About the owner "Shichibee" and Shinatomy

My name is Shichibee, and I run Shinatomy.

Graduated from university in March 2022.
He currently works as a sole proprietor running the online store for human body motifs, "Shinatomy."

1. How Shichibee (the human body motif otaku) was born

The initial impetus

I think it all started when I saw Egyptian mummies on TV when I was in elementary school .

It's hard to answer why, but I think it was because at the time I had a desire , whether it was curiosity or something else, to experience things that other people wouldn't be very interested in .

It's strange to think that my life might have been different if my parents had told me back then, "You don't need to look at that kind of thing." Being different from others was how I expressed myself as a child, and perhaps I've managed to get to where I am today thanks to my parents, who respected my personal preferences without denying them.

From then on, I became interested in death itself, which everyone inevitably faces, and human bones, which are a symbol of death. In middle school, I was what they call a chuunibyou type of person, so I just thought that kind of thing was cool. It was also around this time that I read Death Note. As I got older, I began to keenly realize a side of humanity that I hadn't seen before. Rather than saying that I hadn't seen it, it might be more accurate to say that things that I hadn't cared about before started to bother me.

A bit dark

*The following contains some dark expressions and suicidal thoughts. If you are uncomfortable with these, please skip to 3. The turning point for anatomical motif otaku.*

I became especially interested in death and bones when I was in high school. The reason was simple: I wanted to end my own life. I remember thinking that just three years of environment and people can change a person who was supposed to be healthy to the point that they hate the next day. There was nothing more joyful than a graduation ceremony where I could escape an environment oppressed by a self-centered and overbearing person, but the suicidal thoughts that arose at that time still remain in me. For me, suicidal thoughts are not something to be eliminated, but something to coexist with. So I lowered the hurdles for life to reduce these thoughts even a little. That's why my slogan now is "Live at about 70-80% every day."

Another reason I became so drawn to bones was because I started to worry excessively about what other people thought of me. When I'm feeling down, I can't see myself in a positive light. If I think I'm ugly, the grass always seems greener on the other side. There are many options, like makeup and plastic surgery, but I got sick of them all and found them too much of a hassle. On the other hand, I thought it would be nice if, no matter how much I put on my face, I could just turn to bones after I die. After I found out that bones could be made into jewelry, I thought that if I could just turn to bones, I could be sparkling and beautiful.

From there, I was able to successfully enter university and spend my days dressing however I wanted. Being able to express whatever I wanted as much as I wanted without anyone telling me what to do was like heaven, overturning the hell of my student days. During those four years at university, there were three events that led me to change direction and my life with the human body motif.

2. A turning point for anatomical motif otaku

1. Meeting a creator who mainly draws human body motifs

March 2019. I've always thought that I like motifs like bones and hearts, but I wondered, "What is the general term for these genres?" That's because, even though I know that I like these kinds of things, it's difficult to search for them if I don't know the keywords.

It was during this time that I came across a creator called Makurakurama . This creator mainly draws motifs such as bones and organs, and his style is characterized by an antique atmosphere. I saw an announcement about his solo exhibition on social media, and I was so impressed by his style and worldview that I got carried away and bought a ticket to Osaka, where the exhibition was being held.

I realized a lot of things when I went to his solo exhibition. I really like things with bones and organs as motifs, and I like antique and dark atmospheres rather than bright ones. And the names of the things I like are expressed as "human body motifs" and "anatomy art". I think this was a big factor in me pursuing my hobby more.

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By the way, this creator is also the one who made the logo for Shinatomy. Being able to run a store with a logo made by someone I love (for a fee, of course) is a big motivation for me.

②Short-term study abroad in the UK

In August 2019, I participated in a two-week short-term study abroad program at my university. The reason was simple: "I want to go abroad! It seems cool!" Rather than improving my language skills, my main goal was to gain more life experience, but even here, I experienced many changes.

One was sightseeing in Manchester. I went on a bus tour as part of my study abroad program, but I decided to go my own way and wandered around alone with Google Maps in hand. I was thrilled when I found a tote bag with a brain on it in the merchandise corner of the science museum. I've been to the science museum in Tokyo before, but I've never seen such an impactful item... I love it so much that I still use it, and it's great because it lifts my spirits when I carry it around. (A few years later, I went to 🇬🇧 again and bought the same brain tote bag.)

