Kotouen (小陶苑) a beautiful pottery gallery and tea ceremony classroom Arashiyama, Japan

Kotouen (小陶苑) is a beautiful pottery gallery and tea ceremony classroom in the heart of Arashiyama, Japan. I visited the couple who’ve run it for over 50 years, a business passed down from the owner’s father. The atmosphere was still and I didn’t want to leave. Sitting in the garden with beautiful hand-built pottery everywhere, I ended up chatting, drinking ocha mixed by the master and discussing the reasons why their business had continued for so long.

With a nondescript entrance and a small sign, it didn’t appear to attract big numbers of customers the day I visited. Just a trickle of the right kind. The entrance opens up to a small garden with low table seating under the dappled maples. A slight breeze and dancing sunlight highlight the large ceramic pieces spotted around the garden. A hotel, small animals and interesting creatures, it was like sitting in a children’s storybook.

The owner was kind enough to share his studio story and how he teaches ceramic classes while his partner teaches tea making (sado) lessons.

For the lifespan of the business they’ve cultivated a loyal base of customers that advocate for them, and they’re service is extraordinary. In the two hours I spent there, I learnt of the business history, about their connections in Perth!, how the business has passed through the family generations and many of the stories behind some of the amazing hand-built pottery pieces. The centrepiece in the workshop is a small boy riding a large fish, made for the birth of their son.

One of the reasons they explained for their continued success, is they value every customer and every moment they had to interact with them. This was a learning moment for me. Our time with each other is so precious.

At Koutouen they put a very high value on each and every interaction they have with not just current customers – but also any new people who wander through and don’t purchase.

Kotouen’s garden environment lends itself to a pace slow down and an interesting conversation. In a fear-based work environment, we’re in survival mode. Each and every interaction with work colleagues or clients is an opportunity to learn something and it may be something small, but may last a lifetime.

In Japan there’s a saying used often in business, sa-bisu gokoro (サービス心) – service mind. It’s the real desire to understand what a customer desires and leave them satisfied, happy and wanting to advocate as they walk out the door or finish using your service. It requires a focused effort on the customer, their needs and how we can meet, exceed and ultimately delight them. At Kotouen, their personal service comes from a real desire to make each person happy with their purchase and experience.

It’s up to us all to make a safe workplace and culture where we all have the capacity to focus and genuinely want to provide an amazing service or product.

The rabbit, well that was a final present from Kotouen as I left and serves as my reminder of this lesson at home each day.