The "Unspoken Feelings" Become a Gift That Lasts a Lifetime.

https://omotenashinippon.jp/selection/prize/2600-01-090/

"Thank you."

It's just five simple words.

But have you ever regretted not being able to say those words?

To my father.

To my mother.

To my mentor.

To those who supported my life.

I'm truly grateful.

But I'm too embarrassed to say it.

In Japan, there are many such "feelings kept in the heart."

In fact, I was one of them.

I was not good at directly telling people "thank you."

Gratitude that couldn't be put into words.

It was in my heart, but it didn't reach the other person.

I lived with that frustration.

Since childhood, I was often told I looked "sleepy" or "unmotivated."

But in reality, I was a child who enjoyed listening to people and thinking about their feelings.

That's why, from childhood, I made one resolution:

"Never judge people by their appearance alone."

This feeling hasn't changed even now.

A single wooden box changed my life.

That's when I encountered engraved gifts.

Words carved into a wooden box.

Feelings put into chopsticks.

At that moment, my heart trembled.

"With this, I can convey the 'thank you' I couldn't express."

That emotion is the origin of HUGLOT.

In 2013.

I started a small gift shop in Fukuoka.

Since our founding, our management philosophy has never changed.

"To convey love and happiness in tangible form."

With this philosophy in our hearts, we have been by the side of each and every customer.

Certificate of Commendation at the time of award

That dedication has been recognized worldwide.

HUGLOT, a specialty gift shop operated by HUGLOT Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nakama City, Fukuoka Prefecture), has received the "Omotenashi Selection 2026" award, which promotes Japan's excellent hospitality to the world, for its "Personalized Chopsticks and Engraved Wooden Box Set."

From the selection committee:

"The prompt service, completed in as little as 15-60 minutes, is a Japanese-style hospitality."

"The engraved wooden box makes a special gift."

"A product with high appeal even overseas."

We received such evaluations.

However, we do not consider this award to be an award for "the product."

What was evaluated was

Our attitude of empathizing with people's feelings and giving them form.

We don't ask, "What would you like to engrave?"

HUGLOT values one thing above all else.

That is:

"How can we make the recipient truly happy with this gift?"

That's why the first question we ask is not

"What would you like to engrave?"

but rather,

"Who is this gift for?"

From there, we search together for stories that only they would know, such as memories known only to the family, nicknames from school days, or promises made only between the two of them.

What we want to deliver is not words that look good to anyone.

It's words that are understood only by the giver and the receiver.

The moment those words are carved into the wooden box, the gift transforms from a "product" into a "memory of a lifetime."

Image of an engraved wooden box. You can engrave your heartfelt message like this.

There is one unforgettable word.

One day, a customer visited our store again.

And with a smile, they said:

"President, when I gave them the present, they cried with joy."

At that moment, I made a decision in my heart.

"I will continue this work for the rest of my life."

This award is not our goal.

Our goal is not to increase the number of awards.

It is to continue to be a company that can receive more of those words: "When I gave them the present, they cried with joy."

That is the "omotenashi" that HUGLOT aims for.

Chapter 2

"Never judge people by their appearance alone."

My childhood complex became HUGLOT's omotenashi.

Chopstick production scene

As a child, adults around me often said:

"You look sleepy."

"Are you unmotivated?"

"What are you thinking?"

In reality, I wasn't sleepy or unmotivated.

I just liked listening to people and thinking about what they were feeling.

Yet, I was judged by my appearance many times.

So, even as a child, I made one resolution.

"I, at least, will not judge people by their appearance."

First, listen to them.

Get to know them.

Understand what they value.

That habit hasn't changed even now that I'm an adult.

Customers who visit HUGLOT are not always those who have decided on the words they want to convey from the start.

"I don't know what to write..."

It often starts with such words.

Therefore, we do not rush to take orders.

First, we listen to the customer's story.

Who is the gift for?

What memories do you have?

What kind of life have they lived?

When do they smile?

As the conversation progresses, the customer's expression gradually changes.

And finally,

"That phrase really suits me," they say with a smile.

I love that moment more than anything.

We are not just carving letters onto wooden boxes or chopsticks.

We are carving their unique story.

Therefore, we never recommend pre-written phrases.

Memories only family knows.

Nicknames from school days.

Promises only the two of them share.

"Thank you" that was too embarrassing to say.

Words that can only be understood by that specific person have the power to move hearts.

A customer once told me:

"I never expected you to be so genuinely involved in thinking with me."

I remember being very happy to hear those words.

HUGLOT's management philosophy is:

"To convey love and happiness in tangible form."

This philosophy extends beyond product creation.

We believe that the time spent thinking with the customer is itself our omotenashi.

Chapter 3

The Day I Lost Sight of My Origins, and the Day I Found Them Again.

