Throwback 2018
San Francisco
21-23th Nov, 2018
We traveled south from Vancouver to Portland and finally arrived at our final destination, San Francisco.
As I mentioned in Chapter 1, San Francisco was the first place my parents took me to abroad when I was 10 years old. During my trip in 2018 , I happened to come across the same place I had been to with my family back then. It brought back memories of the time I had been there, and I was reminded of the atmosphere of the town that first made me want to become a shoe designer.
For example, this Fisherman's Wharf. There are so many wild sea lions lying on the deck. It was a sight I had completely forgotten before I set off on my trip, but the smell of the sea breeze, the cries of the sea lions, and the air at the moment I arrived there by chance brought back memories of coming here as a child.
Oh yes, I remembered the famous cable car vividly. It's a photo my family sent me before we went on a trip, and some things have changed between then and now, and some things haven't. It's interesting to compare them. (Oh, the hamburger chain has changed.)
That was one of the memories I had when I visited San Francisco.
When I was 10 years old and my father brought me here, I started playing basketball, and I had a vague idea that shoe design was interesting. That interest was further accelerated during this trip.
Normally, people would be absorbed in playing and dreaming of becoming an NBA player in the future, but in my case, I remember being drawn more to designing shoes than playing.
While watching the NBA live, I was reminded that the things I love never change.
At the time, I felt frustrated that I couldn't immediately buy the sneakers I saw in magazines.
However, when I went to San Francisco, I saw a line-up of signature models named after famous basketball players that are not available in Japan, and I was so happy to be able to actually hold in my hands the things I had seen in magazines.
I still vividly remember the excitement of actually being able to touch the sneakers I had always wanted, discovering sneakers I had never seen before, and the thrill of purchasing them in America.
It was during this trip to San Francisco with my family that I had a vague idea that I wanted to design shoes in the future. I also clearly remember which model of sneakers I bought in America.
When I visited San Francisco for the first time as an adult, I was reminded of the roots that lead to my current work.
Through this journey, I was able to rediscover the part of me that had unconsciously been drawn to shoes since childhood, and I was able to rediscover the joy and charm of shoemaking.
While writing this journal, I realized that the start of my career was also born from " travel. "
The reason why I am still so passionate about making things 30 years later, even though I was just 10 years old, all started with that first trip abroad.
Travel has the magical power to change people's lives.
I feel like all the experiences and feelings I've had while traveling to dozens of countries have accumulated within me and are helping me grow. Of course, there have been hardships and difficulties. But I want to continue traveling in search of something new .
This time, I looked back on my four-week trip in 2018 along the west coast of Canada and the United States, traveling from Vancouver to Portland and down to San Francisco.
Looking back, it was a trip dotted with opportunities that shaped AS A BIRD as it is today. I'm thinking about which trip I'll look back on next. I hope you'll enjoy the next one.