It was only fitting that this be the first custom design I do for a test, and let me tell you why.

I love mejiro. They’re also known as the “Japanese White-Eye.” They’re these cute little chonky bright green birds that are a joy to see in the bamboo fields where they tend to live. Or in spring, they often perch on flowering trees like plums and cherry blossoms. They’re also the “state bird” of the Prefecture I live in, Oita. We have lived here for over a decade now, and these little guys, while rare in our fishing village, are just so cute to see (and hear) hopping around. They usually come in flocks, too, which is a treat!

So in honor of starting this new way of creating art, it seemed fitting.

The entire collection of “crossroads” art are also something I love. In every place you visit in Japan, if you look down, you’ll see something wonderful on occasion… the sewer caps! No joke, they’re really amazing, and everywhere has their own. They feature history, landmarks, animals, and characters the place is known for. Heck, even some tiny villages that you wouldn’t even think to check have their own! There is so much pride in your hometowns here, especially in the rural countrysides, that it’s a neat view into the place you’re walking around… but you have to remember to look down.

This one, with the mejiro, are from a small town in Oita, in the Nakatsu area, called Sanko-mura. It was one of our first “trips” outside of Nakatsu when we first moved to Japan, to visit some of the smaller places, and Sanko was one of the first because a friend lived there. It was where I really realized that each place has their own caps, and turned me into an avid hunter of them wherever we go. I might not live within a stone’s throw of Sanko any more, but still being in Oita both the town and the birds live close to my heart, and to me, they mean new starts.

I hope that this inspires you, too, into supporting this new thing. I know it’s hard to trust just some random website online, but know that I am a real human, an artist who thought they would only be in Japan for a year and a half in 2012, who still lives here with my husband and kitties. All of my work is original and hand-drawn, no AI here, so if you feel like supporting an independent artist, please consider it. We all truly appreciate you!

Oh, and the Japanese at the bottom of the diamond painting version says “日本へようこそ” (nee-hon eh yoh-koh-soh) which means “Welcome to Japan” which seems fitting.