Crystalize Your Memory; Crystal/Jewelry Industry in Yamanashi

Crystalize Your Memory; Crystal/Jewelry Industry in Yamanashi

June 10^th, 2023. Hangover! Yes, I was going through a violent hangover. It was a cloudy Saturday afternoon. As soon as I woke up, I cried in my beer about the carelessness of my binge-drinking the night before. With my stomach growling like the sound of mining equipment’s engine, head aching as if it was being hit by a rock pick hammer, and dizziness going on, I wanted to keep sleeping in my warm bed, in a moderately air-conditioned room like I always do on usual hangover days. However, on this day, there was no way I was going to continue sleeping. I had a reservation for the jewelry-bracelet-making-session in a crystal/jewelry shop.

Crystals and jewels are some of the famous specialties in Yamanashi. The traditional crystal/jewel producing industry especially based in Yamanashi is known as “Koshu Crystal & Jewelry Works” (甲州水晶貴石細工 – Koshu-Suisho-Kiseki-Zaiku) and “Yamanashi Jewelry” (山梨貴宝石 – Yamanashi-Kihouseki). According to the Yamanashi Prefecture Crystal Art Sculpture Cooperative Association, they are recognized as one of the Traditional Crafts of the country and Yamanashi prefecture by the government. These crafts became even more famous after Yoshiro Ohyori, one of the Koshu Crystal & Jewelry crafters from Yamanashi received “Medal with Yellow Ribbon” (黄綬褒章 – Ouju Houshou, a Japanese national medal for the one who is hardworking and acknowledged as a model for people). After knowing these facts, I started to think that I want some for me, whether it is in necklace, ring, bracelet, or whatever form that is wearable. However, more than just buying it, I wanted to make it. I wanted to customize it just for myself. And now, let us return to the day of my hangover.

I visited the shop “TO LABO shop & studio” in Marunouchi, Kofu, run by Tomohiko Ohyori, the third representative of “Jewelry Sculpture Ohyori,” and the son of Yoshiro Ohyori who received Medal with Yellow Ribbon as mentioned above (TO LABO).

(Entrance and inside of TO LABO)

Entering the store, a female clerk welcomes me with a diamond-like smile. Changing her facial expression from smiling to looking somewhat worried, the clerk asked me.

“Are you ok sir～ You look so pale.”

Then I replied.

“Umm... I’ve got a hangover...”

While I was feeling slightly embarrassed about confessing my hangover, the clerk again showed me her smile. It was shiny enough to temporarily allay my hangover temporarily. Looking inside the store, I noticed several things. As of June 2023, as well as selling crystal and jewelry such as rings and necklaces, the store also offers customers a special about-30-minute-session to make your own customized bracelet (4,400-yen, equivalent to US$30-31 as of July, 2023) or necklace (8,800-yen, equivalent to US$61-62) (Kofu Tourism Association). However, as of April 2024, the service has changed, and the option is limited to 8800-yen bracelet making session. They even offer a crystal/jewelry polishing session (price depends). Moreover, they sell unique accessories such as rabbit-shaped sculptures made of crystals, or a crystal-made Gui-nomi, a small cup specifically for drinking Japanese saké (rice wine). Especially for the crystal sculptures, they were mesmerizing in the way the light was reflecting inside. The swirling pattern made from differences of value in each part was interesting that it made the sense of space beautifully ambiguous like natural stones. Knowing that most of them are original works by TO LABO, I was astounded by how creative and meticulous they were.

(Some of the sculptures)

 (Gui-nomi, the left one made of agate and the right one made of crystal)

Looking at the crystal Gui-nomi, the store clerk told me,

“There are several hypotheses so I can’t say with absolute certainty, but it is said that the crystal gives slight vibrations to the liquid, and is believed that from the vibration, the taste of alcohol becomes milder and richer.”

I imagined myself drinking expensive Japanese saké from the cup. My mouth salivated. Even from mere imagination, I could taste the rich sweetness of rice. At this moment, I wanted to buy the cup so bad. However, the alcohol-induced headache told me not to buy them. Sad. And now, I am writing this article crying in my beer about not purchasing one. I wish I was crying in my saké instead.

