Event report: A Weekend at Japan Market Vancouver

On June 6 and 7, Itoma joined Japan Market Vancouver in Downtown Vancouver as our second pop-up vendor event.

This was our first outdoor market, and the weather gave us a little bit of everything. Heavy rain, a few moments of sunshine, more pouring rain, and even strong wind. It was definitely a weekend of running around, adjusting displays, protecting products, and hoping the sky would be kind to us.

Even with the unpredictable weather, so many people stopped by our booth, and it turned into such a fun and meaningful two days.

Japan Market itself was full of wonderful energy. There were so many vendors, delicious food, and beautiful performances that shared different parts of Japanese culture. Being surrounded by that atmosphere made the whole weekend feel lively and special.

For Itoma, one of the most exciting parts was meeting people who were discovering us for the first time. We loved watching people stop by, touch the yarn, look closely at the colors, and ask questions about the materials and kits.

At the same time, we were so touched to see familiar faces too. Some people who visited us at our previous pop-up came back again, and a few people even told us they came to Japan Market specifically to visit the Itoma booth. That meant so much to us.

For this market, we brought a selection of items we felt would be especially fun for the season, including summer-friendly yarns, upcycled Kimono Yarn, customizable sashiko gift sets, newly released craft kits, and our popular Knit Anywhere Tote.

Being at an in-person market reminded us again how important it is for people to experience craft materials with their own hands. Seeing the colors in person, feeling the texture of the yarn, comparing different combinations, and imagining what they could make. These are things that are hard to fully capture online.

It made us want to create more opportunities where people can meet Itoma in person, explore the materials slowly, and enjoy that small spark of inspiration that happens when you find something you want to make.