The Power of Personal Recommendations — Strengthening Relationships Through Shared Experiences
The doorbell rang, and as I opened the door, a young couple stood there with bright smiles. ‘Welcome to Komurasaki An!’ I exclaimed cheerfully, ushering them into our home. It was a thrilling moment.
When guests make a reservation, we ask them to provide their desired workshop date and time, the name of the representative, the number of participants, their nationality, and email address. We don’t request information about their age, gender, or relationship to other participants (such as being a couple).
The moment a reservation comes in, Naoko and I start daydreaming about our guests.
Yet, our imaginations often miss the mark—someone from France might live in Kuwait, or friends could be a family. Rather than feeling disappointed, we eagerly embrace these unexpected encounters.
Today’s guests were Anurag and Aboli. They met at a university in India and now live in California. When Anurag mentioned that Sameer had recommended Komurasaki An to them, both Naoko and I were thrilled.
We still remember when Sameer and his wife, Pranavi, visited Komurasaki An on March 27th. We enjoyed a wonderful tea ceremony together and celebrated Pranavi’s birthday with us. Even though it’s been five months since then, those happy memories are still vivid.
Anurag and Aboli were always smiling and nodded enthusiastically whenever Naoko or I explained something. When they tried to whisk the matcha, their smiles vanished as they focused intently on creating a froth. They even sat in a formal seiza position(sitting on their heels) to drink their tea. I couldn’t help but say, ‘Please don’t worry about sitting so formally; you can cross your legs if your knees hurt.’ Their serious approach to the tea ceremony truly moved me.
As they left, Naoko and I waved goodbye until we could no longer see them. They kept turning around and waving back. It was a heartwarming farewell.
