Today is February 9th.
Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time preparing for my tax return, which has taken away precious time with pearls. In the end, I decided to entrust my tax filing to a tax accountant.
Last week, I took all the documents I had prepared to a free tax consultation. The tax accountant sighed and said, “Amateurs can’t do this. Especially in your case, since you’re selling overseas, it’s even more complicated. Many accountants in their second year still don’t understand international transactions.”
Honestly, it could have just been a tactic to scare me into signing a contract, or maybe he was telling the truth. Either way, when he said, “If the tax office audits you, it will be a nightmare,” I surrendered. If this were boxing, I would have lost by first-round TKO.
So, after that consultation, I spent the next week preparing all the documents he requested and finally submitted them yesterday. Well, “submitted” just means I sent them via a messaging app.
After that, I felt a huge sense of relief. I joyfully worked on pearl orders and searched for new pearls. Before I knew it, it was 4 AM because I was having so much fun.
Today, I updated my Etsy shop, Flower Jem.
The shop information had been left incomplete for a long time. I realized how careless I can be sometimes—after all, it has been over four years since I opened the shop!
One section required a “Shop Story.” When I wrote it out truthfully, it ended up being 5,300 characters. However, Etsy has a 5,000-character limit.
So, I asked ChatGPT to shorten it for me. But no matter how many times I asked, it kept exceeding the limit. I started wondering if it had trouble with numbers.
After over ten attempts, and even trying a different chat account, I finally got it to summarize it down to 4,000 characters.
At least, it’s better than what I could have done myself.
I filmed this for my Etsy shop introduction video. I’m not sure if it really works as an introduction, but I guess it’s better than nothing.
Since I didn’t want the original text to go to waste, I decided to publish it on my own website. I’ve written similar things before, but I hope this gives you an idea of my background.
When it comes to pearls, quality is important. But knowing who is making them is just as crucial.
Pearls are expensive, and no one wants to buy from someone they don’t trust.
Of course, some people might read this and think, “I wouldn’t buy from this person.” Just like some prefer round pearls while others love baroque, preferences vary.
Finding the right shop for you is important, and the process can be enjoyable too.
Personally, I care a lot about who I buy from.
Even if the price is a little higher, I prefer to buy from someone I like. Some may ask, “Are you rich?”—but in reality, I don’t shop much.
I also never use store point cards. Even if they help save money, I know I’d end up buying unnecessary things just to use the points. Instead, I try to buy only what I need.
Well, that’s half true. The real reason is that I can’t manage too many point cards. My wallet would be stuffed full, and that would be annoying.
Now, I’ve lost track of what I was talking about.
I still had a point card from a band studio I used to go to as a hobby. I hadn’t been to any of their locations for the past ten years, but when I recently visited one and showed the card, the staff had never seen that old design before. They told me, “You should keep this as a souvenir.”
To me, ten years ago feels like “just a little while back.”
Oh right, I wanted to make use of my long shop story, so I’m adding this introduction.
At this point, I’ve written 1,508 characters.
Completely unrelated, but Japan is experiencing a severe cold wave right now.
That said, where I live, the highest temperature is 5°C, and the lowest is 0°C. Canadians or Alaskans would probably say, “That’s spring weather!”—but for me, it’s freezing.
I really can’t handle the cold.
And though I don’t need to mention this, my air conditioner in Kobe has been broken for five years.
When I was working for a pearl company—until last year—I spent every December and January at pearl farms between Japan and Korea, sorting pearls. So, I didn’t really need heating at home.
But now, I spend winter here.
On weekdays, I stay in an apartment in Osaka, where I do have a functioning air conditioner.
But my home in Kobe is unbearably cold. I survive by keeping my feet warm with an electric kotatsu.
You might think, “Why not just get the AC fixed?”
Well, repair services only operate on weekdays, and I’m always in Osaka on weekdays.
The real reason my AC broke is because, about five years ago, sparrows started building nests on top of the outdoor unit on my balcony.
The unit is mounted near the ceiling, and there was a small gap where they made their home.
I didn’t want to disturb them, so I stopped using the AC while they were there.
One day, I noticed the sparrows were gone and decided to turn on the AC—but by then, it had already stopped working.
It felt like the AC was saying, “You prioritized those rent-free sparrows over me!”
But I thought, “Maybe one day, they’ll repay me like in that old folktale.” So, I’ve been waiting ever since.
I have a feeling that writing things like this might go away customers.
Pearls are elegant, luxurious items.
Some people might feel disappointed reading such a poor-sounding story.
But my philosophy is to be unpretentious and genuine.
To sell pearls that are truly authentic, I must be completely transparent about myself.
With that, my introduction has now reached 2,389 characters.
So, I will now share the original shop story I wrote for Etsy.
(Stay tuned for that!)
I recommend reading this 「Rinding Through the Night 」in the same vein as Whitesnake’s Still of the Night.
