We weren't setting out to create a brand.
We had been seeing a lot of Christian clothing and a lot of Japanese-inspired clothing on Instagram. We loved Christian apparel, and we've loved Japan for years, so we started looking for something that combined both in a way that felt awesome, intentional, and tasteful.
We were surprised by how little we could find.
Over the next few days, we kept envisioning a design of the crucifixion with Scripture written in Japanese around it. Eventually, we decided to stop wondering whether we could make something like that and just try.
At that point, we weren't trying to start a business. We were making a shirt for ourselves. But we began to wonder if other people might want this too if they knew it existed.
That was when the idea of GHP started to become something more than a shirt.
We spent hours working through Japanese Scripture, adjusting kanji and kana, refining layouts, considering colors, and trying to make every detail both beautiful and faithful to what the Scripture actually says. We had saved a version of the first design labeled "FINAL" to our computer six different times.
And even now, we could be wrong. Maybe there aren't many people looking for Christian clothing inspired by Japan.
But whether GHP eventually reaches one person or one million, we can say this much:
We are able to look at what we made and know that our whole hearts were in it.
From the beginning, that has been part of what GHP is about. Every design should point to Christ, carry its message with care, and help create opportunities for someone to encounter the Gospel.