Japanese
Andersen and Denmark
● Why Denmark?
The founder of Andersen Group, Shunsuke Takaki, was demobilized and sent home from the front in 1946. Finding his hometown Hiroshima blasted by the atomic bomb and completed ruined by fire and radiation, what gave him the courage was a book written by Kanzo Uchimura, "Denmaruku Koku no Hanashi" (The Story about Denmark). The book described how the agriculture of Denmark, which lost the war against Germany in 1864 and was forced to cede much of its most fertile land, was restored by an officer in a lieutenant of the military engineer's corps, E. Dalgas. The spirit that runs through this story is that "a country is not annihilated even if it loses a war", which matched with the conditions of Japan at that time. This was the reason why Mr. Takaki started to admire Denmark.
Afterward, he founded "Takaki's Pan (Takaki Bakery)" in 1948. In 1959, when he went on his first study trip to Europe, he was directly exposed to Danish life and culture and felt a strong sense of sympathy with them. He confirmed once again that the true merits of a company are not the scale of the company, but rather the quality of its products, as well as the character of its employees and its policies.
Moreover, at the visit, he was moved by the taste of Danish pastries he ate for breakfast at a hotel in Copenhagen. He wanted to do anything in his power to make it possible for as many Japanese people as possible to enjoy this authentic taste. He pursued his goal tirelessly by inviting specialists from Denmark and sending out Japanese craftspeople etc., and eventually succeeded in commercialization of Danish pastries in Japan. The encounter with Danish pastries marked the start of a big epoch where the future directions of the company were cultivated, such as the development of methods for frozen bread manufacturing so that as many customers as possible could eat pastries fresh from the oven.
Since 1966, when the company sent its first employees to Denmark, a total of more than 500 employees have been sent there to study special skills. Moreover, we have planned and conducted many field trips to Denmark for our employees. Thus, we did not only learn about the products from Denmark. The lifestyle and way of thinking of people living in Denmark are the true models for the Group. Placing higher importance on "having high-quality things rather than having many things", having a positive attitude to the pursuit of higher quality in the everyday life, and "only owning truly good things and only as many as needed". These particular Danish attitudes have, more or less, provided the guidelines for the Group's policies: we would like to be "a company that pursues higher quality for products and employees, rather than aiming for a larger company scale, where the company policies can be handed down to the next generation".
● Origin of the store name, Andersen
Andersen, which as of today (March, 2009) encompasses 75 stores throughout Japan, started as a store to be the model and core of the service functions of Takaki Bakery in 1967 in Hondori, Hiroshima City.
The name was taken from Hans Christian Andersen, the world-famous Danish fairytale writer. Just like the fairytales of Andersen turned on the lights of dream and happiness in the minds of people all over the world, we hope to turn on the light of happiness in people's minds through our contributions to their dining tables. This is why we chose the name.
● Andersen Hiroshima and Denmark
"Hyggelig Life Starting with Bread" The Andersen store that was born in 1967 in Hondori, Hiroshima City (current Andersen Hiroshima) has evolved into the current building by going through various stages of addition and improvement. At each stage of addition and improvement we took advantage of the original western building constructed before the war, which was one of very few in Hiroshima, and borrowed the design image from Scandinavia, in particular Denmark.
We set the theme of the entire building to "Hygge for Life" at the renewal in 1988, and to "Hyggelig Life Starting with Bread" at the renewal in 2002.
"Hygge" is a Danish word that means comfortable atmosphere filled with ease and warmth born from contact among people. This word conveys the Danish spirit and cannot be translated well into words in other languages. As a group of stores representing a company identifying itself with Denmark, we hope to express that special heart-warming feeling we learned from Denmark in the air wafting in our services and the entire building.
● The history of building
Build in 1925 as Hiroshima Branch of Nihon Bank that used the Renaissance style.
Changed Hiroshima Branch of Imperial Bank in 1943 and was atomic bombed in
1945, damaged seriously because of the blast and burnt down.
Renewed in 1950.
Bought by Takaki Bakery Co.,Ltd in 1967, and opened Andersen Hiroshima in Oct.
First the founder Shunsuke Takaki and his wife worried the use for it. In order to
find the effective way, they visited Europe. In a Rome窶冱 confectionery, they were
impressed by the way of use that an old building was importantly used and
something new one was being made from among the atmosphere. Then they decide縲�
to build an Andersen shop that used the old building as it was and based on
Northern Europe.
Expansion and improvement of Andersen Hiroshima, borrowing a design image from Scandinavia, were completed in 1978.
Remodeled interior decorations in 1988.
Renewed and opened with the concept of "the Bakery and more: Hyggelig Life Starting with Bread" in 2002, the outside is importantly left the profoundness and the beauty of the Renaissance style and the inside produces the bright atmosphere as the theme that the Danish modern of the 20 century.
● Denmark Fair
The Denmark Fairs, which we have held since 1968, are events where we introduce a touch of Danish life focusing on the dining table. Over the years, we have introduced many products from Denmark.
About us | Corporate Philosophy | Andersen and Denmark | History
● Why Denmark?
