Musubi’s story - 社名の由来

-Goen-

The one and only Tenkoku (letter-carving) Museum in Japan is located in Koga City, Ibaraki Prefecture, where I live.

I went to see the letter-carving exhibition at the Tenkoku Museum during the Christmas season in 2017.

The Museum building used to be an old stone storehouse, and you can see a variety of beautiful stone seals carved with ancient Chinese letters. You can even order a stone seal to a letter-carving artist and designate your favorite ancient Chinese characters to be carved on the seal.

Why not!

I myself ordered an original stone seal to a letter-carving artist. Then, I found out that the artist had been a fellow student of my father. Through this unexpected “Goen (bonds and ties),” we had a nice talk and the artist instantly understood the “reason” for choosing the “ancient-style letter” to be carved on my stone seals.

縁　“En(bonds and ties)” or “(meant to be)”

But I ordered 2 stone seals.

One seal was meant to be a gift to Liz Wenman, the Founder and Director of Rally Round Ltd., in return for the necklace carved with “En-Musubi” letters. Another seal was for myself.

I decided to use it as a logo for my company which I had not yet established at that time.

-「縁」-

私が住む茨城県古河市には、日本で唯一の篆刻美術館があります。

2017年年末、クリスマスがほど近い頃、篆刻作品展に出かけました。

蔵が会場の篆刻展は、どれも素敵な作品ばかり。購入も、自分の好きな字で篆刻師に印を彫っていただくこともできます。

それでは！と、オリジナル篆刻をオーダーしたところ、偶然、彫り師は父の同級生。思いがけないご縁から、話ははずみ、私が彫っていただきたい「字」と「理由」をあっと言う間にご理解くださいました。

「縁」

でも、ふたつ。

ひとつは「縁結び」ネックレスのお礼にRally Round Ltd. 代表リズさんへ。もうひとつは自分へ。将来起こすであろう会社のロゴにしたいと思いお願いいたしました。

”Goen Musubi" necklace -「縁結び」ネックレス

-The corporate logo “En” and the corporate name “Musubi”-

Five days later, much earlier than the agreed delivery date, the letter-carving artist came to my house with the 2 stone seals carved with the ancient Chinese character, “En.”

When I closely look at these 2 stone seals, there is a subtle difference.

The stone seal on the left has the complete circle rim, while the other seal on the right has an incomplete circle rim, with the circle line missing on the right.

I picked up the stone seal to be given to Liz by intuition.

I gave Liz the stone seal on the left photo.

Rally Round Ltd. provides classic car adventures all over the world. It is as if traveling the rim of the earth. Round can be translated as Circle. And Circle can be read “En” in Japanese. Don’t you agree if I say that the role Liz is playing is to connect participants from all over the world with countries which is located on the Circle of the earth, through “En (bonds and ties)” ?

The stone seal on the right photo is for myself.

The circle of my stone seal has an incomplete circle rim, with the circle line missing on the right. I asked the letter-caving artist why this happened, and he said it became like this coincidentally. Therefore, I infused new meaning into it: to create people’s happiness and contribute to local community all over the world by designing fabulous tours and filling the gap of the incomplete circle rim carved on the stone seal. This became the origin of my corporate logo. Curiously enough, the necklace that Liz gave me had the engraved letters “En-Musubi” on it, and the message exactly defined my role to connect “En” and “En.” I chose English name, as it is easier for customers who will come from all over the world.

This is why the corporate name, “Musubi,” was given birth.

Want to know more?

-ロゴ「縁」と社名「Musubi」-

5日後、予定より大分早く、彫り師さんは出来上がった２つの「縁」の篆刻を持って訪ねてくださいました。

でも、良く見てみると、少し違います。

左は円が丸く、右は円が離れています。

どちらをリズさんにプレゼントしようか、考える間もなく決まりました。

左はリズさん用です。

Rally Round Ltd.は世界中をクラッシックカーでめぐる大冒険旅行を提供しています。それは、地球の円をあたかも旅するかのようです。Roundは円とも訳せます。そして、円は日本語で「えん」と読みますが、まるで地球の「円」上にある世界各国と世界中の参加者を「縁」で結ぶのがリズさんの役割のようではないですか？

右は自分用です。

私の円は、円の上と下が離れています。彫り師さんにお伺いしたところ、偶然この様になったのだそうです。こちらの円は、円、縁「えん」の上と下の円弧を「結び」旅をつくることで世界中の人々の幸福と地域社会に貢献する、と言う意味を込めました。そしてロゴの原型になりました。不思議ですが、ここにも、リズさんからのメッセージ「縁結び」という私の役割がぴったりと当てはまりました。円（縁）と円（縁）を結ぶのが私の役割ということです。英字表記にしたのは、世界中からお越しいただくお客様にも分かりやすくするためです。

こうして、社名「Musubi」は、誕生しました。

The Samurai Challenge

Gastronomy Experiences