[Staff Training Report]

 

On October 27, 2025, as part of the EARTH Hiroshima staff training program, we had the opportunity to visit two Hiroshima-based companies: Lisur Co., Ltd. and Rekiseisha Co., Ltd..

 

◆ Lisur Co., Ltd.

Lisur is headquartered in the Shoko Center area of Nishi Ward, Hiroshima City.

Its business focuses on giving pre-loved clothing, primarily for babies and children, a second life, as well as creating and selling original products.

 

If you have young children, you may recognize the company’s personalized baby backpacks.
These adorable backpacks, often given to celebrate a new baby or a first birthday, have become one of Lisur’s signature products.

 

 

The company’s shops are located alongside its headquarters.

On the first floor is Lisumom, offering gifts that help families create cherished memories.

On the second floor is Lisur, a children’s secondhand clothing shop, that gives treasured clothes a new chapter.

(The company also has two sister shops in Fukuromachi, in central Hiroshima!)

 

Both floors are filled with thoughtfully made and selected products, creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
Many of us at EARTH Hiroshima are also raising children, and we found ourselves saying, “I want this!” or “That’s so cute!” many times.
Throughout the shops, we noticed thoughtful touches designed with both gift-givers and recipients in mind.

 

During our visit, we were welcomed by the company’s president, Ms. Hamaguchi.

She generously shared the company’s story, covering everything, from its beginnings to product development, sales, and shipping.

Hearing openly about both its successes and setbacks made this an invaluable learning experience.

 

Helping Create Lasting Memories

Lisur was born from the spirit of “mottainai”, a reluctance to let something valuable go to waste.

What particularly impressed us was the way the company listens to its customers and shares their feedback internally, using those insights to create products that people genuinely want to choose.

 

 

The same care extends to how products are managed, prepared, and delivered, with thoughtful details designed to delight customers from the moment their order arrives.

As we spoke with the staff, their affection for the company and its products came through clearly.

 

 

We also learned that Lisur practices the 5S principles, which can be translated as Organizing, Tidying Up, Cleaning, Hygiene, and Training, throughout its shops, offices, packing areas, and warehouse.

Every space was clean and well organized.

Along with its thoughtful approach to products, we hope to adopt some of these everyday practices as a first step toward improving our own work.

 

・Lisumom Store
1F, 2-7-23 Shoko Center, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima 733-0833, Japan
Tel: 082-276-0151 / Fax: 082-276-2026
Hours: 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
No regular closing days
Children’s play area, diaper-changing facilities, and parking available

 

・Lisur Store

2F, 2-7-23 Shoko Center, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima 733-0833, Japan
(Above the Lisumom store)

Tel: 082-208-2890
Clothing buyback inquiries: 0120-968-578
Fax: 082-208-2891

Hours: 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
No regular closing days

Parking available

 

◆ Rekiseisha Co., Ltd.

 

Our next stop was Rekiseisha, located in Misasa-machi, Nishi Ward.

The company is our partner in creating EARTH Hiroshima’s Gold-leaf orizuru bookmark.

 

Gold-leaf orizuru bookmark

 

Founded in 1905, Rekiseisha celebrated its 120th anniversary this year!

The founder’s family originally traded in swords, but changes such as the prohibition on carrying swords prompted a shift to the folding-screen business.

The founder, Seijiro Hisanaga, began developing metal-leaf paper using affordable brass leaf as an alternative to costly silver-leaf folding screens, which also took considerable time to obtain.

After repeated experimentation, the company became the first in Japan to commercialize a practical, durable gold-colored paper that resisted discoloration much like genuine gold leaf.

Originally used mainly for gold folding screens, the paper has evolved with the times and is now also used as a wallcovering.

Today, Rekiseisha’s products can be found in shrines, temples, luxury hotels, museums, and many other settings, both in Japan and around the world.

 

During our visit, we followed the production process to see how this metal-leaf paper is made.

Stepping from the modern showroom into the factory, we immediately felt the weight of the building’s long history.

 

The factory had collapsed during the atomic bombing 80 years earlier and was subsequently rebuilt using salvaged materials from a nearby elementary school.

Parts of the interior still evoked a school gymnasium, corridors, and staircases.

It felt like more than a workplace. The building itself seemed to tell its story.

 

Although the factory stood just 2.2 kilometers from the hypocenter, a chimney and one room that survived the bombing remain to this day.

We were particularly struck by the fact that these precious reminders of history are still carefully used in everyday work, rather than simply being preserved behind barriers.

 

 

 

On the factory floor, skilled craftspeople and creators worked intently at their respective stations.

Their movements revealed both a quiet beauty and remarkable concentration.

The speed and precision with which they applied the metal leaf were astonishing.

In the few minutes we spent talking, an area roughly the size of a tatami mat was already complete.

(You can also watch the process in the video below! ↓)

 

 

Alongside brass leaf, the company works with several other materials, including genuine gold leaf and aluminum leaf.

 

We also saw how metal-leaf surfaces could be combined with fabric or given decorative patterns, and how leftover leaf could be transformed into entirely new products.

The visit gave us a real sense of the material’s many possibilities.

We were deeply impressed by the team’s tireless pursuit of better products and its commitment to nurturing the next generation of creators.

 

This willingness to explore new possibilities across different fields has earned Rekiseisha recognition both in Japan and overseas.

Today, its brass-leaf products bring warmth, brilliance, and elegance to spaces around the world.

 

 

Through these visits, we gained a renewed appreciation for the passion behind craftsmanship, the importance of a well-organized workplace, and the care that goes into creating moments of delight for customers.

Our sincere thanks to everyone at both companies for sharing their valuable time and knowledge with us!