Tailoring for the 19th Year
I feel as though these past 19 years have been like a single journey.
Along the way, there have been lights that reached very far, and small lights that merely illuminated the ground beneath my feet.
More than speed, what mattered most was never stopping.
More than superficial flair, what mattered was precision and reliability.
I believe that within that timeline, Circles has continued to run while slowly changing its shape.
The number 19 may not just be proof of our endurance.
I believe it represents the number of "relationships" we have built and the depth of our "dialogues."
The hands of our staff every day, the support of their families, the sincere voices of our customers, and the earnest craftsmanship shared with manufacturers.
All of these things have loosely connected like a circle, and I like to think that, bit by bit, they have made the name "Circles" into a truly meaningful word.
Culture Club: A Social Experiment
On November 3rd, Culture Club in Matsubara finished its role.
I don't believe this place, which lasted for 10 years, was just a shop or a repair workshop.
I believe it was an experiment to explore new possibilities for connecting with society through the simple act of "repairing a bicycle with your own hands."
There is a culture abroad known as "bike kitchens."
Many of them are run by NPOs in partnership with local governments, deeply tied to education and regional revitalization.
I personally felt a strong affinity for that philosophy, believed in the future, and chose to "keep it going" with our own hands.
Not for profit, but for involvement and intersection.
Not for efficiency, but for sharing and mutual aid.
Thinking back now, I realize it was a difficult choice in economic terms.
However, over the course of those 10 years, through this place, many people built and repaired their own bikes, and I hope they regained the strength to "properly return to their own lives."
Every time I remember the many smiles I saw at our closing party, I feel that this challenge was never in vain.
And above all, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the staff and their families who supported this experiment.
The way they supported our daily operations, sometimes covered in grease, while continuing to give shape to what I believed in—that, I think, was the very essence of the Circles philosophy.
I hope they continue to carry that pride in their hearts.
Tailored — The "Essence" Found Through Dialogue
And now, December 1st.
On the same day as the founding of Circles, we are about to open a new door.
Its name is Circles Tailored.
We are taking the concept that once existed on the second floor of Circles and making it independent,
to "tailor" things into their best forms with an even stronger vision.
It is infused with our wish to "deliver the essence through dialogue."
It is not just about selling products or bicycles.
We want to pursue, more earnestly than ever, an attitude of listening to the other person, considering their way of riding, their lifestyle, and even their relationship with the city, to find the best answers together.
Nagoya, Aichi, and its surroundings.
We have been running in this land and environment for over 30 years.
What we have learned is that the quality of the soil, the sound of the wind, and the warmth of the people are all distinctly different from place to place.
That is exactly why I want Circles Tailored to be a place that can provide "priceless experiences and information" that cannot be measured by price alone.
I believe the act of tailoring does not begin with making, but with "listening."
To pick up the voices within the person and return them in the right form.
It is also a "design of relationships" through the tool of the bicycle.
We intend to carefully nurture Circles Tailored as that new space for dialogue from here on out.
The Circulation of Gratitude
As the name implies, "Circles" signifies various "rings."
Within those rings are countless smaller rings—in other words, support.
The staff members who support the shop every day.
The families who watch over them and keep pushing them forward.
The customers who choose, believe in, and enjoy what we create.
And the manufacturers who continue to create products earnestly somewhere in the world, and the wholesalers who deliver them to us.
Every hand supports this circle.
If even one were missing, Circles would not have lasted this long.
On this 19th-anniversary milestone, I wanted to say this to every cyclist: "Because of you, we are here today."
Words of gratitude are never enough, no matter how many you use.
That is why we hope to continue running correctly and richly, creating outlines and returning those feelings in the form of our work.
Adjusting Speed for the 20th Year
The time of 19 years does not feel like the end of a single cycle, but rather a period of adjustment to find our next speed.
（Just this year, we have moved various departments three times, and preparations for a fourth are underway. It seems like changing is our destiny.）
Personally, I always set goals with three-year cycles in mind. So, in fact, this year is merely the beginning.
Things that change and things that do not.
As if swaying between those two, we are about to take another new step.
Self-propulsion—that is the power to keep moving forward by one's own will and strength.
Not to be pushed by someone else, but to move in the direction we believe in, by our own will.
For these 19 years, I have believed in that self-propulsion.
And now, I think the time has come to tailor that power once again.
December 1st, when Circles Tailored is born.
It is the start of a new shop, and at the same time, the beginning of a new season in the story of Circles.
I hope that as people meet people, people meet cities, and people meet things, we can continue to engage in dialogue and create things correctly and with care.
This cycle cannot stop just yet.
I hope to keep running together with all of you into our 20th year.
Thank you so much for your patronage over these 19 years.
Please continue to lend us your support, your self-propulsion, and your creativity.
Also, we are planning an anniversary party this Sunday, November 30th, so please feel free to invite your friends and join us.
Well then, everyone, take care. Let’s meet again next week.