It was a pleasant, sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. With the breeze from
the Seta River blowing through my hair, I made my way to Tatebe Grand Shrine, the principal shrine of Omi.
Kototsuki DesignWith that in mind, as I’m about to start a new website design project, I wanted to come here first to introduce myself to the local community.
…Well, I started off writing that in a somewhat grand way, but to tell you the truth, there’s a little secret.
I was actually supposed to go to a different shrine.
But I accidentally got on the wrong train.
Even though I made a mistake, it turned out to be the right place.
I was momentarily confused when I got off at the station, but when I saw the sunlight filtering through the trees in the shrine grounds, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
“Ah, I guess I was meant to come here today,” I thought.
Things not going according to plan, and the scenery I encountered precisely because I took a detour.
I feel like this was a good rehearsal for the work that’s about to begin.
This Takabe Grand Shrine is also the place where Minamoto no Yoritomo once prayed for a “comeback.”
He stopped here on his way into exile in Izu—and it was here that he later achieved the revival of the Minamoto clan.
For me now, as I’m about to start anew in Shiga, there’s no place more reassuring than this.
I thought I’d made a mistake, but it actually felt just right.
Feeling that mysterious connection, I walked slowly, very slowly, through the shrine grounds.
Something I gently placed in my heart.
As I clasped my hands in prayer before the worship hall. Rather than making a promise
to the gods, I reflected on who I want to be from now on.
Deep in my heart, I have kept three things to myself.
Work that is sincere and free from pretense.
A website isn’t something you just launch and forget about. As someone entrusted with preserving our clients’ precious “authenticity,” I want to remain sincere down to every single line of code hidden from view. I will give back to this community the skills I’ve cultivated over the years through work that is free of pretense.
Listening beyond the words.
Without being swept away by efficiency or speed, I want to prioritize “dialogue.” The subtle anxieties and unformed wishes—like “I want to do this”—that lie beneath the words clients speak. I believe that only by truly listening to those things can we create designs that feel warm and human.
People come before profit.
Rather than simply creating tools that chase numbers, I want to devise solutions that bring a little joy to the “people” involved in the business. I will relentlessly pursue warm digital expressions that convey the tactile feel and body heat of the user.
Kototsuki Design is now underway.
By the time I finished my prayers and stepped out of the shrine grounds, my vision seemed to suddenly brighten, and a pleasant sense of anticipation lingered.
Just as Yoritomo’s prayers of long ago became the force that paved the way for a new era. I hope that the websites I create can serve as a kind of “prayer” that helps my clients’ businesses connect to the future.
I’m already looking forward to weaving new yet nostalgic stories together with everyone in Shiga.
No rush, no pressure—let’s start with the step right in front of us.
Kototsuki Design is about to begin.
Contact Form 
Related Articles 
