Japanese Floral Design Shop to Open on West 86th Street

Thanks to Nancy Nguyen Watiker [@fancynancyny] for the tip and photo!

A California couple recently closed their popular San Francisco floral business, pulled up stakes and moved to New York where they’re about to open the shop anew on the Upper West Side.

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Utsuwa Botanical Design will open soon at 80 West 86th Street, which was previously home to Flowers on the Park. Its owners, Miro and Misuzu Hayama, ran the Japanese floral design and retail business in the Nob Hill section of San Francisco for almost 15 years, closing it last December. Before that, they ran Utsuwa in Tokyo, opening there in 2000. Now California’s loss is New York’s gain as the business was well known and highly regarded on the west coast.

“Entering the shop was like stepping through a portal from the urban jungle into a fantastical greenhouse, often with jazz playing in the background,” mused a writer for The San Francisco Standard, lamenting the store’s move.

And customers in San Francisco are wishing the couple well on Utsuwa’s Facebook page and letting them know their shop will be missed.

Reviews on their Facebook page almost unanimously sing the store’s praises.

“Treat yourself to regular visits to this magical city oasis. And take home lasting joy,” gushed one customer.

“This place is magic. I absolutely love the displays and the variety of plants at this store. The owner Hiro has done a beautiful job with his little corner in San Francisco,” wrote another.

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Utsuwa is a Japanese word meaning vessel or container, such as a cup, bowl or pot. The West 86th shop is already filled with plants and botanical-themed decor. A message on the Instagram page seems eager to announce the store’s philosophy.

Lush with greenery, the store will have terrariums, bonsai plants, succulents, dry plant decor, orchids, flower arrangement, airplants, foliage and more.

According to their Facebook page, the store offers “living art, plants, bonsai, airplants, terrarium, kokedama and more.”


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