Jewelry Can Connect People

The other day, while I'm staying in Japan, a package arrived for us.

Inside was okonomiyaki from one of my longtime customers.

We've known each other through Instagram for several years, and receiving such an unexpected gift made me stop and think about all the connections my jewelry has brought into my life.

If you've followed me for a long time, you probably know I have a soft spot for hedgehogs.

About ten years ago, I discovered a famous Instagram hedgehog named Azuki. He was unbelievably cute—almost like a little boy. He had so many facial expressions, wore tiny costumes, and had a huge following. After finding Azuki, I started watching videos of hedgehogs all the time.

Eventually, I designed a simple hedgehog necklace.

The design is minimal, but I paid special attention to tiny details: the little eye and nose. Somehow, those small parts capture the charms of a real hedgehog.

One day, I gathered my courage and contacted Azuki's owner, asking if it would be possible to photograph my necklace on Azuki himself.

To my surprise, he kindly said yes.

When he shared the photo on Instagram, many of his followers saw my jewelry. Soon afterward, I received a direct message from someone asking if I could make the hedgehog design as a bracelet instead.

That person was the same customer who just sent me the okonomiyaki.

Over the years, he has ordered another hedgehog bracelet and other pieces as well. This time, he even asked if it would be okay to send a gift to the place where I'm staying in Japan.

Honestly, I was surprised.

I kept thinking,

"Who is the customer here?"

He bought my jewelry... and then he sent me a present.

This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Years ago, another customer sent us seasonal fruit as a thank-you gift.

Moments like these remind me why I started making jewelry in the first place.

From the beginning, my brand has had one simple concept:

Jewelry can connect people.

Originally, I thought that meant jewelry could connect the person wearing it with someone who notices it and starts a conversation.

But over the years, I've realized something else.

My jewelry has connected me with people, too.

Customers, fellow artists, event organizers, market vendors... I've met so many wonderful people because of these small pieces I make with my hands.

Without jewelry, our paths would probably never have crossed.

I'm not a particularly outgoing person, and I'm not the kind of person who talks a lot.

For me, making jewelry is a way of expressing myself.

It's how I communicate.

And, in many ways, it's how I meet people.

Receiving that package of okonomiyaki reminded me that sometimes the most meaningful things we create aren't the objects themselves.

They're the relationships that quietly grow around them.