STORY ~ AMETSUCHI.. Birth Story ~

STORY ~ AMETSUCHI.. Birth Story ~

 

"AMETSUCHI..." is a brand based on the concept that "materials are fragments of AMETSUCHI that are born from the earth and return to the earth" , and uses soil, sand, and stone from all over Japan to create items that utilize the power of the earth in everyday life.

 

The company was launched in 2018 by my sisters, Chie, who is in charge of dyeing materials, product development, and sales, and Rie, who is in charge of sewing and sales.

 

We were born and raised in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Iwakuni Castle, the castle of the Yoshikawa family, can be seen on the nearby mountain, and it is a small castle town surrounded by beautiful nature with the clear Nishiki River flowing through it. Kintai Bridge, one of the three famous bridges over the Nishiki River, is my route to school.

Ever since I was a child, playing in nature was a natural part of my life, and I grew up experiencing Japan's four seasons.

 

When I was young, I humbly accepted the ideas of my father, who was a tax accountant, and tried hard to follow in his footsteps.

However, when I left Iwakuni to go to university, I gradually freed myself from the belief that I had to live up to the expectations of my beloved father, and at the same time, my appreciation for the natural beauty of the land where I was born and raised grew stronger with each passing year.

 

I feel that this is what is now connected to the manufacturing of "Ametsuchi."

 

 

The idea behind the creation of "Ametsuchi..." was to cure physical ailments.

 

 

The Birth of “Ame-tsuchi..”

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“Ame-tsuchi..” is a brand that delivers items that harness the power of the Earth, using soil, sand, and stones from

all over Japan, under the concept of “fragments of Ame-tsuchi, born from the Earth and returning to the Earth.

” The brand was founded in 2018 by me, Chie, who is in charge of dyeing, product development, sales, and marketing, and my sister, Rie, who handles dyeing and sewing.

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We grew up in Iwakuni City, YAMAGUCHI Prefecture. Our hometown is a small castle town surrounded by beautiful nature, with “IWAKUNI Castle” of the Kikkawa family visible on the nearby mountain and the clear stream “Nishikigawa” flowing. ​The Kintaikyo Bridge, one of the three famous bridges crossing the Nishikigawa, was our school route. ​Growing up playing in nature was natural for us, and we experienced Japan’s four seasons.

 

In our youth, we worked hard to follow in our father’s footsteps, a tax accountant, sincerely embracing his wish.

However, leaving Iwakuni to attend university began to unravel my belief that I had to meet my beloved father’s expectations. At the same time, my love for the natural beauty of the land where I was born and raised grew stronger over the years, and I feel that it is now connected to the craftsmanship of “Ame-tsuchi..”

 

Healing Physical Discomfort Led to the Birth of “Ame-tsuchi..”

The starting point of “Ame-tsuchi..” was my experience of physical discomfort after childbirth. Concerned about the medications used in hospital treatments, I sought a natural way to balance my body and discovered aromatherapy. When my second child was in kindergarten, I started attending an aromatherapy school to learn knowledge and skills. 

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Initially, my focus was on healing myself, but gradually, this desire shifted toward wanting to heal others. After obtaining the necessary certifications, I began offering aroma therapy sessions and workshops at my home.

The first product that led to the birth of "Ametsuchi..." was a small pillow filled with a blend of herbs and brown rice that my sister made for one of my home salon events. This was the precursor to the sandbags “Kinsuna and Ginsuna” that we currently sell, marking the beginning of Ametsuchi’s history. However, the journey to commercializing this product was fraught with challenges, each step forward requiring considerable effort.

I experimented with various materials such as herbs, brown rice, and bran, and conducted extensive research on available products, examining their ingredients and contents. I discovered that many of these products used synthetic materials that, while visually appealing and pleasant to the touch, were often made of artificial fibers. The contents often included substances like silica gel, commonly used as a desiccant. I began to question the impact of these materials on the human body, especially considering that the products were designed to be heated in a microwave and come into direct contact with the skin and eyes.

During an exhibition, I encountered a staff member who confidently asserted that there had never been any complaints or issues, even when particles were clearly leaking from the product's fabric. This made me reflect on the ethos behind product creation. I spent countless days being honest with myself, repeatedly questioning and experimenting, determined to create products that used natural materials and truly healed the body.

