Today, Saturday, I visited the Kobe International Jewelry Exhibition.
I stopped by many booths featuring Akoya pearls and found that the current market prices remain much higher than I expected.
Last year marked a historic peak in Akoya pearl prices, and even now, the drop is only about 30% from that all-time high.
From what I heard, Chinese buyers—who had been relatively quiet for a while—are now back in the market with strong purchasing power.
An industry veteran with over 50 years of experience in the Akoya pearl business once said to me,
“Chinese people have always been the biggest buyers of Akoya pearls.”
About twenty years ago, the international jewelry exhibition in Las Vegas was thriving. Even back then, Chinese buyers played a major role.
Eventually, the market shifted to Hong Kong.
I myself participated in the Hong Kong international shows for about five years, and I would say 90% of the visitors were Chinese.
In recent years, Chinese companies have slowly increased their presence at the Kobe show as well—and this year, there were even more.
There were about 120 companies in total at the pearl-related booths. Of those, around 25 were Chinese-affiliated businesses.
Only a few were present three years ago, so the growth is quite noticeable.
Chinese buyers often say to me,
“Japanese people are slow to act. Cautious. Even when it comes to social media, you’re late adopters. That’s great for us.”
As a Japanese person, I must say—I agree.
About five years ago, when I worked for a pearl company and proposed starting an Instagram account, the company president said,
“Instagram? Now? Isn’t it too late?”
If he truly thought it was too late, why hadn’t he started already? I couldn’t understand that logic.
After finally getting permission to run the company’s Instagram, I spent the next six months enduring cold remarks from the president.
But once the account grew to be one of the top in the industry—just behind giants like Mikimoto and Tasaki—he started bragging about it to other pearl vendors.
That kind of person is the reason I left the company. And when I did, I deleted that Instagram account.
While Chinese sellers quickly embraced livestreaming for pearl sales, many Japanese companies proudly claimed,
“You can’t judge pearls through a screen or smartphone.”
But when the pandemic hit, some pearl businesses were forced to try smartphone-based sales.
And once they realized it was actually possible to sell pearls that way, others followed.
This is what people mean when they say “Japanese companies are slow to act.”
Maybe it’s just part of our national character. It can be called caution—or just plain sluggishness.
Even when it comes to findings and metal parts used in pearl jewelry, most designs haven’t changed in decades.
People from Yamanashi, one of Japan’s major production areas for jewelry parts, say the same thing:
“Older bosses always want to stick with outdated designs. They don’t listen to younger staff.”
Some forward-thinking companies are now trying to manufacture high-quality metal parts by drawing inspiration from affordable “petit price” accessory designs, or even Chinese designs.
Many Japanese people over the age of 50 are part of the so-called “bubble generation.”
Back then, Japan had an incredibly strong position in the world. That mindset still lingers, deeply embedded in their thinking.
They often seem to dislike change—I feel this very strongly.
I attend this international jewelry exhibition every year, primarily to check the market price trends for pearls.
Other than that, there usually isn’t much new to see.
Still, I’m happy to see that baroque pearls are gradually gaining popularity.
Perfectly round, flawless pearls are lovely—but they’re expensive and sometimes feel a bit… sterile.
Thick nacre, deep luster, and an irregular shape—what’s not to love?
There’s a certain humanity to them.
The most charming people always have something a little strange about them.
Even dogs are the same. A perfectly obedient pet—one that buys its own food, brings the newspaper every morning, doesn’t bark unnecessarily, never blocks the TV, and quietly sits while you read—might be smart, but it wouldn’t be very lovable.
Well, that’s just my personal opinion.
This may have strayed from the topic of the jewelry exhibition, but that’s the impression I was left with.
Lately, I’ve been so absorbed in metal engraving work that I’ve fallen behind in updating this website.
You can find my recent activities scattered across Etsy, YouTube, and Instagram, so please have a look.
It’s all a bit like a messy room, but for now, I’m planning to keep nurturing Flower Jem while I drift along.
It’s hot and humid tonight, so I just went to Suma Beach on my motorcycle. You can see the Pearl Bridge in the distance.
One thing I always emphasize about Akoya pearls is this:
The true beauty of a pearl lies in its thick nacre and deep, powerful luster—not its shape.
Just because a pearl is round doesn’t mean it’s good if the nacre is thin.
A famous Japanese novelist once said:
“Youth is not a period of life; it’s a state of mind.”
Even at 80, if your heart still stirs with excitement, you are in a state of youth.
On the other hand, someone young without passion or spark may not be experiencing youth at all.
So even if a pearl is round… if the nacre is thin…
And even if it’s irregular in shape… if the nacre is thick…
You get my point, right?
“Ugh, not this again…”
Yes, yes. But I’ll keep saying it.
Thank you for reading.
I always write as if I’m speaking directly to you.
I’m truly grateful.
I was a little tired after walking around the exhibition hall for two and a half hours. Perhaps that’s why the waves slowly approaching my feet in the dark night felt like anxiety for an invisible future. The same waves would have a different impression in the morning. My impression changes just by changing the time I look at the waves. Maybe I was feeling negative because I was tired. It is up to me to decide my impression of pearls and the world. Either way, walking along this beach tonight made me feel good.
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