What the rainy candle night taught me. The day my work began to resonate with the world.

June 4, 2026.
The "Osaka Chayamachi Slow Day: 1,000,000 Candle Night" was held.
To tell you the truth... it rained! (Haha)
We hurriedly made raincoats out of plastic bags for our precious dolls.

By the second half, the display—and all of us members of "Hoshifuru"—were completely soaked. We decided that since we were already there, we might as well take off the raincoats and let everyone see the dolls, even though they were soaked too (haha).
With the rain relentlessly pouring down from above, the candle flames went out again and again. Each time, we desperately tried to relight them, whispering, "Don't go out, stay lit, stay lit."

As you can imagine, it was quite a difficult situation.
However, despite the heavy rain and bad weather, so many people came to visit our spot.
I was just so, so happy that everyone came...! 😭✨
The eyes of everyone watching our world in the rain.
The breathtaking emotion of that moment, when the light of the candles reflected in the raindrops and sparkled.
"I came to see this last year, and this doll was the only one that stayed in my memory."
"I saw this doll last year, too!"
The fact that everyone shared that scene with us made me happier than anything else. Thank you so much for all the photos that feel like charms.
On the way home, the three of us from Hoshifuru were just savoring the gratitude and emotion welling up in our hearts.
Actually, when we participated for the first time last year, I felt a lot of frustration.
But that started a tumultuous year from 2025 to 2026. This past year, I decided to quit my job, stand on my own two feet, throw away the calculator in my head, and run forward trusting my physical senses.
All those dots connected perfectly on that rainy night of June 4th.
"Oh, I think I really did get on a hot air balloon and float up to a different stage."
I am in such a refreshing and overwhelming sense of liberation that I can truly think that.
No matter how much I calculated in my head, I could never have reached such a beautiful view.
It's not about "wanting to earn money"; I am simply existing within a cycle of love. Everyone resonates with the work I have breathed life into and returns that love to me.
I feel like I was shown the answer to that "sensory game" in that rainy Chayamachi.
Ah, I'm really so happy that everyone was there. I'm so happy we met.
After this rainy candle night, the axis of my heart has become even stronger and clearer.
From here on out, I will continue to create works and stories that gently touch the depths of people's hearts and their inner chords, creating beautiful resonance in the world.
To everyone who lived through that space with us in the rain.
With heartfelt love and gratitude.