the body firmly on three sides, so the child can sit upright and naturally develop the habit of sitting on the chair.
Play shop with transforming chairs 
Snack time on the transforming chair
When we were kids, there were things that we just loved without knowing why. Just having that thing made us feel safe and happy... I would be happy if I could become one of those things that makes you think, "It's always there, and I kind of like it."
As we talked, Anna-chan got used to it and even let herself join in the pretend play. The sticks are also used to cook with the pretend play set. Children's imaginations are amazing.
You can ride and play with the "Bonbon Car" ♪
[Bonbon Car] is a push car that is very useful when children start to stand up. It seems that they bought it and used it before they could walk, but they were able to walk in no time. Now they love to ride and play on it, and wait for their mother to push them (laughs). Children love these narrow spaces!
When they grow up, it can become a stylish storage box like this.
For storing picture books and magazines
The ideas and commitment of a childcare worker's mother
Ms. N is a nursery school teacher. She has devised a way to organize her toys on the shelves so that children can pick up their toys by themselves. The nursery school where she works seems to use a lot of wooden toys and furniture. She told us that being around wood helps children grow into kinder people.
For babies who often put things in their mouths, wooden toys are safe to use.
When choosing wooden toys, I looked for workshops that make them by hand, rather than mass-produced by manufacturers. I wanted to see the care, safety, and peace of mind of knowing who made them. When I actually held them in my hands, there was a warmth to them that I couldn't feel with mass-produced toys.
At Nakayoshi Library, we also value our connections with our customers, so we insist on direct sales. Since we make products just for customers who have placed orders, there are often times when you have to wait several days after placing an order.
We live in an age where anything can be purchased immediately, but we would be pleased if our customers would think of the "time they have to wait" as time for us to "create something unique" for them.
What is important to you while juggling work and child-rearing?
Since returning to her job at the nursery school, she hasn't been able to spend much time with Anna during the week, so she cherishes the time she can spend with her on weekends more than anything.
When we spent a lot of time at home due to the coronavirus, we got a lot more wooden toys! Wooden toys have also become an indispensable tool for communication.
Limited edition bakery
The bakery was part of a project called "Play at Home with Wooden Toys" that was held during the self-restraint period. The toys were limited edition and there was a lot of competition, but the whole family cooperated to buy them. It seems that everyone managed to get them.
It's great to see Anna eating the wooden bread with such gusto. It's a great encouragement to the craftsmen who made it!
For Mr. N, who always played in nature as a child, wood was a familiar presence. Therefore, it may have been inevitable for him to raise his children with wooden toys.
Growing up surrounded by lots of wooden toys
Anna-chan is 1 year and 5 months old. She can't speak yet, but she came over to me and tried her best to tell me something. I'm sure she has a lot she wants to tell me.
I felt that because they don't just play passively, but always use their imaginations when they play, the desire to communicate their feelings naturally arises.
Once they are able to talk, wooden toys will be even more useful. The sight of them actively playing and expanding their imagination is the power of life.
[Wooden toys from the Nakayoshi Library at Mr. N's house]
After the interview...
"I want to go to the Kobe store, but in this day and age, it's hard to travel far with my kids," she said. I realized that there are a lot of people who want to actually see the texture and feel of the products, which you can't get online.
So, if he can't come, we'll come to him! That's what we decided in our conversation with Mr. N.
With the Nakayoshi Library Toy Car, customers from all over the country will be able to see our wooden toys!!
We are just a little bit away from completing a toy car that can run anywhere in the country.
The atmosphere of Mr. N's family and the wooden space were so comfortable that I ended up staying for a long time. Meeting and talking with them in person not only reminded me of the good points of Nakayoshi Library, but also gave me an idea of what we should do in the future. Thank you for your valuable story and the fun time!
Thank you for your cooperation in the interview.
Interview date: Tuesday, July 7, 2020 Article/photo [Nakayoshi Library Kawazoe]
