Journal

Daily necessities and sweets store sofar / Excitement of meeting your favorites in the suburbs of Tokyo

2022.11.16

This is a series of interviews with HAA dealers. This time we will introduce "sofar," a store of daily necessities and sweets in Higashi-Koganei, Tokyo.

We spoke with Asuka Suzuki, the owner, about the story of the store's birth, its connection to HAA, and the charm of Higashi-Koganei.

Because of the Corona disaster, we wanted to create a place where people could meet.

Higashi-Koganei, Tokyo: About a two-minute walk from the south exit of Higashi Koganei Station on the JR Chuo Line, "sofar" (sofar), a store selling daily necessities and sweets, is located in a residential area, marked by blue tiles.
We sell original baked goods and other wonderful daily necessities, and hold exhibitions by artists.

Ms. Suzuki was originally a company employee. Through pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing, she sought a new way of working, and took the path of baking confectionery. Suzuki was originally a company employee.

"I felt fulfilled in my job," she says. She says, "I found my work rewarding, but as I worked while raising my children, I faced the difficulty of balancing both. My husband is a freelance photographer, and we discussed with him that it would be better suited to our family if I could also work flexibly. At that time, the path of baking sweets, which I had loved for a long time, came to mind.

At that time, I decided to pursue a career in pastry making.

MA-TO, a facility located under the elevated Higashi Koganei Station.

But the following year, in 2020, the Corona disaster struck and a state of emergency was declared. It was an unexpected happening, but Suzuki himself never imagined that it would lead him to set up store.

"It was actually my husband who proposed the idea of a real store. In his work with the community, he felt strongly about the good connections between people and between people and the city, and that's how we became Corona Disaster, and he said, 'Because we can't meet people anymore, we want to create a place where we can meet people. So why don't we set up store? "He proposed to me.

This is how sofar's actual store opened in November 2020.

The pleasure of meeting new favorites

The large glass window of the store features an illustration of baked goods with Find your new favorites!
"The concept of the store, Find your new favorites! We hope that you will find your favorites. Whether it is sweets, household goods, or exhibits, you will find new encounters and discoveries here. We want to be such an exciting place.
This concept is also utilized in Suzuki's baking.

"We want people to enjoy not only choosing sweets, but also what kind of drinks to eat them with and in what situations.

"For example, our signature product, Eight Cakes, goes well with not only coffee and tea, but actually with beer and wine. We have also devised a variety of other sweets that can be enjoyed in many different ways, such as for breakfast, as a snack, or as a nibble. Choose your favorite sweets and enjoy them in your favorite situations. We would be happy if we could be a catalyst for adding a little fun to our customers' daily lives.

Meeting HAA - a gift for my son who loves hot springs

sofar, we are pleased to offer HAA for bath Hibi, a bath salt wrapped in words.

Mr. Suzuki first picked up the bath salts when he purchased them as a gift for his son at a business meeting where HAA was exhibiting.
"My son is into hot springs and likes bath salts. When I got home and took a closer look at the product, I realized how good the concept and product were, and I immediately inquired about having it in my store.
At the store, they also communicate with customers through "HAA for bath Hibi".

"We sell our products in pieces because we want our customers to experience the fun of finding their favorites, as stated in our store concept of Find your new favorites! Everyone chooses by the title of the column on the wrapping paper, but if you are not sure, how do you feel? How about this one? I try to talk to them, and I feel happy when I see a customer who loves dogs choose the title "A Dog's Second Look".

What is your HAA time, Mr. Suzuki?

Ms. Suzuki is busy with childcare and work. We asked her about her HAA time.

Suzuki's HAA time
"I wake up in the morning, go out on the balcony and take a deep breath. Sometimes my children wake up, but when I successfully get out of bed alone, I feel refreshed and lighthearted by breathing in the new morning air on the balcony. At night, it is time to soak in the bath. I find it a relaxing time, even with the children. If I am lucky enough to be able to go to bed alone, I add bath salts and soak slowly in the bathtub, which makes me feel happy.