Tegami's NY NOW 2025 Exhibition Report

Hello, this is Ikeya, producer of Tegami. Tegami celebrated its third anniversary and finally took to the stage in New York this summer. I would like to share with you my experience at NY NOW 2025, which was held from August 3rd to 5th.

The opportunity to expand into New York

This time, with the support of Kanagawa Prefecture, we overcame a rigorous screening process and were able to exhibit at the DECO BOKO Trade Show, a special area within the NY NOW exhibition venue that promotes the appeal of Japanese brands.

Tegami has been highly praised by expatriates in Kanagawa Prefecture for a long time. DECO BOKO director Herbert gave us some powerful words: "Both the product and the concept are fascinating." We were excited to exhibit at the event, hoping to let people from overseas know about the high level of skill of Kanagawa's woodworking artisans.

Tegami's reputation in the American market

Prior to the event, Tegami had received some advice that could be considered counterproductive, such as "Japanese products are highly regarded, and products with culture, technology, and a story behind them are popular," "Eco-friendly, technological, and innovative ideas are also important," "Natural colors aren't very popular. Colorful ones are more eye-catching," and "Large items are preferred over small ones, so the miniature market is unknown." But the actual reaction at the exhibition was...

The item that attracted the most attention was the "small tea set." It was.
The buyers all expressed their excitement with words like "So cute!", "So detailed!" and "Amazing!" I was a little worried about the small size of the items, but I realized that they would be just as successful in New York.

The wind gauge watch also received very high praise.
Of all our products, this one was picked up by the most people, and we received orders for both retail and personal use.

As expected, Kumiki was praised for its beautiful and colorful packaging, and its appeal as a gift for children.

Commemorative first order from the United States

We have received our first commemorative order from the wonderful GIDEON RIDGE INN hotel in North Carolina!

The response was different from what we had seen in our previous market research, with comments such as "The wooden products are generally very good" and "The small tea utensils are appealing as they show the detailed handwork," and we received orders for the maple, walnut, and Kumiki versions of the Mamewa tea utensil stand.

We also received an order for a tea caddy, tray, and 69.1° from Herbert's San Francisco shop, "SF76." We were especially encouraged by the comment about the joinery products, which said, "They're highly rated and we think they'll sell well."

Unexpected reactions to Kendama

On the other hand, what surprised me was the reaction to the mini Kendama . Kendama is familiar in Japan, but many people responded with "I've never seen this before" or "I don't know anything about it," which made me realize the cultural differences.

I also realized how difficult it is to convey the beauty of joinery and marquetry. This is also related to the ease of explanation, and I vowed to improve my English skills.

lastly

My first time in New York and my first solo business trip abroad was a very valuable experience for me. I was able to see firsthand how the skill and beauty of Japanese woodworking artisans are certainly appreciated overseas.

We are able to take on this challenge thanks to all of you who use Tegami. We would like to express our sincere gratitude.

We will continue to work hard to convey the charm of Tegami and Kanagawa's woodworking artisans to even more people on the stage in New York next year.