SHINKO STUDIO, MENTOSEN’s flagship store and studio, celebrates its 60th anniversary!

We have reached our 60th milestone

Believe it or not, on June 12th of this month, SHINKO STUDIO’s shop and studio marked exactly 60 years since its grand opening.
Back in 1966, we started as "Shinko Tokeiten" (Shinko Watch & Clock Shop)—a tiny store selling watches, jewelry, and eyeglasses in Chitose-Funabashi, Setagaya, Tokyo.
The photo here shows my father.

You can see the small shop packed from wall to wall with watches and eyeglasses.
Ah, the era of rapid economic growth.

Times have changed, and here is a photo of SHINKO STUDIO as it looks today.

About 20 years ago, we relocated to our current spot and transformed into a shop specializing entirely in jewelry.

While crafting our original jewelry lines, custom orders, and redesigns, we launched our original brand "MENTOSEN" in 2021, which brings us to where we are today.

Grown in the Heart of Our Community

The biggest reason we have been able to keep going for 60 years is, first and foremost, that our local customers have truly nurtured and cherished us.
I believe this is the most significant factor in our longevity, and I have nothing but absolute gratitude for everyone in our community.

We might have had options to open a store in the heart of downtown Tokyo. However, in today’s internet-driven society, I actually feel it has been a true blessing to have our studio right here, slightly away from the bustling city center.

Setagaya is home to many people involved in international and creative fields, as well as inspiring working women.
Having such trend-conscious and perceptive people right here in our neighborhood has been a constant source of inspiration for us.

Our Global Community of Customers

In recent years, the number of customers from overseas has grown significantly.
We have welcomed visitors and fulfilled international orders from all over the world, including the United States, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Israel.
Many discovered us through our website and social media.

Strangely enough, our relationship with these global customers who travel from so far away is no different from our connection with the locals here in Chitose-Funabashi.

Every interaction is centered around real conversation, meaningful words, and true feelings.
Sometimes, looking at a piece of heirloom jewelry sparks stories about our families.
We have always approached our work through mutual respect and a relationship built on trust.

Earthquakes and the Pandemic

During the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, trains ground to a halt, and many parts of eastern Japan experienced power outages to save electricity. 
Even the massive screens at Shibuya's famous Scramble Crossing went completely black.

Amidst the radioactive anxieties following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident and a universal dread of what would become of Japan, SHINKO STUDIO chose to keep its doors open.

Shops have a mysterious way of weaving themselves into our lives.
Even if it is a place you have never stepped into, the mere fact that the shop is open forms a part of the everyday scenery and a slice of daily life
That is why I believe local shops have a duty to "stay open" during emergencies—precisely when our normal routines are on the verge of being stripped away.

Whether it is a major earthquake, a pandemic, or recent global conflicts driving up the cost of gold and other materials, small businesses like ours face existential crises every time unavoidable social circumstances shift.

Human Connections and Design

As we celebrate our 60th anniversary, we are determined to keep moving toward new horizons. 
Fine jewelry is time-consuming and requires patience to create—making it a product that may seem completely out of step with today’s fast-paced, high-efficiency era.
Yet, on the other hand, it is precisely this kind of work that remains so precious. It is made by real hands, driven by conversation, and moves forward at a natural speed that the human body and mind can truly embrace.

The reason we launched "MENTOSEN" in 2021 was because we believed that by changing the manufacturing process and pioneering a new way of creating things, we could help make people's lives just a little bit easier and more fulfilling.

Just like fashion, we believe jewelry should exist for the people living in this exact moment. Traditional jewelry, centered around diamonds and colored stones, is undeniably expensive and beautiful.

However, it often feels entirely disconnected from the daily routines of our modern lives.

Furthermore, those pieces are crafted by artisans, but they often lack "design" in the truest sense. 
To us, design is not merely about shapes and appearances; it is about "solving societal problems through completely new and unprecedented methods."

Shapes that only truly come to life when worn by a person,
pendants born from a single, unbroken stroke of a pen, 
and rings inspired by the shapes of origami折り紙のかたちから着想を得たリングなど、
—we have released a wide array of such fascinating collections.

Moving forward, MENTOSEN and SHINKO STUDIO will continue to advance toward new ways of manufacturing, while always deeply cherishing our human connections.
Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the artisans all across Japan who form our team and always sustain our manufacturing, to all related parties, and above all, to our customers.

MENTOSEN by SHINKO STUDIO
CEO　Akiko Yonei