Crafting Intention & Meaning
Welcome to UsagiStudio! My journey creating this shop began in 2018 when I found myself feeling stuck: not knowing what to do, not feeling appreciated at work, and struggling to find something...meaningful.
I decided to teach in Japan that summer and stayed with one host families whom became truly like family to me. My host sister's at the time mentioned her favorite animal was "Usagi" [ Japanese for bunny], and as I left Japan she gave me a farewell gift that brought me to tears--a notebook scrapbooked full of photos of us, notes from her family, and a little origami bunny. Emotionally, I was shaken. I didn't know that so much joy and thoughtfulness could be packed in a gift so simple and small. That experience made me want to share the joy of giving and receiving something meaningful, so I began Usagi Studio.
I try my best to create products that are uniquely stylish, but also timeless, meaningful, emotional, and intentional. I strive to satisfy all sorts of different gifting needs and carefully create and pack orders by hand. My own values of sustainability, ethicality, and hospitality are central to Usagi Studio and serve as an ode to my lovely host family.
In 2022, my host sister is now in university visiting the US for the first time, and I am so excited to host her and be the gift-giver this time around!