"Chicory" in Hirosaki has been renovated as a nameplate manufacturing and sales store, now mainly made of brass.
On November 15th, the clothing store "chicori" (Sakamoto-cho, Hirosaki City) was renovated as a store that manufactures and sells nameplates and intercom covers.
This store manufactures and sells nameplates made of brass. We opened as a select shop for clothing sales in February 2010 (Heisei 22), and started nameplate production and sales business in October 2017 (Heisei 29). The clothing sales business was closed in May of this year and reopened on the same day.
The owner, Satoru Kasai, says, ``Before I started Chicory, I started using my experience as a signboard designer to create the nameplate.In recent years, I started using brass, which develops flavor over time as it ages. That was the trigger for me," he says.
The nameplate business initially started with mail orders via SNS, and orders increased from all over the country. Orders from within Aomori Prefecture have also increased, and some customers were surprised because they didn't know they were from within Aomori Prefecture. ``We wanted customers in Aomori to know more about our products, so we decided to create a place where they could see our products first,'' says Kasai.
The store, which used to be a select shop, was renovated into a showroom and atelier. In addition to exhibiting 4 types of nameplates in different sizes (from 13,200 yen), intercom covers (plate = 13,200 yen, box = 23,100 yen), and 6 types of fonts, there will also be marine lamps (from 14,190 yen), room plates (from 2,200 yen) etc. will be sold.
If handwritten, a design fee of 3,300 yen will be charged. If the design you bring in is data from an illustrator, etc., it is free of charge, but for other designs, there will be an additional tracing fee of 2,200 yen or more.
``The store name, Chicory, has the meaning of wanting people to be attached to the products and use them for a long time,'' said Mr. Kasai. "I want people to feel the importance and richness of having products used for a long time through our products," he says with a smile.
Business hours are 12:00 to 17:00. Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.