Then, one day, while seated on a hornblende stone chair in a steam sauna at a hotel, inspiration struck: "It’s stone! Japanese stone!" Just as the heat and energy from stones in a bedrock bath heal the body, I realized that I could use stones inside pillows. Unlike herbs or brown rice, which are prone to mold and insects in Japan's humid climate, stones presented no such concerns. This epiphany sparked the beginning of my search for the perfect stones. I was also inspired by Yuko Tojo, a natural therapist, who advocated for the practice of sand baths as a way to heal the body by applying heated sand.

Adding sand to the stones made the pillow feel smoother against the skin, but the finer particles required tightly woven fabric for sewing. I eventually found that blackout curtains, with their tightly woven linings designed to block light and their flame-retardant properties, were ideal for use in a microwave. After experimenting, I found that the sand did not leak through the fabric, and the pillows performed well. However, when heated in a microwave, the natural materials caused uneven temperature rises, sometimes scorching parts of the fabric. Undeterred, I continued to experiment with various non-combustible fabrics.

One day, while conducting these experiments, I realized that my insistence on natural materials had led me to force something unnatural. I realized that what I truly wanted to do was create products that reestablish the connection between people and the earth. I began to question whether the tightly woven and fire-resistant fabrics contained chemical substances, and whether heating pillows in a microwave could pose a fire hazard in some households. Confronted with these concerns, I made the decision to abandon the idea of microwaveable pillows. I restarted product development from scratch, deciding to use organic cotton that was gentle on both people and the planet. I reconsidered the compatibility of the stones and sand inside the pillows, and after two years of painstaking work, the current product “Kinsuna and Ginsuna” was finally completed. From the creation of the first pillow, it had taken a total of seven years to reach this point.

The Other Origin of “Ametsuchi…”: Dyeing with Earth

Another pillar of “Ametsuchi…” is earth-dyed products. My journey into dyeing began during my time as a therapist when I wanted to use fabrics made from natural materials and dyes for treatments. The natural dyes I experimented with back then eventually led to a connection with the dye company that still supports “Ametsuchi...” today. As I considered selling tie-dyed products, I found myself wanting to create different colors from what was already available. I began to wonder if I could make my own dyes using earth that I collected myself. I remembered the red soil on the hill behind my grandmother’s house in the mountains near Iwakuni, where I was born and raised. Armed with a shovel and a bucket, I climbed the hill, gathered the soil, and dissolved it in water to dye fabric. Although the soil was red, it dyed the fabric a beautiful lemon yellow. However, my excitement was short-lived as the color washed away completely.

As a complete novice in dyeing, I sought guidance from experts and learned step by step how to create what I envisioned. I regularly attended workshops hosted by the dye company mentioned earlier, forging close relationships with the staff and craftsmen. Thanks to these connections, I was able to process the soil I collected into stable dyes that could be used to create products. Although it required tremendous effort and time, I was eventually able to create original dyes that brought my vision to life.

 

The Power of Nature to Restore Balance

When people drape themselves in earth-dyed stoles, they often say they feel a certain warmth or energy, which I believe comes from the earth itself. Today, more people are concerned about electromagnetic waves, and many appreciate our recommendation to warm the "Kinsuna and Ginsuna" pillows in a steamer. Even without heating, people report that simply placing the pillows over their eyes improves their nasal passages, relieves headaches, and brings a sense of calm and healing. This may be due to the quartz content in the sand, which shares the same vibration as crystal, a stone known for its harmonizing and purifying properties. Listening to such feedback, I’ve realized that the natural state of materials is often sufficient to achieve their intended effects.

 

What I truly wanted to do was to create products that restore the connection between people and the earth. In the beginning, my goal with “Ametsuchi…” was to offer something I believed was good, to help heal others, and to provide modern people with a moment of relaxation. But through my work with earth, I’ve come to believe that many modern ailments stem from our disconnection from the planet. Now, I deliver products with the hope that both people and the earth can live comfortably together, and that this harmony will lead to a better future for all.

 

 

For more details on the product, please visit the following website:
　http://ametsuchi123.thebase.in
　http://www.instagram.com/ametsuchi.gift
　www.ametsuchi.gift