My thoughts

~The thoughts behind starting a handcart stall~

I was born in a small town in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture. Kure is a land surrounded by sea and mountains, rich in nature. Although I was not wealthy, I grew up receiving a lot of love from my family and living a free and easy life. I was like a wild child, running around in nature, but on the other hand, I was not very enthusiastic about studying. One day, my homeroom teacher told me, "If you continue like this, you may not be able to get into a high school," so I made up my mind. After much effort, I passed the entrance exam for a public high school, and after entering, I studied hard enough to maintain the top position in my grade.
Influenced by his grandfather who was a carpenter and because he loved drawing from an early age, he thought that architectural design might be a good fit for him, and went on to study at a university with an architecture department. However, unlike what he had imagined, he soon felt his limitations and gave up. Looking back, this may have been the first time he made the choice to "run away."
After that, I made a living by doing various part-time jobs, but I had no dreams or goals and just worked every day to earn a living.

The turning point

One day, I began to have doubts about the company I was working for.
I used to think that "if we're all in the same company, we'll all be happy when we achieve sales," but in reality, that's not the case. Some people are happy when sales increase, while others aren't. Even when we achieve our quota, some people praise us, while others get jealous. I realized that competition exists not only among rival companies, but also within the company.
I was fed up with the situation, so I talked to my parents about it, and my father told me:
"No matter where you go, there will always be people like that. If you just make up an excuse to run away because you don't like it, nothing will change. Instead of running away, why not try to face them?"
Those words made me realize that I was trying to run away again. The same problems would occur wherever I went. So I had to change.
"Then why not start your own business? If you take full responsibility for everything, you'll definitely be able to change."
My father said.
"Anyone can start a business. But what's important is the determination to face difficulties. Are you ready? There's no escape."
"I get it. Now that I've decided to do it, I'll take action!"
Thus began my journey into entrepreneurship.

Making Hiroshima a more attractive city

My father was also an entrepreneur, so we consulted on a daily basis from then on.
"I grew up in Hiroshima and I love Hiroshima. But Hiroshima has the worst emigration rate (for two consecutive years at the time, and three consecutive years since then). If things continue like this, the town where I grew up will become depopulated. Is there anything I can do?"
My father's words came to mind.
"Business is about solving a problem. If there's no demand, there's no business."
When I asked my father, "What is missing in Hiroshima?"
"Think simply. There are many reasons why people move here, such as a lack of employment opportunities or the environment for raising children, but ultimately it's because the town isn't attractive. People gather in fun places. That's all there is to it."
Indeed, I realized that even though the conditions are not much different from other prefectures, the fact that Hiroshima is the only prefecture with a declining population means that it simply does not have enough appeal.

"Well then, start doing something you enjoy!"
That's when an idea came to mind: an old man with a handcart stall that I had seen in a video before. "Hiroshima doesn't have a food stall culture. So I'll try running a handcart stall!"
When I consulted my father about it, he encouraged me, saying, "In Hiroshima, there are only a few food stalls, like the one in Kure, so it's difficult to get into the business. But it could be fun to run a handcart stall in Hiroshima city!"
And so my handcart stall began.

Now that we've reached our first anniversary, we're taking on new challenges

There were many times when I cried and thought, "I might not be able to do this anymore." But there were people who supported me, and I was able to hang in there somehow. Finally, it's been a year, and I'm grateful that many people have supported me, and I'm flooded with orders. However, my current small kitchen can't keep up with production, so I need to make my work more efficient.
I am not yet making enough profit to hire someone, and I don't have enough money to start a store. However, I can't cut back on the work I'm currently receiving. So, at the turning point of my first anniversary, I decided to get support from everyone and a bank loan to open my dream store.
My goal is to create a new style of onigiri shop that has never been seen before. I want to use the experience I gained from the handcart stall to create the best store that everyone will remember.
My Dream: Making Hiroshima more fun
The onigiri shop is one of my goals, but my dream is to make Hiroshima a more lively and fun city. And eventually, to create jobs. However, there is a limit to what one person can do.
That is why I want to spread the know-how I have gained and create an environment where the younger generation can take on challenges without fear. I want to create a society where taking on challenges is the norm. To that end, I myself will continue to take on new challenges and move forward.
Both as an onigiri shop owner and as an entrepreneur.
I would be so grateful if you could support me, Azuma Kaho, in my challenge!