Since our founding in 2013, HUGLOT has walked alongside each customer with the desire to "convey love and happiness in tangible form."

Our goal was not to be a shop that sells a lot.

It was to become a shop that receives more of those words: "When I gave them the present, they cried with joy."

However, the COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed that daily life.

Opportunities to meet people decreased, and celebratory gatherings became fewer.

The number of customers visiting the store decreased significantly, and we raised over 100 million yen in funding to protect the company, which we are still repaying.

Many staff members resigned, and the business environment changed completely.

And we experienced the most painful decision since our founding: the closure of the Aeon Mall Fukutsu store.

We were desperate to protect the company.

Every day, I thought:

"How can we increase sales?"

"How can we keep the company going?"

That's all I thought about.

Of course, these are necessary as a business owner.

However, one day, I suddenly realized.

I was thinking about things different from when I first started the company.

When I first founded the company, what I thought about every day was:

"How can I make the recipient cry with joy with this gift?"

Not sales.

Not profit.

But the customer's smile.

At some point, I had lost sight of that origin.

On the day the store closed, I sat alone and reminisced about the early days of the company.

About myself, unable to say "thank you" to people.

About the day I encountered engraved gifts and my heart trembled, thinking, "With this, I can convey my feelings."

And about the day a customer said,

"President, when I gave them the present, they cried with joy."

At that moment, I clearly decided.

"Let's go back to our origins."

What we want to deliver is not gifts that sell well.

It's gifts that move people's hearts.

It's not about receiving awards.

It's about helping customers convey their feelings to their loved ones.

Returning to that sentiment, we re-examined our customer service, focusing on interacting with each individual.

Listening to each person's story, hearing their feelings, and thinking about the words together.

We believe that the result of continuing to cherish that attitude, unchanged since our founding, led to the Omotenashi Selection 2026 award.

Omotenashi Selection 2026 Awarded Product

Representative's Comment

"This award is not our goal.

Having experienced difficult times, we have reaffirmed the importance of our founding philosophy, 'To convey love and happiness in tangible form.'

What we aim for is not to increase the number of awards.

It is to receive more of those words from our customers: 'They cried with joy when I gave them the present.'

From Fukuoka, we will continue to help deliver the spirit of Japanese hospitality and feelings that cannot be fully expressed in words."

Chapter 4

Towards a Japan Where "Thank You" Can Be Expressed More Freely.

Japan boasts many cultures that are the pride of the world.

The beauty of the four seasons.

The craftsmanship.

And the spirit of "omotenashi" that cares for others.

Among these, we want to cherish the culture of "words."

"Thank you."

"Congratulations."

"I'm sorry."

"Let's continue to be friends."

These are all short phrases, but they have the power to change lives.

However, Japanese people sometimes keep these words locked away in their hearts.

Embarrassment.

Shyness.

It's too late to say it now.

It is precisely because of these feelings that we carve words into chopsticks and wooden boxes as "forms."

Feelings that are difficult to convey with words alone can be naturally delivered when accompanied by a gift.

That's why what HUGLOT makes is not chopsticks or wooden boxes.

It's a "catalyst for conveying unspoken feelings."

Receiving the Omotenashi Selection 2026 award this time has been a great encouragement for us.

However, this award is not the end goal.

What we truly aim for is to spread a culture throughout Japan where "thank you" is conveyed more naturally.

For as many people as possible to be able to express their gratitude to their loved ones.

For us to create the opportunity for that.

That is HUGLOT's mission.

From Fukuoka, we will continue to put our heart into each gift, guided by the spirit of Japanese hospitality and our unchanging founding philosophy: "To convey love and happiness in tangible form."

And one day--

We hope for a society where more people realize that "thank you" is the most beautiful word in Japan.

[Store Exterior]

Product Overview

Product Name: Personalized Chopsticks and Engraved Wooden Box Set

Award: Omotenashi Selection 2026 Winner

Contents: Personalized chopsticks, original engraved wooden box

Features

Personalization available in as little as 15-60 minutes. Unlimited character count for engraving on wooden box. Wide selection of over 1,000 types of chopsticks to choose from. Free gift consultation. Original design wooden box. Suitable for a wide range of occasions including wedding gifts, retirement gifts, 60th birthday gifts, birthdays, anniversaries, and gifts for overseas.

Company Overview

Company Name: HUGLOT Co., Ltd.

Brand Name: HUGLOT

Founded: 2013 (Heisei 25)

Established: 2015 (Heisei 27)

Location: Fukuoka Prefecture

Stores

HUGLOT Aeon Mall Nogata Store HUGLOT Aeon Mall Yahatahigashi Store

Business Activities: Planning, production, and sales of personalized gifts, chopsticks, wooden gifts, and laser-engraved products.