With a park, an old man, his children, and his grandchildren's generation can also enjoy the park.
HIROPPA" was conceived 10 years ago.
Baba:I talked to Shuntaro about it in 2011, and at the time, I was just thinking "it would be nice if there was such a thing. Then, about 4 years ago, I finally started working on it. I have a child of my own, and I wanted to do something bigger than just selling pottery.
I was working in Fukuoka in my early twenties before I joined Maruhiro, and I came back to Hasami in 2010 and started working with pottery for the first time.
I believe you launched your own brand there.
Baba:That's right. My father gave me that job, and I made mugs. I went to the old craftsmen to ask them to do it, but I think they would normally reject my request. I didn't go to art school, and I had no training in pottery.
But the old men accepted the job. They were classmates of my father's, and they had loved me since I was little. I asked four craftsmen, and all four said yes.
So you decided to build a park for children to play in.
Baba:That's right. Of course, the pottery industry needs to be enlivened, but if there is a park, the old men, their children, and their grandchildren can also enjoy themselves.
And there are no grass parks in this town. There are some places like gate ball fields and other ground-like areas. The parks where children can play are located on top of mountains, and you can't get there without a car. So I thought it would be nice if there was a park.
Also, with a place like this, it is easier to tell friends and new acquaintances to come visit. In a pottery store, locals don't come and it's hard to stay long. But in a park, everyone can play together, and since there is a café, it is easy to relax and talk.
So that's why you built it here.
Baba:Yes, that's right. Actually, we have been looking for a land for 5 years. The previous head office was in Arita Town, not Hasami Town. So my father said, "I want to go back to Hasami. That's how we found this open land. There is a local tourist spot, Hasami Yakimono Park, nearby, and you can walk there, so it's a pretty nice place.
