Collection Spring 2026

As the years go by, I find myself thinking more about succession. Of course, the passing on of business management is important, but what feels even more vital—and far more difficult—is the passing on of culture. To put it another way: numbers belong to management, but the heart belongs to culture. And in the end, it is the heart of each and every employee that forms the true roots of a company.

At 45R, we have long placed great importance on our “festivals.” In spring, in summer, and at the New Year, we welcome guests to our flagship store and host them together, all of us as one. Hanami, shaved ice, mochi pounding—each person devoted to their task, yet when seen as a whole, it was almost flawless harmony. I always loved to watch these scenes of our “festivals.” For this is the culture of 45R, and the same spirit of unity and focus naturally lives on in our craftsmanship as well.

But last year’s New Year mochi-pounding festival left me unsettled. Outwardly, it was no different—smiles on the faces of our staff, customers happily enjoying the event. And yet, something was missing. The harmony was gone, the core was gone. I felt there was no true “heart” behind it, and I carried that shock with me through the turn of the year.

I noticed small things. Hot water boiled not with firewood, but with a gas stove. Mochi served not in earthenware, but in plastic trays—without anyone pausing to feel the difference. Perhaps it sounds exaggerated, but to me this was a sign of danger.

Because it is precisely in such small details that both festivals and business are made. I remember one summer festival years ago, when an employee went from one ice dealer to another, explaining, negotiating, and carefully choosing the finest blocks of ice for kakigōri. “Just ice,” one might say. But it is exactly the same care we bring every day to cotton, yarn, dye, and stitch. That is who we are.

Our festivals are not simply gatherings. They are the stage where we share and nurture the very heart of 45R. For this reason, I wish to strengthen them even more, and continue them into the future.