After briefly looking inside the shop, the clerk brought a box full of gemstones. Inside were 20 types of stones in a variety of colors. Polished in small sphere shapes, all of them were shining as if they were urging me to pick them. As an arts major student, just from the glance, a number of questions appeared in my head. What color scheme to apply, how to arrange the positionings of the stones, and how to assuage this hangover. Well, the last one was unequivocally irrelevant to the bracelet itself, but anyways.

(The gem box brought by the clerk)

According to the clerk, each piece of jewelry represents different concepts and meanings. For instance, in terms of what I chose for my bracelet, citrine represents friendship, sardonyx represents mental strength, sodalite represents achievement, and quartz represents harmony. Interesting. I wish there was a gem for curing hangover, but anyhow. In 23 empty slots of bracelet template, I inlayed five citrines wishing for successful friendship for four of my beloved friends and me, two sardonyxes wishing for my own mental growth, two sodalites wishing for my academic success, and quartz in the rest of 14 wishing for some good amount of peace in my life. Threading the silicon rubber clasp carefully through the holes in all of the stones, I realized how calming the process is that my hangover was gradually relieving. Then, I tied both ends of the rubber tight, and voila!

 

(The rubber threading process, and the completion of my glorious bracelet)

In the moment the bracelet was complete, it appeared crystal clear to me that it would be a keepsake of my life. Wearing it on my wrist, the clerk said,

“Totemo oniai desu!”(It looks gorgeous on you!)

Her sincere compliments made me satisfied. Oh yes, I was satisfied like a seven-year-old waking up on Christmas morning and seeing gift boxes under the tree. However, storms always arrive suddenly. My stomach started to growl, and that time, I realized. Oh yes, I realized that my hangover was regaining its momentum. I had to go to the bathroom in a nearby convenience store. After paying for the session and thanking the clerk for the invaluable experience, I went out of the store. It was already 3pm. Although it was still cloudy, the shininess of my bracelet was standing out in the middle of Kofu. While I was thinking of how I am going to show off the bracelet to my friends as well as on my Instagram story, another thought came to my mind.

Forgive me, my beautiful bracelet. The first memory of our journey is about the consequence of my foolish drinking.

From that moment, my bracelet has become the crystallization of my own contentment, the contentment of a cloudy hangover Saturday turning into something special. I strongly recommend making your original crystal/jewelry, or buying the gemstone in Yamanashi. It surely would make your day special (including a normal hangover day like my case). Sticks and hangovers may break your bones, but stones will never disappoint you.

Shuichi Askaran Saito

TO LABO website (English/Japanese)

TO LABO

TO LABO address: Orion Kyodo Building 104, 1-14-14 Marunouchi, Kofu, 400-0031,

Yamanashi, Japan

email: info@tolabo.jp 電話番号: +81-55-232-1456 Instagram: @to_labo

Sending email in Japanese is required to reserve the bracelet-making session (8,800-yen). Moreover, it is required that there is a Japanese-speaking person doing the bracelet-making session together when visiting the store.

 

REFERENCES

TO LABO. TO LABO. 2014, http://tolabo.jp/.

Kofu Tourism Association. “TO LABO.” Kofu Tourism Navi,

 https://kofu-tourism.com/spot/351.

Yamanashi Prefecture. “Beauty of Yamanashi, Jewelry.” Beauty of Yamanashi,

 https://www.pref.yamanashi.jp/shouko/kogyo/jewelry/index.html.

---. “Beauty of Yamanashi, Koshu Crystal & Jewelry Works.” Beauty of Yamanashi,

 https://www.pref.yamanashi.jp/shouko/kogyo/densan/suisyo_01.html.

Yamanashi Prefecture Crystal Art Sculpture Cooperative Association.

 Yamanashi Prefecture Crystal Art Sculpture Cooperative Association.

 https://suishou.jp/