Tom Whitaker

Hanatoki Japan Flower Shop Tom Whitaker

This is the fascinating story of a flower shop in Nagoya, Japan: how it started, how it grew, when and where people use flowers in Japanese culture and how a couple found each other and made a life for themselves out of almost nothing at the end of World War Two. When do the Japanese buy flowers?How are flowers used in Japanese culture?How did this flower shop start?How do you live your own life while working in a family business?I want to tell you the story of Yayoi and her flower shop, Hanatoki, in Nagoya, Japan. While we follow her through a year in her life, I want to tell you of how the shop opened; about the roles of flowers in Japanese life; how Yayoi and her husband make their marriage work while being so close in a family business; and show you some sides of Japan you may be surprised exist. Many people have an image of Japan as a country where people work too hard and have little individuality in the face of a society that pushes conformity, but I want to try to show you a different window into Japan. One where it is possible to find your own individuality and follow your own way of doing things in life.