December 4th, 1948. The four women finally opened Motoya Baby Shop.
Starting with just two display cases, the four of them worked incredibly hard, sharing the responsibilities and balancing their work and family lives.

When the opening date was finally decided in 1948, we divided up the roles according to the circumstances of each household and rushed to make the products. We carefully considered how to balance work and family life so that neither of us would fail as housewives or mothers, but in reality, it was busier than we had imagined, and in the end everyone took on more than their share, working incredibly hard, and somehow we were able to get the products ready.
On December 4, 1948, Baby Shop Motoya opened with just two display cases inside Motoya Shoe Store, the third store on the mountain side of Center Street from the corner of Kobe Tor Road.The products displayed in the cases were baby underwear and clothes, bibs with appliqué and hand-embroidered details, aprons, and children's clothing.Also, hand-knitted leggings and sack coats, all of which were handmade and had a cute, elegant feel.However, looking back now, they were so amateurish that they could hardly be called products.

The oldest member, Tamura Mitsuko, was primarily responsible for product production, setting up a small cutting table, sewing machine, and iron in her home, while Tamura Etsuko showed off her skills in handicrafts and creating tasteful art designs.
Murai Miyoko was in charge of knitting and sales, while Sakano Atsuko was responsible for sales and purchasing.
Every morning, after taking her child to kindergarten, Sakano Atsuko would stop by Tamura Mitsuko's house, bring the finished products to work, and work late into the night every day.

It was the end of the third year after the war, and jingle bells were playing in the streets and Christmas trees were being decorated. Images of defeat were beginning to fade. However, clothing was still scarce, and poor quality clothing that would easily peel after washing was still circulating in the streets. At that time, Baby Shop Motoya's products stood out, using the highest quality imported embroidery thread and fabric.
Because they were made using high-quality materials such as French embroidery thread and British wool that had been stockpiled before the war, as well as rare embroidery fabrics, the colors did not fade even after washing, and because the fabrics were always soaked in water for a long time and shrunk once before use, they did not lose their shape even after washing. Baby Shop Motoya's products quickly gained a reputation, and word of mouth spread day by day.

One day, close to Christmas, I bought some silver bells and holly leaves to decorate the empty display cases, hoping to liven up the Christmas atmosphere a little.
He suddenly had the idea of ​​putting candy inside the bell as a souvenir for children who were home alone, and he quickly wrapped the candy-filled bell in cellophane paper to make it look like a large flower, and when he added a holly branch to the knot of a red ribbon, it turned out to be just as effective and beautiful as he had expected, and at that moment he had an idea that "this could easily be sold as a product."

They named these "Candy Bells," put up signs saying they were for Christmas presents, and priced them at 100 yen. They sold out as soon as they were put on display. Although they were intended for children, they also sold like hotcakes as souvenirs for adult Christmas parties, such as dance parties, which were becoming popular at the time.
Atsuko Sakano and her colleagues were delighted that a single change in packaging had given the product new appeal and led to increased sales, and they also experienced firsthand the power of competing on ideas.

Thus, Motoya Baby Shop opened, and as its popularity grew, they began to take on custom orders. However, the women were not very good at business, which often surprised Mr. Motoda and his husband.
Although those around her chuckled at her business management, which did not include labor costs or design fees, she taught them the ropes of business, and before long they too began to pick up the tricks of the trade.