Putting a Bow on a Small Business Dream

October 28, 2026

Business: Fantastic Wrapping

Credit Union Partner: Peninsula Credit Union

Shiho Masuda once thought she was destined to become a painter.

Twenty-six years ago, Shiho left her hometown in Japan’s Ehime Prefecture to study graphic arts in the United States. But her plans changed when she happened upon a paper store in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood and saw something she never expected to find: employees in the front window wrapping gifts in the traditional Japanese style.

“I was so mesmerized,” Shiho recalled. “It was amazing and entertaining. I stood there and watched for an hour, and before I knew it, I went in the store and filled out an application to work there.”

That spontaneous decision opened the door to a new calling. Over time, Shiho mastered the 1,200-year-old art of Japanese gift wrapping. But she learned something else along the way: Every gift has a story.

Shiho began taking time to ask customers who they were giving their gifts to and why the occasion was special.

“Every single person had a story,” she said. “I thought creating a beautiful gift was my job, but it wasn’t. My job was actually translating someone’s heart into the design of the wrapping.”

Eventually, Shiho realized that teaching this centuries-old art could be a gift in itself. In 2025, she took steps to turn that vision into a business.

Through one-on-one business coaching from the Japan American Society of Washington, Shiho connected with Peninsula Credit Union and secured a $9,000 Small Business Resiliency Loan (SBRL).

The loan helped Shiho purchase a new camera and microphone and launch a website featuring blog articles and tutorial videos, giving her a way to share the art of Japanese wrapping with people far beyond her local community.

After paying off her loan, Shiho received a matching grant that allowed her to expand the business by offering memberships. Today, 30 members are continuing to hone their wrapping techniques with online support. Shiho also partnered with an e-commerce company that ships high-quality wrapping supplies from around the world directly to her members.

Shiho calls the SBRL program “an amazing experience that helped me with this dream of mine.”

She also credits her partners at Peninsula Credit Union for helping her navigate the loan application process and stay on top of monthly statements. That support gave Shiho more time to focus on what matters most: her customers and her passion for preserving and sharing the art of Japanese gift wrapping.

There’s an old cliché about some gifts being “too pretty to unwrap.”

When it comes to Shiho’s art, that just might be true.

Posted in Community Impact.