Finally it’s open

September 13, 2021

This day, today, finally this online shop, Sebastian has opened its door to the world. Since I got the idea to select life style design products from Japan to the Nordics, how long has it been? I try to look back the day. Was it the time when my mentor in agent business has suggested the idea to me? Was it last winter? His suggestion sounded that day, quite like a path which has been in front of me already since long time ago. It was really natural for me to say, “Yes, that’ll be fun!”

Since when?

The photo above was taken May 20th in 2019. As a part of my trip to Japan, on that day, I was in Niigata with my friend, who knows inside out the area. Looking at the sea blue from mountain with her, I was literally overwhelmed by one fact, Japan is beautiful. Was it the seed of Sebastian?

In 2014 Autumn, I joined an intercultural event as a coordinator from Finland. The event location was in Nagoya, Japan. Through exporting design and life style products from Finland to Japan, we had much paper work (of course) and discussions about people’s life and design products. I still remember, that time, one of the clients from Nagoya has asked me, “Why don’t you import crafts and design products from Japan to the Nordics?” Yes, it was in front of my ex-office in Punavuori, Helsinki. We were talking on the street over his cigarette and my coffee. Was it the seed of Sebastian?

Maybe yes, maybe no.

In one sense, this whole thing has a root in my nationality as a Japanese. In another sense, I “find out” beauty of Japanese life style and design products with my view from oversea. (I’ve moved to Finland from Japan in 2004.) I would love to share my findings with you here.

Welcome to Shop for Sebastian!