#15. MINASE Goes to New York — Part One

It all began with a single email.
The message arrived while Tsuyoshi Suzuki, President of MINASE, was traveling on the Akita Shinkansen. Something about the words on the screen immediately struck a chord with him. (Curiously enough, quite a few important moments that have shaped MINASE’s future seem to happen aboard the Akita Shinkansen.)
MINASE had received inquiries from overseas about carrying the brand before, but Suzuki had always approached such proposals with caution. This time, however, he sensed something different. There was a sincerity in the way Jack had written his message, a sense that this was someone worth talking to.
A series of online meetings followed, and Suzuki gradually learned more about the man behind the email.
Jack was a manager in the watch-buying division of the New York boutique of one of the world’s most renowned jewelers. At the same time, he was involved in running the family jewelry business founded by his grandfather in New Jersey, just outside New York City.

From there, the conversation developed into something much more ambitious: Jack wanted to introduce MINASE to North America, using his own family business as the starting point.

When Jack later visited Japan to meet Suzuki in person for the first time, I had the opportunity to join them in the car on the way to the MINASE factory. Naturally, I took full advantage of the journey and bombarded Jack with questions.

He told me that he had practiced karate since the age of three and had always felt a strong connection to Japanese culture. As a jewelry maker himself, he could appreciate, on a very personal level, the complexity of MINASE’s case construction—the unusual angles, intricate geometry, and the difficulty of producing such forms.

He had first encountered MINASE the previous year at a department store in Ginza. Until then, he said, his image of Japanese watchmaking had largely been shaped by the country’s major brands. Discovering MINASE changed that perception entirely.

Jack spoke passionately about many things, but one expression stayed with me more than any other : “Family Heritage.”
MINASE began with a company making precision cutting tools, and today its story continues from father to son. For Jack, that continuity has real meaning. He believes there is something special about a brand whose values are passed down within a family—a legacy that does not dilute the brand over time, but instead continues to refine and strengthen it.

After touring the factory, I asked him simply, “So, what did you think?” His answer came without hesitation. “You really do make everything here—even the smallest parts.” Then he looked out at the snow-covered landscape surrounding the factory. “I want watch enthusiasts to understand the value of something that comes from a place like this. That’s why I think MINASE should be very selective in North America. It should be available only through stores that can truly tell the story behind the watches.” Even later, while waiting at the station for the journey home, the conversation between Suzuki and Jack seemed to go on endlessly. By the time they finally parted, a decision had been made.

MINASE would hold a pop-up event in New York in June 2026. With a firm handshake, Jack began his journey home. And with that, MINASE’s New York story had begun.

This is an in-depth travelogue of Mr. K. Kawakami who specializes in writing reports on various factories. He takes a look at the fundamental value of MINASE, with incisive insight and observation refined over the years, as a seasoned expert on the watch industry.

K. Kawakami is a professional writer specializing in exploring diverse factories, reporting on their unique manufacturing practices in Japan and around the world. He travels to the factories of many manufacturers that operate on the principle of perfection, including watches, electrical appliances, shoes, fashion items, buildings, foods, confections, and traditional crafts.