"Yoka" means "Good" in Japanese, specifically in the Kyushu dialect.
I have two hometowns, one being Kumamoto in Kyushu (southern Japan) where I was born and grew up. Another is Los Angeles which accepted me as a foreigner and where I met many life-long family friends. Living in the United States as a foreigner, I was dreaming of connecting my hometown to where I live by introducing wonderful craftsmanship and products from Kyushu. My vision is that through these products you will learn about Kyushu and support the local craftsman, their families, which will create the "Yoka" cycle between the countries.
On April 16th 2016 Kumamoto was hit by a big earthquake where my beloved family and friends lives have been impacted by the disaster. Many people around myself helped raise funds to support Kumamoto and those actions inspired me to launch this business.
I want to introduce unique and thoughtfully created items from Kumamoto and Kyushu-related craftsmen and artists. All items are hand picked by myself. My goal is to tell how products are made and support the local craftsmen to continue their family owned businesses.
I hope you will enjoy the "Yoka" feelings by adding our products into your daily life.