When Time Moves Forward — Fifteen Years After March 11 in Fukushima
A dream for “Japan’s Geneva,” built one small step at a time.
Hello.
We are Fukushima Watch Company.
Nearly fifteen years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011.
In Japan—especially here in Fukushima—March 11 is a day of remembrance.
For many people in this region, that day marked a turning point in their lives.
Even now, it remains a moment we cannot forget.
As we approach this anniversary, we find ourselves pausing to reflect—
not only on the past, but also on the future we hope to build here in Fukushima.
Today, we would like to share a little about that future.
When Watches Become a Source of Pride for a Town
One dream we hold is simple.
Someday, we would like Fukushima to become
“the Geneva of Japan.”
Geneva in Switzerland is known as a place where many watch brands gather and where watchmaking is deeply rooted in the culture of the city.
But what we hope to create is not simply a place where famous companies gather.
Rather, we imagine a town where watchmaking naturally lives within daily life—
a craft that the people who live there feel proud of.
One day, perhaps people will say things like:
“Watches? Fukushima makes interesting ones.”
“When you think of watches, Fukushima comes to mind.”
If those words are spoken naturally someday,
we believe it will mean something meaningful has taken root here.
Connecting One Small Point to Another
Today, there are still very few watch workshops in Fukushima.
However, this region has long supported highly skilled precision manufacturing.
There are people here with remarkable expertise built through decades of craftsmanship.
Watch cases.
Dials.
Hands.
Straps.
And even the boxes that hold the watches.
We hope that someday, each of these parts might be created together with people here in Fukushima.
For now, we simply begin with what is possible.
Little by little, we want to increase the number of processes that can be completed within Fukushima.
At first, each effort may feel like a small point.
But when those points connect with people across the region,
they may eventually grow into something larger.
A place where people can say,
“Beautiful watches are made in Fukushima.”
And perhaps one day, new Made in Fukushima watch brands will naturally emerge as well.
Thinking about that possibility still fills us with excitement.
A Chance for People to Discover Fukushima
To move closer to this dream, there is something we hope to achieve in the near future.
One day, we would like to host an international watch exhibition in Fukushima.
There are many fascinating watch brands in Japan and around the world.
We hope to create a place where those brands gather in Fukushima and where people can experience their watches directly.
That is one reason.
But there is another reason that matters deeply to us.
We hope that people who come here for watches will also discover the beauty of this land.
Its rich nature.
Its long-standing cultural traditions.
And the people who have continued moving forward, step by step, even through hardship.
For example, the Soma Nomaoi, a traditional samurai horse festival said to be more than a thousand years old, has continued even after the disaster.
When people visit, feel the wind, and see the landscapes with their own eyes,
we believe something meaningful can be understood.
If watches can become the reason people gather here and encounter the story of this land,
that would be a meaningful step toward the future we imagine.
Until “Made in Fukushima” Becomes Natural
Someday, we hope the words “Made in Fukushima” will travel across the world through watches.
Watches shaped by the skills of Fukushima’s craftspeople and colored by the landscapes of this land.
And perhaps children growing up here will say with pride:
“In our town, we make beautiful watches.”
Until that day arrives,
we will continue moving forward—
slowly, but steadily.
A Long Journey Still Ahead
Our dream remains simple.
“Fukushima as the Geneva of Japan.”
For now, it is still a distant dream.
But if you would like,
we would be grateful if you continued watching this long story unfold with us.
From Odaka, Fukushima,
we will keep making watches that quietly mark the movement of time.
Watch the movement of Fukushima.
If this story resonated with you, you may want to explore the watches born from Odaka.