Omen (Japanese masks)-they go hand in hand with Ennichi

When we think of Japanese Ennichi, Omen (masks) come to mind.I guess it’s hard to relate to this for someone not accustomed to Japanese culture.Part of the enjoyment of going to Ennichi is that you get to be a kid again.Yes, no matter how old you are, Ennichi makes you feel young.And that’s where the Omen comes in.Booths are set up at Ennichi, booths for food, games and toys.A booth full of Omen, masks of Japanese and American cartoon characters, is a favorite.The kids love them but so do the adults.It is common to see young ladies in their yukata with a cartoon mask around their neck as part of their outfit.



Here is a display of Omen that you can find in a Japanese toy store.The popular ones include Power Rangers, Pokemon, Mickey and Minnie.



When planning the 14^th Annual Honolulu Festival and Ennichi Corner, it was important that we had displays that were authentic.That meant that we needed a great Omen Display.Little did we know how difficult it would be to get the Omen here in Hawaii. We searched at stores like Shirokiya and Don Quijote without much success.So we decided that we would bring them in from Japan.What we did not know is that when bringing in volume of such foreign products that there would be a custom clearance issue.We had to make do with whatever we could find.Not that easy!



We did so well that the attendees kept on asking if they were for sale.Sure wish we had some to share with our visitors.

Our goal for the Ennichi Corner at the 15^th Annual Honolulu Festival is to be prepared and have a wonderful Omen Display.Please look forward to it.Aloha!