Thanks to your support, today marks the 14th anniversary of Circles.
We could not have reached this day without the support of all of you who have championed our physical store in the provincial city of Nagoya, as well as the cyclists and free spirits from all over who have resonated with us and supported Circles even from afar.
We offer our heartfelt gratitude. Thank you, as always.
I suspect that neither we nor any of you have ever longed for ordinary days as much as we have this year. It has been a year that has made us realize, perhaps more than ever, the preciousness of being able to live a normal life. Under the current circumstances, I know many are still facing extremely difficult times, but now more than ever, I believe we must combine our local support and the power of our community to overcome this pandemic together.
Once we realized that we couldn't do anything too special under these abnormal conditions, we decided that our responsibility wasn't to complain, but to carefully examine every aspect of our daily operations. We looked for gaps to fill, ensuring that our momentum wouldn't stop. Beyond our standard technical expertise and knowledge, we made daily improvements across every perspective—from our product lineup and inventory management to our shipping systems, web shop updates, and even interior renovations. This process brought many realizations. Honestly, had the COVID-19 pandemic not occurred, we might have remained under the illusion that our old ways—operating daily, throwing grand events, and being obsessed with doing "something special"—were the norm. We might never have paused to think about the true meaning of "everyday life" or "normalcy." I truly feel that this has been a period of vital learning, and that it still continues.
While we still receive much guidance and constructive criticism from our supporters both locally and around the world, and acknowledge that there are many areas where we still fall short, we believe our duty during this pandemic is to improve our daily performance, refine the experience and ideas we have cultivated, and bring those thoughts and concepts to life. We ask for your continued warm support.
Next year will mark a major milestone: our 15th anniversary. I sincerely hope that, through the collective strength of humanity, we will be able to endure this pandemic and return to days where we can go for a ride together without a second thought, or share a toast with a glass in hand. For store visits, we continue to prioritize customers who have made reservations. As for our web store, we are quietly tapping away at our keyboards every day with the motto of making the shop easier to browse, more intuitive, and more fun. Please enjoy that as well, along with our Cyber Week Sale running through the 4th.
Once again, we express our heartfelt thanks for the support of all the free spirits in Nagoya, across the country, and around the world.
December 1, 2020
Circles
Shinya Tanaka