Passing Through the World - ALWAYS ON THE WAY
The bloggers who look effortlessly put-together aren't just dressing well — they've mastered the small art of accessorizing. Rack after rack of trendy pieces can feel stamped from the same mold, but a truly one-of-a-kind accessory is what makes heads turn.
On my last trip to Kyoto I wandered through more shops than I can count, but one stole my heart: a handmade jewelry studio near Sanjo-dori called CRAFY. Every component there is lovely and almost absurdly cheap — finished pieces mostly run under 100 RMB. Each one is singular and unmistakably yours. I'm letting you in on my secret find.
Kyoto - CRAFY: Craft + Engrave + Life
As I passed CRAFY's entrance, I noticed the twenty-square-meter shop was crammed with people, its door flung wide to reveal a blend of Japanese calm and raw industrial edge. I turned on my heel and walked straight in.
The space hums with minimalist artistry. Two raw concrete tables are topped with wooden grid trays, each little compartment cradling a different component — small, exquisite treasures enough to make any girl's heart skip.
Lift a small tray into your hands, and your journey toward a one-of-a-kind accessory officially begins.
CRAFY lays out hundreds of dazzling components. Facing these delicate trinkets, inspiration can strike in an instant — for earrings, rings, bracelets, or necklaces alike. The finished samples on display are especially tempting. Once you've picked your favorites, you press the number-ticket dispenser and a staff member assembles your design on the spot.
CRAFY also offers 'My Ring' — pure handmade rings made for couples. They feel high-end, take just five to ten minutes to make, and come at a friendly 888 yen per ring.
The Special Ring: One-of-a-Kind Original Handmade Wedding Rings
The studio's full name is Ring Studio Crafy. Proudly a 'global handmade ring' specialist, it actually sells itself on crafting original wedding and engagement rings — CRAFY standing for Craft + Engrave + Life.
If hand-crafting your own engagement or wedding rings tempts you, CRAFY is the place. In an age when buying the same thing as everyone else is all too easy, making it by hand leaves you with something genuinely, irreducibly yours.
CRAFY works in a range of metals for handmade rings — platinum, gold, rose gold, alloy. They also offer a rich spread of crafting techniques, diamonds for setting, and twelve birthstones to choose from.
Best of all, CRAFY assigns a dedicated staff member to film the whole ring-making process and edit it into a roughly five-minute short film — a romantic keepsake for couples to treasure.
If you're tempted, browse the Ring Studio Crafy official website before you decide.
Website: https://www.wedding-makers.net/
Reportedly, customers who book handmade wedding or engagement rings get up to 15% off plus assorted gifts, including 30,000 yen worth of three diamonds or three birthstones.
CRAFY runs five shops across Japan — three in Tokyo, one in Kyoto, and one in Kamakura. If you love making things by hand, go.
Shop Locations
Kyoto: 87 Nakajima-cho, Sanjo-dori Kawaramachi Higashi-iru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto
Kamakura: 1-9-18 Ougigaya, Kamakura, Kanagawa
Tokyo Meguro: 1-4-20 Kita-Senzoku, Ota-ku, Tokyo
Tokyo Kichijoji: 1-7-9 Kichijoji Honcho, Musashino, Tokyo
Tokyo Omotesando: 5-6-13 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo
