The Nikkei Matsuri 2024 Artisans Fair allows local Japanese culture and businesses to thrive in the heart of Japantown in San Jose.
The fair is comprised of around 40 vendors, each with unique and creative products centered around Japanese culture. It has been running since 1987, despite changes in ownership.
“When it originally started, it was called the Winter Boutique, and it was put on by the Japanese American Museum in San Jose. It started by selling different Japanese goods just for the Japanese community, and then just kind of opened up for everyone,” said Chris Hioki, a Japanese American Museum in San Jose (JAMSJ) volunteer.
When COVID-19 hit, however, the Winter Boutiques were stopped and never truly recovered. The boutique remained dormant until the Nikkei Matsuri Foundation took hold of the reins and renamed it the Artisans Fair. Now, JAMSJ participates in the event as a vendor selling handmade cards in order to fund the museum. In addition, JAMSJ has a cafe booth to support the museum.
“We felt the artisans lost the opportunity to sell what they made and that Nikkei Matsuri was relatively strong. We had a good committee, so we decided to take over one of the organizations that had always held a fall or winter boutique,” said Mochel Kadokura, who has served as the Nikkei Matsuri Foundation president and festival food chair since 1978.
The fair hosts a variety of small businesses with products ranging from unique jewelry to baked goods.
One notable handmade craft sold was by Accessories NAGAOKA. The owner buys Japanese silk kimonos from Japan, brings them back to California, and uses the fabric to make accessories such as hair clips, earrings, and bags. Her goal is to find opportunities for people to bring kimonos into their lives by making them more attractive and usable in today’s modern world.
Designs by Masako was another notable booth involving Japanese materials. According to the owner, she finds artists who make different beads and charms in Japan and buys them to make designs and turn them into jewelry.
A unique item sold at the fair was the hotoru-dama beads made in Okinawa, Japan. Hotoro-dama translates to “firefly beads,” referring to how they absorb light and glow in the dark.
“I think it was really cool because a lot of the sellers were saying, ‘We have a special vendor in Japan who’s giving this to us. We have a special deal with them.’ Many of these people are just small businesses in California,” said Emmett Rennich, a Carlmont student who attended the Artisans Fair for the first time. “I think it’s very cool because it just shows how dedicated and serious they are about this, and it shows that they know what they’re doing, they love what they’re doing, and that there’s a lot of passion behind what they’re doing.”
On top of Japanese-influenced crafts, the Artisans Fair welcomes other local businesses through its accessibility and popularity. Local artisan Roxanne Vinciguerra from Morgan Hill sold biscotti, an Italian cookie. She offered unique flavors such as pumpkin and black sesame toffee, which uses chocolate from Dandelion Chocolate and other locally sourced ingredients.
“This is a great event. I mean, it’s got a good flow of customers. It’s super organized and feels like it has a good layout and a lot of walking space for people,” Vinciguerra said.
Another aspect of the fair is how it enables artisans to express their interests and hobbies. Jane Yamashiro of Jane’s Homemade makes baked goods and candies that avoid gluten, dairy, eggs, and nuts.
“I’ve always liked baking, and I’ve always liked baking in quantity. When I started avoiding gluten and dairy and eggs, I started making different recipes. Then, I wanted to share them with others, and the family and friends I shared them with enjoyed them and were like, ‘You can sell these,’” Yamashiro said.
The fair is a social event where most sellers interact directly with buyers and share their stories and history.
“I pretty much only do booths at community things because I realized after trying different festivals, it just feels a lot more fun and feels good to be part of the community and support the community,” Yamashiro said.
Along with the annual Artisans Fair, many other events in Japantown, San Jose happen throughout the year. For instance, the larger version of the fair, Nikkei Matsuri, will take place on Apr. 27, 2025. This event will showcase even more vendors and cultural aspects including dances, live music, bonsai, taiko, ikebana, and more.
“That’s the motivation; it’s like our whole purpose. The city’s purpose is to build community. Bringing artisans together, promoting Japanese American culture, and then bringing the community together, it’s our mission.” Kadokura said.
