Our Journey
A relaxed, candid photo of Kamui Vintage husband-and-wife team, John & Mutsumi, sitting close together, smiling warmly at the camera. The image reflects a sense of comfort, partnership, and quiet joy—two people sharing a moment together as they build a life and business side by side.
Welcome to Kamui Vintage.
This is our very first blog post, and it feels right to begin by simply telling you who we are and why we’re here.
Kamui Vintage isn’t a big company, and it will never pretend to be. At the end of the day, it’s just a husband and wife, doing our best to build something meaningful, enjoy the work, and make an honest living.
We’re entering the next chapter of our lives and doing our best to pay the bills, enjoy life, and find meaning and happiness along the way—together.
I turned 60 on December 11, 2025, and Mutsumi will turn 60 in April 2026. Living in Japan, there’s a word we both understand deeply, even though it may be unfamiliar to many of you: ikigai (生き甲斐).
Ikigai is often translated as “a reason for being” or “the thing that makes life worth living.” But that simple definition doesn’t quite capture it.
Ikigai isn’t about chasing success, fame, or finding one grand passion. It’s about balance. It’s about doing work you care about, using what you’re good at, contributing something meaningful to the world, and sustaining yourself along the way. It’s found in everyday routines, in quiet effort, in relationships, and in taking pride in doing something well.
More than anything, ikigai is the feeling that your time still matters—that your effort has value, and that you still have a reason to get up in the morning.
At this stage of our lives, that way of thinking feels especially important.
Through this blog, we want to take you along for the journey—openly and honestly. You’ll see the growth when it happens, and you’ll see the slow periods too. We won’t pretend to be something we’re not. Kamui Vintage isn’t a polished brand with a perfect plan. It’s just one step at a time, learning as we go.
We’re starting small—very small, actually. Just a handful of carefully chosen items. Over time, we hope to slowly reinvest, improve the quality of our stock, and handle pieces with more history, character, and value. Alongside this, we’ll be offering other services to help pay the bills and keep things moving forward. It’s not glamorous, but it’s honest—and that matters to us.
Our hope is that one day Kamui Vintage can grow from an online shop into a small brick-and-mortar store here in Japan—a place people can visit, explore, and enjoy in person. Maybe it’s something you’ll want to support, follow, or even help grow into something bigger. Or maybe you’ll simply enjoy watching the journey unfold. Either way, we’re grateful you’re here.
We care less about appearances or rapid growth and more about living honestly, doing work we believe in, and sharing the real story—the small wins, the challenges, and everything in between—without polish or pretense.
Above all, we believe in being ourselves and treating people honestly—values that feel increasingly rare in business today. If we can be the best kind of mom-and-pop shop and enjoy the journey while doing it, that’s success to us.
Life is short, and we’re not getting any younger. So we choose to carpe diem—to seize the day, make the most of the time we have, and enjoy the journey while we’re still able.
Thank you for being part of the beginning.
— John & Mutsumi