Another thing was the sight of people on the streets. What made the biggest impression on me were the store clerks at supermarkets and other places. The store clerk at the supermarket I frequented while studying abroad had the perfect combo of blonde hair, lots of piercings, and lots of tattoos on his arms. I had never seen a store clerk with that kind of vibe in Japan, except in the apparel industry, so I was quite surprised. Even if you're a supermarket clerk, you can express yourself and get a job wearing the clothes and appearance you like, which is great. At the same time, I thought to myself, "I want to be like that in the future!" and a change began to occur within me, who had been thinking about getting a job and a stable job for the time being.

③ Job hunting

I was a person who didn't have a fixed part-time job because I didn't find it interesting to do the same job over and over again, and instead worked as a temporary worker. I finally had to face my life's path when I started job hunting. As I have already mentioned, I don't like myself, so self-analysis was very painful for me. I felt as if my stupidity was being presented again, and I stumbled even before I started job hunting.

In addition, I found it strange and scary to see my friends who had brown or flashy hair going back to black, closing their earrings, buying new black suits, etc. In compulsory education, it is considered good to keep pace with others, but in job hunting, individuality is often expected. I have always wondered why companies expect so much individuality from you, yet everyone is forced to have black hair and black suits. It's because having black hair or wearing a black suit doesn't really help to judge whether a person is good or bad, or whether they are adaptable to work, and I think that for students who only think of job hunting as an event to get through, it is just putting on the armor of cooperation.

For me, self-expression is a way to break away from unpleasant memories of the past and a weapon to protect my weak self-confidence. If I am told to strip away that, I don't want to do anything anymore. It was my seminar teacher who supported me as I dragged on like that. Thanks to him, I was able to take on a new challenge without forcing myself to look for a job, even though the road was a little tough.

3. What prompted you to open Shinatomy?

The reason was that I wanted to enjoy and express the things I like, and I also wanted to create an opportunity to give people who saw me doing that new options.

For me, the human body motif is something I've liked for over 10 years now. Even when others ask me "Why do you like that?", I've always liked it, and before I knew it, I had reached the point where I had a skeletal model in my room. I wanted to express that feeling of love not just by owning related items, but as a result, I decided to open my own shop related to human body motifs.

I also want to use Shinatomy to provide an opportunity for people to have new options. In compulsory education, we are expected to keep pace with others, but in job hunting, individuality is often required. I myself faced the above wall when I was looking for a job.

My father was originally self-employed, so rather than working in an environment where I would have to temporarily pretend to be a working adult and pretend to be someone I'm not, I wanted to do something that I could put my passion into, like my father, and that I wouldn't find difficult, so I changed direction from employment to starting my own business.

For some people, starting a business or expressing what they love can be a difficult choice. When I was in high school, all I could think about was "going to college and getting a job after graduation..." but knowing that there was an option to start a business after going to college broadened my horizons, and as a result, I chose to start a business.

I don't want people to become like me through Shinatomy, or walk the same path as me. That is something that should be left to the individual's freedom, and no one should force them to do so. However, I would like to be a presence that can provide people who are worried about their future, especially those in their late teens to early twenties who Shinatomy targets, with an option that offers a slightly different perspective to the ones that are prevalent in society, making them think, "Oh, I didn't know there were options like this."

4. Thoughts on the future of Shinatomy

Because the human body motif is not a genre that appeals to everyone, I would like to create something that will strike a chord in the heart of one person in 100 and make them unforgettable.

My hope is that Shinatomy will not just be a brand or shop that everyone knows, but that it will become known only to those in the know and people will say, "Shinatomy is cool."

Of course, there is still a lot of awareness to be gained before we can reach that stage. So, we would like to expand Shinatomy's presence from a small area by actively participating in events not only in big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, but also in local areas.

We are also considering expanding overseas in the future. Gothic culture in particular tends to be more well-known and well-liked overseas than in Japan. Another reason is that I have friends living overseas who say, "Make it so I can buy it too! I'm waiting!"

By existing as a unique brand and shop that can cater to both domestic and international customers, I want to broaden the scope of my search for that one person out of 100. In addition, through the business I'm currently running, I want to express my love for the human body motif, and provide new options for people who are worried about their future direction, showing them that "there are other options out there."

The genre may be a little too niche to make this a reality, but I believe that it is precisely because it is niche that it makes people feel like "I can take on the challenge myself."

lastly

I want to express and enjoy the things I like through the human body motif.
I would be happy if I could be a source of support for such people. Thank you very much.