Debut on magazine

Officially I can announce that satokomatsu got published on magazine!

Bellydance Japan Vol.42

Published today!

 

A few weeks ago, I received email from editor, for me, that's all of sudden.

Since then we had been mailed each other, like small Q and A.

I'm glad they work hard to collect my information.

 

2 items are on magazine.

One is this Arabic name pendant with tassel.

 

The other is Arabic name key chain.

Both are available on etsy.

 

I really appreciate they found me and I could have such nice opportunity.

In Jan, I join handmade market in Osaka, I can show this article.

Must be nice promotion!

 

 

 

Japanese traditional music concert

Yesterday I went to Yoshida Brothers concert!

They are famous Tsugaru Shamisen players.
Shamisen is like Japanese Banjo, it has 3 strings.
Tsugaru Shamisen has very strong attack sound when they play.
Whey they play, for me, almost rock music (and I love rock music)

A few years ago, I saw their older brother's another group named "wasabi", that was the first time to see them and listen to real Shamisen sound.
At the time, they'd been already famous.
After seeing them, I visited music school for Tsugaru Shamisen trial lesson.
(At that point, I already decided to study in NY soon, so it was really trial)

I like this instrument's sound, besides, they are young unlike other Japanese traditional musicians.
They wear casual clothes sometimes.
We don't have to dress up.
(And in my opinion, drummer is very stylish and cool guy, I'm fun of him)

In these years they play abroad like in US, Brazil, Spain, Taiwan etc.
This video, they collaborated with rock band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc4AkEC_UWU

Seeing them, I think what being Japanese means.
I'll start to live in different country from next year.
I'm Asian, Japanese.
Not Christian, not Jewish, not Muslim.
What do those mean for living in US?
As a Japanese?

I'm proud that we have such cool music.
If you have a chance, please visit and listen to their music!

 

Free shipping worldwide

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Free delivery campaign has started!
No promo code, just choose item over US$50.
This promotion is until Nov 30th.

Please visit my shop on etsy!

My favorite skewer, Yakitori

Yesterday after work, I went to Yakitori bar with my co-worker.
It's very close to office, we went there some times but last 2 times, when we visited, they were closed.
It's not clear which day they're closed.
So yesterday, finally we could enter  after a while.

It's small bar, they have only counter seats.
We can see chef is cooking in front of us.
They are very proud of chicken quality, otherwise they can't serve row chicken, Tori-sashi.

Some may feel "Eating row chicken?! Yack!"
Even Japanese, some don't like.
Breast, heart, liver, gizzard and white meat.
They give 3 types of sauce, sesame oil with salt, original sauce and soy sauce.
We especially like liver, dipping sesame oil, it melts in mouth.
With Tori-sashi, sake matches.

Look! Both containers are full!
They poured generously.

Needless to say, skewers are great.

This is...meat of neck. Very juicy and tender.

Gizzard. I don't know how to describe this texture, chewy, fun to chew.
The more you chew, the more you taste.

And liver. This one, very tasty, we ordered this menu twice!
Tender and fresh, maybe rare, but no strange smell like bloody.

We ate other skewers, everything great.
Adult chicken meat, tail, aorta, skin wrapped meat.

We definitely come back soon!

 

To design jewelry

I've been working on fine jewelry design all these weekdays.
And haven't finished yet...

At office, I design OEM and company's new products.
These are not satokomatsu work.
From my 8 years experience in fine jewelry industry, I'm working as a jewelry designer.

Customer shows us rough sketch or image, we make design.
After confirmation, we start production.

Sometimes their sketches are very vague, no other information, we imagine what they expect.
And occasionally they change design completely.
Bring us their image photo or more sketches.
Every time more info comes to me, I feel I wasted our time.
Why you didn't tell us first?

This time their request is decorative, colorful design line. (means several designs)
Difficult to draw, takes time.
And the most irritating thing is they also call themselves designer!
Are you??

If you request your original jewelry, it's okay you can't draw.
Designing is our job.
Just please let us know your ideal image.
Information, the more, the better.
That's the best way for both of us.

(This is irrelevant to customer design.) 

 

The highest wall

In these days, I'm checking about K-1 visa to move to US.
Is it better to hire lawyer or can we do by ourselves?
Which documents should we submit?
Which place do I have to visit?

Nowadays, thanks to internet, we can access to a lot of information and others' experience.
The highest wall I have to climb is my mom's opposition.
That's almost just emotionally thing.
I'm only child so I know her feeling.
She is living in very close location to her mom. (a few blocks away)
Hardly she went abroad.
She has never lived in other city.
She can't understand why I want to live overseas.

Is there anybody who could persuade your parents?
 

Idea is invisible

Currently I'm working for jewelry company which I was in before going to NY besides satokomatsu activity.
Difference is now I am part time worker.
Like before, I design jewelry.

What I feel in these days is as long as designer is belonging to company, if his or her idea also belongs to company.
When I was full time worker, I didn't think of, because I didn't have any other job and I felt myself was with company.
Literally I worked FOR company.
Company doesn't help me but work helped me when I had difficult time in my life.
For them, it doesn't matter whoever designs best seller jewelry.
They care about only sales.

Now I feel they can use our idea as much as they want.
Like our idea comes from never ends spring.
Drawing time is in office hour but thinking time and resource idea always don't come from during office hour.
From our personal activity and experience.
Those can't be replaced by anybody.

Why I thought of this is our retailer posted my drawing on their poster as their own designer's work.
In this case, idea is theirs, they sent us very rough sketch, I redesigned for real jewelry.
I submitted them to confirm.
At this point, my paper belongs to them?

Another case, I was designing for years for only one customer, one stone.
I proposed hundreds of design according to his request.
Sometimes due date was suddenly set on next day or even on that day.
It ended up totally simple product, no need to be designed.
Set on readymade mounting.

The biggest problem was I didn't meet the customer face to face, one sale was between us.
I feel he took advantage of me.
What was my effort?
No explanation to me.
Okay, maybe I couldn't satisfy him.
But I feel I wasted my working time, I could've worked on other things.

Idea is invisible, I hope company evaluate properly.
Otherwise nobody wants to show their idea to company.