Greetings from Yakushima, Japan. It's a special treat to be able to send this love letter from my absolute favorite place in the world. We returned to Japan about 10 days ago, so jet lag should already be out of my system. But, I am still waking up at strange hours before the sun comes up, listening to the sound of the ocean crashing against the cliffs in the dark while we try to keep the cooler breeze flowing through the nighttime windows.
June has brought lots of celebration to our family and BK, as we marked our kids' end of the school year, their birthdays, and also BK's 15th anniversary, while also bringing a lot of uncertainties. As I scrambled to prepare for my six-week stay in Japan at the end of June, while trying to wrap my head around what was going on in the world, I remembered something my dear friend had told me shortly after we went through wildfires in the Altadena area.
"The world can't heal without joy".
I kept the screenshot of her original text message as a gentle reminder when things got rough. Joy in the grown-up world feels so different from the joy I see in kids' eyes. Its complex and nuanced depth comes from the awareness of loss and grief... and we find strength in our ability to find joy over and over again even after experiencing despair.
This summer, I am determined to continue searching for joy in my heart. I am not going to push out and ignore what's happening in the world from my mind. But rather, I want to be aware and still be brave enough to keep reaching for the sparkles in every day, no matter how ordinary. I hope you enjoy the stories we are sharing in this love letter - each highlighting creativity, playfulness, and our mutual love for analogue... Perhaps, they can become a gateway for you to look out for a small glimmer in your everyday life this summer.
Speaking of joy, most of the BK team members are heading to Kyoto in mid-July for a special team retreat to celebrate our 15th anniversary. Due to our travel schedule, our Sunday in-person opening hours will be closed on July 13, July 20, and July 27. Additionally, our online fulfillment service will be closed from July 15 to July 29.
If you would like your online order to be shipped before July 15, please kindly place your order by July 9.
This team trip has been something I've been looking forward to for a long time, and I'm grateful that we can finally make it happen. I am certain it will bring newly rejuvenated inspiration and creativity to our studio and everyone on our team. If you have any questions regarding the BK schedule for July, please don't hesitate to contact me.
-wakako
always a metamorphosis in progress...
Yakushima// July 6th, 2025
P.S. Thank you so much for reading this love letter all the way to the end. What is one way you find joy in your day? Shoot me an email if you would like to share. (wakako@baum-kuchen.net)
**This story is from the BK Love Letter for June 2025. If you would like to see the entire love letter we sent to our community, including links to featured stories and the new and updated BK artifacts, you can browse it via this link.
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