The strength to do what you set out to do, all the way through.
-The brand "Supingle" has its own factory and headquarters in Hiroshima, and originally started out as a company that made rubber products. That is why the rubber used for the soles is an original mix of natural and synthetic rubber made at the company's own factory. The rubber is crimped using the vulcanizing method, which is actually done by only about three companies in Japan. It is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, but these shoes are still made by hand by craftsmen.
Asano: I liked watching the drama "Rikuoh" (a drama revolving around the development of running shoes) (laughs), so I kind of have an image of a shoemaker.
-I see. I have the impression that there are many farmers and people with a craftsman's spirit in the culinary world. Have you ever been inspired by “craftsmen” yourself?
Asano: Yes, I do. My husband's family is a farmer, and I have always been familiar with farmers. What I feel everyone has in common is the strength to continue doing what they have decided to do. As was the case in the drama, I think Spingle arrived at its current form through repeated trial and error. It is the same with cooking; you keep trying, experimenting, and improving. I would like to learn from that kind of cumulative attitude.
-Mr. Asano, you yourself are conscious of “making things a little better” in your work, aren't you?
Asano: There are some. Even when making bento lunches, just a slight change in quantity can change the taste, and vegetables also have different water content depending on the season, so the taste can change depending on the season and the day. That is why I believe that trial and error is essential. I feel that it is only by doing this properly that we can continue to maintain quality.
-I understand that you judge taste yourself, right? I believe that the standard of taste is influenced by one's daily eating habits and experiences.
Asano: Before my child was born, I thought that "you can't make good food if you don't know what is good," so I went to various restaurants, ate local specialties on vacation, and tried local cuisine overseas to develop my sense of taste. But recently, since I started making baby food, my way of thinking has changed a little.
Since my child is only 7 months old, I cannot use any seasonings, so I make soup using only vegetable broth or kelp and dried sardine broth, which is surprisingly delicious. I realized once again that the taste of ingredients alone is really delicious, even though people tend to forget it. That taste is the “origin” of our business. If you have that taste as your "starting point," you can reset your taste buds even when you are tired and the seasoning has become too strong. Recently, I have been cherishing that sense of taste.
-I see. So it is a new sense that you have acquired in the process of raising your children.
Asano: That's right. And my children also eat the vegetable broth soup very well. It tastes good even when I drink it, and even though there is no salt or anything else in it, it has a real flavor.