The founder of Andersen Group, Shunsuke Takaki, was demobilized and sent home from the front in 1946. Finding his hometown Hiroshima blasted by the atomic bomb and completed ruined by fire and radiation, what gave him the courage was a book written by Kanzo Uchimura, "Denmaruku Koku no Hanashi" (The Story about Denmark). The book described how the agriculture of Denmark, which lost the war against Germany in 1864 and was forced to cede much of its most fertile land, was restored by an officer in a lieutenant of the military engineer's corps, E. Dalgas. The spirit that runs through this story is that "a country is not annihilated even if it loses a war", which matched with the conditions of Japan at that time. This was the reason why Mr. Takaki started to admire Denmark.
Afterward, he founded "Takaki's Pan (Takaki Bakery)" in 1948. In 1959, when he went on his first study trip to Europe, he was directly exposed to Danish life and culture and felt a strong sense of sympathy with them. He confirmed once again that the true merits of a company are not the scale of the company, but rather the quality of its products, as well as the character of its employees and its policies.
Moreover, at the visit, he was moved by the taste of Danish pastries he ate for breakfast at a hotel in Copenhagen. He wanted to do anything in his power to make it possible for as many Japanese people as possible to enjoy this authentic taste. He pursued his goal tirelessly by inviting specialists from Denmark and sending out Japanese craftspeople etc., and eventually succeeded in commercialization of Danish pastries in Japan. The encounter with Danish pastries marked the start of a big epoch where the future directions of the company were cultivated, such as the development of methods for frozen bread manufacturing so that as many customers as possible could eat pastries fresh from the oven.
Since 1966, when the company sent its first employees to Denmark, a total of more than 500 employees have been sent there to study special skills. Moreover, we have planned and conducted many field trips to Denmark for our employees. Thus, we did not only learn about the products from Denmark. The lifestyle and way of thinking of people living in Denmark are the true models for the Group. Placing higher importance on "having high-quality things rather than having many things", having a positive attitude to the pursuit of higher quality in the everyday life, and "only owning truly good things and only as many as needed". These particular Danish attitudes have, more or less, provided the guidelines for the Group's policies: we would like to be "a company that pursues higher quality for products and employees, rather than aiming for a larger company scale, where the company policies can be handed down to the next generation".
● Origin of the store name, Andersen
Andersen, which as of today (March, 2009) encompasses 75 stores throughout Japan, started as a store to be the model and core of the service functions of Takaki Bakery in 1967 in Hondori, Hiroshima City.
The name was taken from Hans Christian Andersen, the world-famous Danish fairytale writer. Just like the fairytales of Andersen turned on the lights of dream and happiness in the minds of people all over the world, we hope to turn on the light of happiness in people's minds through our contributions to their dining tables. This is why we chose the name.
● Andersen Hiroshima and Denmark
"Hyggelig Life Starting with Bread" The Andersen store that was born in 1967 in Hondori, Hiroshima City (current Andersen Hiroshima) has evolved into the current building by going through various stages of addition and improvement. At each stage of addition and improvement we took advantage of the original western building constructed before the war, which was one of very few in Hiroshima, and borrowed the design image from Scandinavia, in particular Denmark.
We set the theme of the entire building to "Hygge for Life" at the renewal in 1988, and to "Hyggelig Life Starting with Bread" at the renewal in 2002.
"Hygge" is a Danish word that means comfortable atmosphere filled with ease and warmth born from contact among people. This word conveys the Danish spirit and cannot be translated well into words in other languages. As a group of stores representing a company identifying itself with Denmark, we hope to express that special heart-warming feeling we learned from Denmark in the air wafting in our services and the entire building.
● The history of building
Build in 1925 as Hiroshima Branch of Nihon Bank that used the Renaissance style.
Changed Hiroshima Branch of Imperial Bank in 1943 and was atomic bombed in
1945, damaged seriously because of the blast and burnt down. Renewed in 1950.
Bought by Takaki Bakery Co.,Ltd in 1967, and opened Andersen Hiroshima in Oct.
First the founder Shunsuke Takaki and his wife worried the use for it. In order to
find the effective way, they visited Europe. In a Rome窶冱 confectionery, they were
impressed by the way of use that an old building was importantly used and
something new one was being made from among the atmosphere. Then they decide縲�
to build an Andersen shop that used the old building as it was and based on
Northern Europe.Expansion and improvement of Andersen Hiroshima, borrowing a design image from Scandinavia, were completed in 1978.Remodeled interior decorations in 1988.
Renewed and opened with the concept of "the Bakery and more: Hyggelig Life Starting with Bread" in 2002, the outside is importantly left the profoundness and the beauty of the Renaissance style and the inside produces the bright atmosphere as the theme that the Danish modern of the 20 century.
 1F bakery |
 1F wine & cheese |
 1F flower |
 3F Marguerite club floor |
 4-6F party floor |
● Denmark Fair
The Denmark Fairs, which we have held since 1968, are events where we introduce a touch of Danish life focusing on the dining table. Over the years, we have introduced many products from Denmark.
About us | Corporate Philosophy | Andersen and Denmark | History