WORKING IN TOKYO | Building a Business in Japan 🇯🇵

Hi, if you're new here, I'm Nini. I've been living a very quiet life in Kyoto for the past two years. But today that's about to change. I'm on my way to Tokyo to take the next steps with my business that I recently started here in Japan. I hope you come along. I'm not used to these high buildings anymore. Where I went before, they didn't have such delicious looking things, so I think I'm good. I got a mentaiko. As most of you probably know, in the last few months I started a business that helps preserve some of Japan's traditional crafts by making the products of the artisans more accessible. I'm going to attend an exciting event regarding this, so please stay tuned. It is quite interesting how all these little decisions shape the direction of our lives. As I sat here, I wondered what my life would have looked like if I had never moved to Kyoto. Maybe I'd still be in Tokyo working at a big company and the craft series would have never existed. It's I think today only like 28 degrees and it's really cold and windy. Luckily I have a little jacket with me but in comparison to the last days it's kind of crazy. It's actually very cute. Tokyo hotels are always tiny but this is very cozy. I worked a bit but surprisingly I wasn't very exhausted from my journey here. When I first moved to Japan I was shocked by how busy major stations can get. Kyoto station especially can be so chaotic when it's crowded. For this trip I was taking the shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo for work which takes around two and a half hours. I used Omiyo to make the journey easier. It's a travel platform where you can compare and book trains, buses, ferries and flights all in one place so you don't have to jump between different websites or apps. I've been traveling a lot to different prefectures recently for my YouTube craft series so having one place where I can plan and book my journeys has been really convenient. If you're traveling around Japan as a visitor, Omiyo is also available in English and lets you pay in your own currency which can make planning everything feel much less complicated. And if you're a new user you can get 12% off your first booking with my code Nini12. So whether you're going from Kyoto to Tokyo or exploring somewhere a little further off the usual tourist route Omiyo makes planning the journey much easier so you can just sit back and enjoy the ride. As you can see it's a little bit of a gray day here in Tokyo. I think it's gonna clear up later. Ohayou everyone! It's still a little bit early so I'm so bit sleepy. But today is the day why I came to Tokyo in the first place. Today I'm going to an event where craftsmen gather and Yamamoto-san will be part of this. If you don't remember who Yamamoto-san is, he's the master behind Nikogeta so I'm very excited to see him again. And also Yuko. For you guys the last Tochigi videos just released recently but I saw them the last time in spring I think. So I'm very excited to see them again and yeah also very very much looking forward to this special event. I don't know if anyone is interested in this but I've been just wearing this outfit all summer because it's so incredibly hot. I also brought them a little omiyage from Kyoto. Hello! Good! Are you taking picture? Today we are at a Tokyo Crafts Fair. An event where craftsmen from different parts of Japan gather and present their beautiful work. And right at the entrance there's Yamamoto-san. He's the last full-time master of Nikogeta. Some of Japan's rarest shoes. Nikogeta are a fusion of woven zorizo and a beautiful hand-carved geta base. This is a new version Yamamoto-san made. Very cool, very beautiful. Mite guys! These are also very cute for people who like to have some height. Many artisans like Yamamoto-san have no online stores and often you can only order their items through email or visiting them in person. In a world where everything is set to convenience this can be a huge hurdle in creating sales in an already declining industry. I created a website called Craft Keepers to help make their products more accessible as well as supporting Yamamoto-san and handling orders etc. He's the only artist I currently support but I was also excited to meet some more artisans from different parts of Japan here to see if we can collaborate. It's amazing. As you guys know I live in a traditional Japanese house so learning a bit more about tatami was super interesting. I think fairs like this are very important because in the modern and convenient world we are living in I think even many Japanese people lost a little bit of touch with the ancient craftsmanships that still exist here. It was especially nice to see many children getting curious about these traditions. Hello everyone! I already got a little bit comfy because I have some work to do before I meet my friends. I think most of you guys have started to watch my YouTube since I moved to Kyoto but before I lived in Kyoto I actually lived in Tokyo for one year so I actually have quite a lot of friends here and a lot of memories as well. It was wonderful to catch up with my friends. In Kyoto I live a quite isolated life so it was nice to feel the buzzing energy of Tokyo again. Bon Odori is a traditional Japanese dance festival held during summer when people honor and remember their ancestors. People gather outdoors often around a raised platform called Yagura and dance in circles to traditional music. Many wear yukata and the atmosphere is very festive with food stalls and lanterns. Good evening everyone! I just came back home. I'm so exhausted. I think Matsuris are very fun but they're also quite tiring especially in this heat. I think I'm gonna go to bed soon and maybe I'm gonna watch some TV because I don't have a TV at home. It's kind of cozy. I'm watching a series about Kyoto in Tokyo. Like watching one of my videos.