Results of our fund raising effort for Mr. Hino, our makie artist

We are grateful for all the donations we received from around the world for our Makie artist, Mr. Takuya Hino. Thanks to your generous contributions, we were able to collect the following amount:

¥1,901,728 JPY
(just shy of $13,000.00 USD)

This full amount was deposited to Mr. Hino’s bank account on February 1st. On behalf of Mr. Hino, we would like to express our gratitude.。

Mr. Hino is currently taking refuge in a prefab shack in his sister’s backyard with his wife, Yasuko. Using a corner of their living space, they have collected the bare minimum tools to get right back to work! What got them out of the despair of the destruction were the warm words of support from people like you and your generous donations. While the day of their return to Wajima is still far away, we hope the work they have begun here will lead to their eventual return to his very own studio back in the City of Wajima. We ask for your continued support of his work to help this dream become a reality.

The following is a message we received from Mr. Hino upon informing him of the final donation amount:

 “Thank you for the generous donation.

I would like to express my gratitude to Kaoru who organized this donation effort, the staff of BUNGUBOX, and most importantly, all the fountain pen lovers from around the world who have given me strength to get back on my feet.

The neighborhood of my old studio in Wajima is still untouched, and we don't have a clue as to when we will be able to return. However, I am determined to get back to Wajima by gradually building up our strength and restarting my work in this makeshift workshop. The donations gave me a very deep appreciation of the sheer number of people out there who are supportive of me and my work. I am determined to return this favor by working hard to restore my studio and get back to the scale of production I was able to process before the earthquake. I promise to apply the entire amount of the donation for the restoration of the Hino Makie Studio.

I am attaching a photo of my current temporary workspace.

Since moving into this space, we have gathered the bare minimum of tools and materials, but it is definitely not enough. We are using many substitutes purchased at our local home supply store, but we hope to slowly replace them with legitimate Urushi tools that are much easier to use.

I have many friends who have lost their lives in the earthquake, as well as friends who are still missing in the rubble. This means it will still be a while before I will get to shave off my beard.

Please kindly convey my regards to those who have supported us. Thank you very much indeed."

Takuya Hino

Mr. Hino and his wife have been working hand-in-hand to get their business back on track. I am very happy to receive a photo of their beaming faces. Mr. Hino said he will not be shaving his beard until all of his missing friends are accounted for. I know it is going to be a tough journey, but I am hoping for all the best for him and his wife. And I hope that Mr. Hino will get to shave his beard as soon as possible…　

February 2nd, 2024

Kaoru Yamagishi, President, BUNGUBOX