Candle Artist Delivering the Healing Power of Fire with 'Unwavering Passion for What She Loves'

I have opened a candle shop in Shizu. Every day, I am engaged in making candles and conducting workshops. I purchase candle materials, make them myself, and creating many works is my job. Additionally, I sell them and aim to let the people of Shizu know the goodness of fire, doing work that spreads the goodness of fire.

When I was tired from child-rearing, I was healed by fire. I wanted the people around me to know the goodness of fire, so I started by giving it to my friends. Although I had been doing workshops at home and markets for a long time, I wanted to widen the scope and let anyone see the fire, so I decided to open a shop. My husband said that I am not suited for online sales and that I should have a store where I can talk to people more, which became the trigger for starting a store. However, I never intended to have a store, thinking it was something far in the future. I started because a good property happened to become available nearby.

At the market, I used to bring many small works, set up a table, and sell them. Starting from close friends, I gradually went further. However, since markets can't be held in a fixed place, regular customers are hard to maintain; it's a battle every time. On the other hand, since I have had a store, people come aiming for this place, so I really think it was worth having it.

Japanese people don't have a culture of watching fire. But fire is something that is actually close to us; we use fire every day for cooking, and it's not something to be afraid of. First, I want to convey that, and then there's the healing experience. The flicker of fire is called 1/f fluctuation, said to be the same rhythm as the sound of a mother's heartbeat while in the womb or the comfortable sound of a swaying train. So, just watching it is healing. I want many people to know that. Also, the flickering of sunlight through trees or the fluttering of a skirt's hem is also 1/f fluctuation. People today are busy, so I want everyone to relax more. When I started this activity, I thought, 'I want all humanity to be happy.' Everyone loves bonfires at camps, and 4-hour bonfire videos are popular. But when it comes to candles, some people might feel a bit scared. So, I wish to lower that hurdle.

Probably in terms of attracting customers. How to make customers happy is not just about pursuing what I like. It's about how to show it to customers. Even the same product, the customer's reaction differs just because the photo is different. Researching how to show it is what I use my brain the most for.

Using good materials can significantly increase the cost. Some might think candles are just melted and solidified wax, but aiming for better materials in this era of rising prices is quite difficult. How to improve the quality while making customers happy is quite challenging. Surprisingly, there are various types of materials, like natural materials or regular petroleum-based ones, and that they differ, which might not be well known.

Yes, we also have workshops. You can come anytime you like, make something small, and take it home. You can make candles filled with flowers, sachets with attached scents that can be hung, or choose your favorite scent and color to create an original candle. That's what we do.

When candles melt in an interesting way, I get excited. For example, this one. I wanted it to grow like this, to drip wax around it for decades. This one turned out well, so I was excited. Actually, I can't show it to you, but this one melted beautifully, leaving this line and splitting like cheese. Such interesting melting is what's fascinating about wax. I want more people to melt it and know the fun of wax.

As a creator, the fun of having someone choose what I made. There are many candles sold, even at 100 yen shops and by major manufacturers. Choosing this place means my thoughts have been conveyed. So, I think it's interesting that during the market era, I was struggling just to sell, but when I put my thoughts into it, so many people come. I want to convey my thoughts more in words.

There is a customer who comes from far away, from Ibaraki. They specifically found and aimed for this place, which was very moving. They originally liked candles and were looking for a candle shop when they found this one. It was a bit far, but they said they made an effort to come. I was surprised and happy.

For the basics, since it's a job involving fire, I wanted to learn the fundamentals properly. After that, it's really about trial and error, researching and improving my level on my own. There are organizations for that, but I'm not good at being tied down to organizations, so instead of belonging to one, I choose what I'm satisfied with and learn to create in my favorite genre.

There are various scents swirling around. Initially, I focused on essential oils, using what's called aroma oil for blending, which I studied. But there are also candle-specific fragrances, and when I opened that, it was so interesting that I got hooked on that too. There are various types of scents, and I experiment daily, learning how combining this scent with that one creates a new smell.

As a solo activity rooted in the local community, I have a sense of satisfaction that this is about the limit. But I want to skill up and expand more. That's my future prospect. In terms of monthly income, I've cleared my target, but I want to take it to the next level.

In the world of crafting, you can't create anything without first spending money on materials. So, without securing that, continuity is difficult. Funding is important. Even when starting, with an uncertain future, there was the pain of spending money there. I wondered if buying so much wax, like 20 kilos at a time, was okay, not knowing how many people would come. I had a lot of anxiety while making them.

As a concept for this place, it's not just about buying candles; it's more about a place for exchange, where people can see the fire. Even if I have assets, I want to keep this place, maybe not selling wax but as a shop. Talking to customers really helps me when I'm tired from child-rearing or life, so it's become an indispensable place for me.

In 5 years, I want it to be a shop that people can find even from far away, not just a place people drop by while passing. When they come, I want to have candles that make them think, 'I wanted to meet this one.' So, I want to create long-lasting, memorable products.

Don't bend your own likes. Everyone can make what's currently popular or what people seem to like, but if you continue without bending your own worldview or what you think is good, wonderful customers will gather. I hope you continue without changing that.