In my mid-30s, I had no particular interest in Akoya pearls. By chance, my new employer was a company that cultivated Akoya pearls. There, I spent my days sorting these pearls. After about three years, I became completely captivated by the allure of blue baroque pearls.
As a liaison between the pearl farm’s manager, employees, and the head office, I gained firsthand insight into the challenges faced on the ground and how Akoya oysters are nurtured. I also played a role in aligning the management’s policies with the farm’s practices. Reconciling these perspectives was often challenging, but our shared goal was to cultivate exceptional Akoya pearls.
One day, a customer who had purchased our pearl products called to express their joy. During our conversation, I felt a sense of urgency: “Perhaps this person has more passion for pearls than I do.” I invited them to visit our company and immerse themselves in the world of Akoya pearls. However, due to their physical disability, traveling to our company, which was about a four-hour drive away, was not feasible.
At that time, I had been riding a motorcycle for about six months. I packed pearls into my backpack and decided to visit the customer’s home over the weekend. Despite my limited experience, I was apprehensive about riding on the highway. I spent about six hours navigating cold mountain roads in early November, trembling from both fear and the cold. From my home in Kobe, the journey to the customer’s residence in the southernmost part of Wakayama Prefecture involved deep, winding mountain paths. I drove through the darkness, battling the cold, and finally arrived in the customer’s town.
The next day, I presented the pearls I had brought. The customer was deeply moved. This moment is something I will never forget. It felt like the real Santa Claus had appeared on Christmas.
Here are some photos from my second visit to my customer’s home in Wakayama. It was spring at the time. My customer’s house is located near the southernmost point of Honshu.
On this day, I once again had the pleasure of seeing many pieces from their gemstone collection and spending a wonderful time together.
Totsukawa Village, located in central Wakayama, felt like a hidden paradise. It is rare in Japan to find a stretch of nearly 100 kilometers without a single traffic light. I rode my motorcycle for over two hours, weaving through the towering mountains.
During our time together, the customer shared stories about various gemstones. They suggested, “If you love pearls so much, why not sell them on Etsy?” I had never heard of Etsy before. That was when I realized, “I can sell them myself.”
In my company, my role was primarily as a liaison between the pearl farm and the head office. While I managed social media, the company preferred me to focus on liaison and pearl cultivation rather than retail. However, I was eager to engage not only in pearl cultivation but also in processing, wholesale, product development, and retail. Initially, I handled these areas for several years, but gradually, new employees were assigned these tasks, and I found myself distanced from them.
Feeling a sense of loss, I came across a necklace on Instagram made with colored threads and all-knotting technique. I was struck by its beauty. Until then, I hadn’t been particularly attracted to pearl necklaces. Despite differences in quality, they all seemed similar, lacking individuality. That’s why I liked baroque pearls; each one has a distinct character. I used to enjoy attaching baroque pearls to tie pins and cufflinks, and I had been making and wearing baroque pearl bracelets since then.
Inspired by the all-knot necklace, I purchased materials and began practicing making them myself. When I asked my colleagues about the all-knotting technique, they responded, “All-knot? It’s very tedious… It’s a hassle to teach. Also, you might not know, but nowadays, we use durable threads, so there’s no need to all-knot. In the past, we used silk threads that were prone to breaking, so we tied knots between each pearl to prevent them from scattering if the thread broke. But now, with strong synthetic threads, that’s unnecessary.” My intentions were completely misunderstood by my colleagues.
Reluctantly, I searched for all-knotting techniques on YouTube and practiced every night. From 6 PM to around midnight, I continued this for about two weeks until I was able to make a necklace. I was eager to share the beauty of this necklace with someone, so I decided to open a shop on Etsy. However, lacking knowledge in marketing and web management, I thought pearls wouldn’t sell. Yet, about three months later, I received my first order. I still remember nervously packing the pearl necklace. The interaction with that customer was wonderful. They were kind and expressed, “I didn’t realize how happy it would make me to have a customer like you who chose pearls.”
Then, a customer who became like a mentor in all-knotting appeared. Their requests were very detailed: “Please create patterns with one, two, and three knots, and measure the length of each knot. Also, try making the knots using both methods: tying three times at once and making three knots individually.” At that time, it took me about 1.5 hours to make a single all-knot necklace. Nights were spent making and dismantling three or four necklaces. This customer purchased many pearl products from me over about a year. Many of them had meticulous instructions, allowing me to learn and refine my skills in pearl product creation. Thanks to them, I now have no hesitation in dismantling a necklace that took an hour to make. I am now happy to accept and enjoy any requests from customers.
By chance, I fell in love with pearls at a company I joined, learned about Etsy through a customer, discovered the all-knotting technique, and here I am, a series of fortunate coincidences. Currently, I am also practicing metalworking.
I don’t know where this journey will take me next, but I welcome every challenge with excitement, just as I did when I rode my motorcycle through the mountains to deliver pearls to someone who truly loved them.
The pearls chosen by my customer in Wakayama. They have a stunning luster and an exceptionally smooth surface.
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