A Japanese Artisanal Craft Shop that I designed, managed, and developed with my team and the community.
In April 2020, I opened a shop in Somerville, Massachusetts. I named it Crane&Turtle. The shop was located in a beloved small business community called the Bow Market. I felt fortunate to be welcomed into this community, and every aspect of the location was perfect.
At Crane&Turtle, my team and I selected and sold items that we deemed well-designed and well-made, including but not limited to "Dento Kogei" items. The word Dento Kogei means refined artisanal arts and crafts from Japan.
We handpicked items that complement the modern lifestyle, true to practicality, usability, and sustainability. I also collaborated with shokunin from Japan and re-designed the items to fit in with the western culture and modern lifestyle.
Our hope at Crane&Turtle was that our items get cherished. Our vision is to foster an alternative to the over-consuming, easy-disposing patterns that damage our environment. We think one of the places for making an impact is in the production process itself, which includes reintroducing traditional, sustainable materials and refined techniques grounded in the wisdom of the old world. As mass production and overconsumption go hand in hand, we believe people can make an impact by choosing to purchase carefully, use longer, and consume less.
I was deeply ingrained with the importance of cherishing things, growing up in Japan, affirmed by the Japanese saying, "mottainai" ("do not be wasteful"). Disposable cups and plates, fast fashion, excessive packaging of fast foods, seasonal items that get discarded after one season, and obligational gift exchanges are all wasteful; those dishearten me. I wanted to start Crane&Turtle in the opposite direction of mass production and consumption.
I love Japanese artisanal crafts because of the way they are produced with care. I want to share them with the world. The craftsmen encourage us to use them as long as possible by repairing them or using them to their limits until the "wheels fall off," so to speak. By using items longer and wasting less, I think we, as consumers and producers, can together make a positive impact on the world.
2020年4月、ボストン近郊にあるBow Marketという人気スポット内にCrane&Turtleというお店をオープンしました。本当に素晴らしいコミュニティで、人々も温かく、最高のロケーションが見つかった事はとってもラッキーだったと思っています。
Crane&Turtleでは、良い品、良いデザインの商品を集め、伝統工芸品などを中心に日本製のものを取り扱っています。また、日本の職人さんとコラボして、現代のライフスタイルと欧米文化にあうように多くの商品開発にも携わりました。
そもそも、Crane&Turtle立ち上げの目的として、長持ちする商品を提供して『物を大切に使う』というアイデアを普及させたいという思いがありました。大量生産、大量消費の昨今の消費事情を私個人でどうする事も出来ないのは理解しているのですが、一度買ったら孫の代まで使えるような商品を扱う店がアメリカにもあってもいいかな、と。大企業と競うのではなく、スモールビジネスにはスモールビジネスの出来る事をしていきたいと考えました。
『もったいない』という意識が根付いた日本で育った私は、アメリカで生活して、ハロウィンやクリスマスなどの行事の度に大量のジャンクが売られ、粗末に扱われ、捨てられるという文化を毎年経験して常に心が痛みました。薄利多売で安価なものを売る量販店と真逆のビジネスモデルを実行し、『物を大切に扱う』という事の素晴らしさが伝わればという思いで始めましたが、ボストンという土地柄か、お客さんも本当に理解があり、我々の思いに賛同してくれる方々が多く、あたたかいサポートを受ける事ができました。
First, it opened as a pop-up shop inside the Bow Market. Unfortunately, immediately after opening in February 2020, we had to close the shop in March due to COVID-19.
まず初めに、Bow Market内にPop-upショップとして開店しました。2020年2月の開店後すぐ、3月にはコロナの影響でお店を閉めなければならない状況でした。
The pop-up shop was only open for about a month, and during that time, we felt the expected demand and positive response, so we decided to move to a larger space. Unfortunately, as soon as we rented a larger space, the corona pandemic started, and we could not open the doors. The silver lining was that we could spend time on interior decoration instead.
実質1ヶ月程の営業だったPOP UPですが、見込まれる需要と手応えを感じ、さらに大きなスペースに引っ越す事にしました。コロナ禍でお店がオープンできない状況だったので、内装にじっくりと時間をかける事が出来て、その間はオンラインショップの強化やBow Market内で開催されていたSafe Supplyに参加しました。
Thank you❤️
