Between spring and summer, there’s a small, lovely season we cherish in Japan.
For about a month, it has been raining almost all day, every day—we call this wet season “Tsuyu”.
Especially here on Yakushima Island, where I live, the rain can be so heavy that I can’t even leave the house.
The air turns cool and thick with moisture. And under this rain, the plants seem to glow with joy. The green becomes so deep and beautiful.
I love spending time in the studio during this remarkable season on Yakushima.
I feel like the perfect time to begin making her wedding band, inspired by the rhythm of the seasons.
I began by preparing a platinum plate, specially blended for her.
Then, I struck its surface with a hammer, using quite a bit of force.
I repeated the process many times until the platinum began to take on a rough and organic texture.
I worked the hard platinum with a hard hammer, giving it a soft and quiet texture.
I’m trying to capture the gentle touch that plants naturally have.
The rain stops for a moment, and I step out into the garden.
The hydrangeas have started to bloom in their usual spot—for the first time in a year.
There are puddles here and there, making it a bit hard to walk.
The evening rain is cool and feels good.
Soon enough, the rain began to fall again, so I returned to the workshop.
And this is how our ring-making journey begins.
