SEPTEMBER

A florist’s toolkit: scissors, ribbon, a good vase—and, occasionally, a very detailed map.

You might be surprised by how much of my work happens piecing together addresses and making sure flowers find the right door. Some days, “florist and part-time address detective” feels like a fairly accurate job description.

Many of my orders come from people overseas sending flowers to someone here in Japan. It’s a lovely thing to be part of: helping a thought travel across time zones and arrive as something someone can hold.

The address, however, sometimes needs translating—and not just between languages.

In may parts of the world, a street name and building number usually point the way. In much of Japan however, addresses work through areas: a neighborhood, a numbered section called a chōme, a block, and finally a building.

That familiar 2-3-4 commonly means 2-chōme, block 3, building number 4. Three small numbers doing quite a lot of work—and we haven’t reached the apartment number yet.

There’s a little history tucked into those digits. Land-lot numbers introduced for taxation in the Meiji era later became a basis for addresses. As cities grew and plots were divided, finding a particular home became complicated. A 1962 law established a clearer residential addressing system, leading to the block-and-building numbering common in urban areas today.

And just to keep the detective work interesting, two separate houses can sometimes share exactly the same address, because their entrances fall within the same numbered section of a block. The family name on the hyōsatsu (表札), the nameplate by the entrance, can then become a key clue to finding the right home.

I have a growing appreciation for the Yamato delivery drivers, whose knowledge of local buildings and entrances helps solve these little mysteries.

My small tip for sending flowers: copy the full address and recipient’s name, include the building name and room number, and share a reachable Japanese phone number if available. The address in Japanese is always welcome. If there’s no local number, just let me know.

With fresh flowers, every day matters. Those small details mean less time in a delivery box and more time for someone to enjoy every marvelous dahlia petal.

Behind every bouquet is someone hoping to make another person’s day. Sometimes my part involves finding just the right flower. Sometimes it involves finding apartment 402. The wish is the same: that your thoughtfulness arrives beautifully.

Warmly, Sumika

花ばさみ、リボン、ときどき地図。海外からのご注文も多く、花を束ねる合間に「住所の探偵」になる日も多々。実は日本では、別々の家でも同じ住所になることがあり、表札のお名前が大切な手がかりになることも。地域に詳しいヤマトのドライバーさんには、いつも助けられています。建物名や部屋番号、そして可能であれば連絡のつく電話番号も添えていただけると、お届けがぐっとスムーズに。
花を選ぶときも、玄関を探すときも、贈る方の想いを大切に届けたいという気持ちは同じです。