Japan Journal #3: Small World, Big Connections

 Finland Shows Up in the Most Unexpected Places

When we travel, we crave the new—the unfamiliar sights, sounds, and flavors that pull us out of our routines. But let’s be honest: there’s also something deeply comforting about running into a piece of home. We go out into the world... but a part of us is always looking for something that feels familiar.

We came to Japan expecting neon, noodles, and novelty. We certainly got them, but again and again, we also found Finland—in the people we met, the stories they shared, and even in the shoes they wore.

The Fashion Legend in Shibuya

Dallas arranged for us to meet Eiichi Izumi at DESPERADO, his select shop tucked away by the railway tracks in Shibuya. For 24 years, this cool-oozing space has been home to carefully curated fashion finds. Dallas told us this humble, yet impeccably stylish shop owner had introduced both Marimekko and Dries Van Noten to Japan.

Eiichi's eyes lit up reminiscing about his time in Finland. He and Kirsti Paakkanen, Marimekko's legendary CEO, would cruise Helsinki in her black open-top Jaguar – two fashion visionaries who understood that great design transcends borders. Their collaboration helped establish nearly 40 Marimekko stores across Japan. We were having coffee with someone who quietly shaped how an entire country sees Finnish design!

Eiichi was nostalgic about his Finnish adventures and mentioned he'd love to visit again and obviously we would love to host him. If you’re reading this Eiichi, come any time!

INTERESTED TO LEARN MORE? Read this interview of the legend by Masahiro Kamijo HERE

The Volleyball Power Couple

We connected with a lovely couple called Kasper and Aishe, when Aishe reached out looking for Finnish design to style her husband for his coaching appearances – and discovered VIBAe. What followed was one of those evenings that remind you why travel is so magical.

Kasper coaches Tokyo Great Bears, the volleyball team revolutionizing Japanese sports with live rock bands during matches and genuine community engagement. But beyond his impressive coaching credentials across Korea, Japan, and Finland, he's just wonderfully down-to-earth... and tall! Aishe, his Iranian-born wife who's made her mark in the Finnish art world, brings incredible warmth and curiosity to everything. Together, they're a well-travelled couple with stories from every corner of the globe.

We met in a very loud and bustling Tokyo restaurant – such a contrast to Japan's usual quiet politeness. The conversation flew effortlessly between countries, cultures, and shared laughs. Minna mentioned that she has a niece called Netta, who also plays volleyball.

"Netta Laaksonen? I used to coach her!" Kasper said.

Minna immediately Face Timed Netta. Picture Netta’s face when her former Finnish coach appears on screen from a Tokyo restaurant. Pure magic.

Such a small world!

INTERESTED TO LEARN MORE? Check out Tokyo Great bears HERE

The Hemp Incident

Fun story.  Before our trip, we sent Kasper a pair of VIBAe shoes for Aishe's styling projects, and in the package we included our Hemp Foot Cream 

Japan customs: "Nope. Return to sender."

Turns out Japan has some of the world's strictest cannabis laws. Who knew foot cream could be so rebellious?

Quick explainer for anyone wondering "Wait, is hemp the same as cannabis?"

Hemp and cannabis are technically the same plant, but hemp is bred to contain less than 0.3% THC and is used for industrial products like textiles and skincare. Japan's zero-tolerance cannabis laws don't distinguish between hemp foot cream and anything else from the cannabis plant family, which is why our innocent skincare product became contraband!

We're grateful to Japan for this lesson. As a global company, we need products that can travel everywhere our customers do. So we're reformulating our foot cream with a completely different (and customs-friendly) base. If you loved the Hemp, get yours now!

Meeting these people reminded us that the best cultural connections aren't about grand strategies – they're about genuine human relationships. You can plan the meetings, but you can't plan the magic - like discovering your niece's former coach or hearing stories about Helsinki Jaguars in a Shibuya coffee shop.

Plus, in a world of 8 billion people, your niece's volleyball coach still somehow ends up coaching in Tokyo and loving our shoes.

Finland might be small, but its reach? Absolutely massive.