I hope your week is going well and that you’re enjoying the fall.
We have a couple of exciting things to share.
Please read on.
First -
Join Us at OC Japan Fair This Weekend
We’ll be back at the OC Japan Fair, October 16 to 18, at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.
And this time you’ll find us somewhere new.
Booth N19 on Nakamise Street, the little Japanese shopping street that KIMONO CON builds right inside the fair entrance.
We’re across from the stage, so you can try our tea and coffee while you watch the shows.
Friday, October 16, 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Saturday, October 17, 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Sunday, October 18, 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Tap the map to see it larger. We’re N19.
Nakamise-dori (仲見世通り) is the shopping street that leads up to Senso-ji temple in Asakusa, Tokyo. If you’ve been to Tokyo, you’ve probably walked it.
Back in 2024, Miki and I came to this fair as customers, and the first thing we walked into was Nakamise Street. I remember standing there and thinking, “If we ever have a booth at this fair, this is where I want it to be.”
The year we came as customers. Miki at the fair gate.
So this October we’re on the street!
It feels like a promotion, if I’m being honest. It all started with a visitor who tried our coffee at the spring fair, and I wrote the whole story on the blog.
You’ll also meet the newest member of our booth. A rolling wooden cart, built by hand in Los Angeles by Paul, Dyanne and the team at R/D Record Cabinets.
Miki drew it, and I asked them to film the process. Dyanne sent clips all through the build, so there are so many videos of how we made the cart (22 videos in the post!).
If you only have a minute, watch this one first. It’s the whole build, from the first cut to the last screw, in about four minutes.
Watch behind the scenes: how the cart was made
Miki’s drawing.
Pickup day. Miki with Paul and Charlie.
The cart has been to seven events in three months now. At Taste of Shogun in San Diego, I even got a photo with Takehiro Hira, who plays Lord Ishido in FX’s Shōgun. A very good day.
Miki with Mitchell, who runs the Los Angeles French Fry Festival.
Me with Takehiro Hira from Shōgun.
Come find us on Nakamise Street!
Read the Story & Watch the Build
Second -
We’ve Been Into Shorts This Month
We have been into shorts this month and created some interesting ones.
This one is from History of Katana, and it’s animated: Disrespect a Samurai’s Sword and DIE! It’s 46 seconds on the three rules every commoner in Edo Japan had to know. Break one, and a samurai could legally cut you down.
The second one is “The Sword That Cut 7 Bodies in One Swing.”
What do you think? Reply to this email and let me know.
Third -
What Is Sumiyaki Coffee?
So many people ask us this at events. It’s also explained on our site, but we decided to make these short videos to explain what sumiyaki coffee is.
The first two are up. #1 is “What is Sumiyaki Coffee?” and #2 is “Why is Sumiyaki Coffee so expensive?”
Thank you very much again for trusting and following us.
I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week, and if you are in OC, come say hi to us!
With love and gratitude,
Kei Nishida
& the team from Dream of Japan
