Tsunaihaiya, also styled Tsunai Haiya, is a Japanese jewelry brand that designer Yusuke Kuwano launched with San Carlos Apache sculptor Craig Dan Goseyun in 2012. Its origins trace back to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Kuwano studied metalwork at the Institute of American Indian Arts.
Kuwano’s documented career comes into focus between 2009 and 2012. During those years, he moved to Santa Fe, earned recognition in student jewelry competitions, and began selling work under the Tsunaihaiya name through Japanese retailers. Their early descriptions show how his training carried over into pieces people could wear every day.
Tsunaihaiya at a Glance
| Detail | Documented information |
|---|---|
| Brand name | Tsunaihaiya, also written Tsunai Haiya |
| Japanese spelling | ツナイハイヤ |
| Designer | Yusuke Kuwano |
| Co-founder | Craig Dan Goseyun |
| Launch year | 2012 |
| Training | Kuwano studied metalwork at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe |
| Early retail pieces | Inlay jewelry, beaded bracelets, anklets, and chokers |
Kuwano’s Move to Santa Fe
Kuwano moved to Santa Fe in 2009 and studied metalwork at the Institute of American Indian Arts. Japanese retailer Forty Five published a profile of him in 2012, the same year it began stocking Tsunaihaiya. That account provides one of the earliest published timelines of his training and career.
Forty Five reports that Kuwano placed first in two jewelry competitions in 2011. One was the inaugural Institute of American Indian Arts competition, and the other was an American Indian Higher Education Consortium art competition. The retailer also reports that he apprenticed with Navajo jeweler Michael Roanhorse that year. The awards and apprenticeship come from a contemporary retailer profile, which is the basis for those details.
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From Student Work to a Jewelry Brand
In 2012, Kuwano took part in a group exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts, according to Forty Five’s profile. That same year, he and Goseyun established Tsunaihaiya. A separate account from BAS Kurashiki, published in 2014, also identifies the two artists as the people behind the launch.
The retailer it’s 12 midnight describes Tsunaihaiya as bringing together Native American jewelry-making techniques and traditional Japanese approaches to metalwork. Silver Index records another part of the brand’s design brief. It asks what distinctly Japanese personal ornaments could look like today. The question gives context to Kuwano’s work after Santa Fe, when he began developing jewelry for Japanese stores.
BAS Kurashiki and it’s 12 midnight both describe the name as a reference to the rising sun and attribute it to Apache. That is the meaning presented in the brand’s retail materials. An independent linguistic source confirming the exact translation has yet to be established.
What the Early Pieces Looked Like
When Forty Five received its first Tsunaihaiya pieces in October 2012, the shop singled out the brand’s inlay work. Inlay involves setting a material into a recessed area so it forms part of the surface. Its mention in a launch-year retail account gives readers a concrete detail about the early jewelry.
By June 2014, BAS Kurashiki was carrying a two-strand anklet and a beaded choker. The anklet used strands of different lengths so they would sit separately when worn. The retailer also drew attention to its silver charm and clasp, both made specifically for the design. Those details show how the brand used silverwork even on pieces where the beads supplied most of the visible color.
Kuwano’s Personal Life and the Brand Today
The available profiles document Kuwano’s training and early career. His birth date, birthplace, upbringing, and family and relationship history are not publicly verified. There is also no credible published estimate of his personal net worth.
As of November 2026, it’s 12 midnight still lists Tsunaihaiya and credits Kuwano as its designer. That listing documents an ongoing retail presence. It does not establish when Kuwano last designed a piece or what he is working on now.
The clearest record of Kuwano’s contribution is in the early pieces themselves. The 2012 inlay work and the silver fittings on the 2014 anklet show how metalwork moved from his studies in Santa Fe into the details of jewelry sold in Japan.
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