MADE IN JAPAN.
EXCLUSIVE TO MAKE KYOTO.

Today, I went for a run near my home.

Along my familiar route, the trees are slowly changing color, and more migratory birds are gathering on the water. The seasons keep moving forward, quietly but surely.

Usually, I might simply enjoy these small changes and continue on my way. But this year, they feel a little different.

After spending so many years in a familiar environment, I'm preparing to step away from it and take on something new. As I work toward opening MAKE KYOTO, even the passing of time feels special.

Lately, I've been listening to Sense of Wonder by the Japanese band sumika while I run. It may be a song that speaks especially to younger people. But even as I approach 60, its message reaches me.

One image from the song stays with me: a notebook already filled with a thousand lines, and the courage to begin line 1,001.

The years I've spent learning, working, and finding my way do not disappear when I start something new. They are part of what makes the next step possible.

As the leaves change and the birds arrive, I feel myself moving toward a new season, too.

I'm looking forward to meeting a version of myself I haven't seen yet. So today, I keep moving forward.

— MAEKEN

Yesterday's pop-up café was held in a truly wonderful place.

Sitting upstairs, watching the stream flow by and people strolling along its banks, I enjoyed delicious pastries and coffee. It was a simple moment, but it felt like the ultimate luxury.

On my way home, I was lucky enough to ride Hankyu Railway's Kyo-train, a special train with a beautiful Japanese-style interior.

There's no extra fare, yet its thoughtful design makes an ordinary ride feel a little special. The visitors from overseas on board seemed to be enjoying the experience, too.

Two very different places, but both reminded me of the same thing.

A thoughtfully designed space can turn an ordinary moment into a special memory.

Another valuable lesson as I imagine the atmosphere of my future MAKE KYOTO shop.

Today, I visited a pop-up café run by a pastry chef I met at an entrepreneurship workshop.

The café was held at Com-ion, a beautiful traditional Japanese house in Kyoto.

On my way there, I picked up some mitarashi dango, sweet and savory rice dumplings, from Kiyasu in Juso, Osaka. I thought it might be more interesting to bring a traditional Japanese treat to someone who makes Western-style pastries.

The pastries were, of course, absolutely delicious.

But what stayed with me most was how the space itself made everything look and feel even more special.

The calm atmosphere of the old house. The thoughtful arrangement of things. And the empty space around them.

Even a wonderful product can leave a different impression depending on how and where it is presented.

During my years as a newspaper editor, empty space was an essential part of page design. Filling every corner with words and photographs was never the goal. Sometimes, leaving space was the best way to make something stand out.

I believe the same idea applies to the little shop I hope to create.

A good shop doesn't necessarily need to display as many products as possible.

I want to create a space where each word, each design, and each item has room to speak for itself.

A small discovery on a beautiful autumn day.

Today, I visited an apparel manufacturer in Osaka for my very first meeting about creating original, made-in-Japan T-shirts for MAKE KYOTO.

I'm completely new to the apparel industry. My shop hasn't opened yet. I have no track record, and I don't even have a finished product to show.

And yet, the people I met listened to my ideas with such genuine interest, patience, and care.

We talked about fabrics, silhouettes, comfort, and my desire to create something truly made in Japan. Before I knew it, a great deal of time had passed.

I was deeply grateful that they took the vision for my little shop, which doesn't even exist yet, so seriously.

More than anything, I left feeling that someone had given me a gentle push forward.

There is still a long way to go. Next come fabric selections, estimates, and many more decisions.

My hope is to create a T-shirt that visitors to Kyoto will take home as a memory of their journey — and still want to wear long after they've returned to their own countries.

Today felt like an important first step toward making that happen.

I woke up early this morning and saw an enormous rainbow stretching across the sky. What a beautiful surprise!

I wonder if it means good things are on their way. With so much to prepare before opening MAKE KYOTO, I would certainly like to think so.

A small moment of happiness to start the day. — MAEKEN

In an earlier note, I shared a book I have been reading about T-shirts. The more I read, the more I realize how much I still have to learn.

I have gained a new appreciation for the care, skill, and attention to detail behind Japanese clothing — from the fabric and the neckline to the way a T-shirt feels when you put it on.

I hope visitors from around the world will be able to experience that comfort for themselves through MAKE KYOTO.

Meanwhile, a former colleague who started his own business recommended another book: The Science of Startups (Kigyo no Kagaku) by Masayuki Tadokoro. To be honest, I have barely started it.

After more than 30 years working for a company, I still have a lot to learn about running a business — especially the financial side, which has never been my strongest subject! One step at a time. — MAEKEN

Today was the first day of the startup course organized by the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

I was so eager to get started that I mixed up the starting time and arrived an hour early. Perhaps I was a little too enthusiastic!

I was nervous at first, but everyone in my group was kind and welcoming. They all had thoughtful, well-developed business plans, and I suddenly felt that my own idea was rather simple.

Still, much of what we learned followed the same path I have been considering as I prepare to open MAKE KYOTO. That gave me some reassurance that I may be heading in the right direction.

More than anything, meeting new people who are also taking their first steps toward starting a business was the best part of the day.

I feel as though I've taken another small step forward. Now, let's keep going!