If we think of appreciating flowers as loving people, we might be able to see a glimpse of Azuma Makoto's beliefs.

Azuma Makoto pursues the "value of flowers" with a stance that is unswayed by trends. There's a reason why he approaches flowers with such keen sensitivity, almost to the point of madness, and with such sincerity. "What is 'beauty'? Flowers wither, so are they truly beautiful only when they bloom? How many people know that only 20% of the flowers that the general public sees as products are produced for human desire? Flowers are beautiful in their entirety, even the parts people don't need." His challenge to overturn the blind, preconceived notions that pervade society and elevate the value of flowers has remained unchanged since the company's founding.

In his latest project, "In Broom," he arranged flowers in outer space and in the middle of the Philippine ocean, a place where no plants would normally live. "I'll do something crazy next time too. There's a reason for barren land. I want to pursue that reason," he says, and his work is always full of surprises. The same can be said for the Flower of Romance store at Shinjuku Isetan. "I want to inspire people who have never been interested in flowers to realize how beautiful they are, and to inspire recipients of Flower of Romance flowers to wonder, 'Is this really a flower?'" says Mochizuki, the store's manager. Motivated by Mochizuki's words, "It's good to pursue the value of flowers, but why not spread it?", Azuma decided to take action, saying, "If you say so, I'll do it." The store's opening focused on the concerns that people have about the difficulty of buying flowers. "We cut and kill tens of thousands of flowers a year, so we have a responsibility to treat living creatures. The purpose of flower arranging is to help people experience the true meaning of flowers in their daily lives. I believe that this is something that fashion or champagne cannot do." Flower of Romance is the embodiment of this earnest desire. "I'll just keep working diligently and sincerely with my approach to flowers. To truly understand and spread the value of flowers, it's meaningless unless I'm the best in the world," he asserts. Indeed, the global gaze on Azuma Makoto is evident from the constant media coverage he receives. Just in the past year or two, his work and the "In Broom" project have been featured in Thames & Hudson's book "FLORAL CONTEMPORARY: The Renaissance in Flower Design," Le Monde's "M Magazine," the New York Times, and the Huffington Post. "Honestly, the level of Japanese flower design is high. But the question is how to interpret and promote flowers. We depend on plants for our survival. That is the value of flowers. Even as I compete on the world stage, I will maintain my current approach, remaining natural, strong, and resilient, so I hope you'll keep an eye on me."

His work on the world stage spans a wide range, from the aforementioned leading fashion houses to global companies and artists from other genres, but even in his activities to "spread the value of flowers," which is what he is most focused on, opening a store at Shinjuku Isetan is just the beginning for him. He is also planning pop-ups in important cities around the world such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, and New York. The day is not far off when many people around the world will be able to experience the true meaning of flowers in life at his store.