Best of Japan right here

If the kids’ games, fashion shows and other fun of Thailand’s first Toyotsu Japan Festival aren’t enough, you can also sample minamoto kitchoan – a terrific dairy-free honey dessert.
It’ll be one of hundreds of Japanese products on sale at the festival being hosted by Toyota Tsusho (Thailand) in Siam Paragon’s Royal Paragon Hall on July 29 and 30.

“This year is our 60th anniversary as a successful trading house and we’ve always fostered a strong relationship between Thai and Japanese people,” Kiyoyoshi Oba, the firm’s president, said this week as plans for the event were unveiled at its offices on Asoke-Din Dang Road.
“The inspiration for this festival is the Toyota Group Thank Sale Festival that Toyota Tsusho Corp has held in Nagoya, Japan, for the past five years,” said general manager Anujtha Jaovisidha. 

“The idea there is to give Japanese consumers quality products at affordable prices, and now we’re doing the same thing here – offering food, fashion and much more that people of all ages will appreciate. 
“There’ll be a talk show, a children’s fashion show and all the latest innovations from Japan,” Anujtha said. “There’ll also be a large installation of Japanese art where anyone who loves Japan can have their picture taken.”
Among the intriguing items on sale, minamoto kitchoan is a speciality of Okayama Prefecture, a dessert sweetened with honey rather than sugar and with no butter or other dairy products used. 

Prominent painters decorated the sake boxes sold as Under Scratch, which can double as lanterns. Miki House children’s clothing is 100-per-cent handwoven cotton and thus gentle to the skin. Even gentler for babies are 10 Mois “organic” clothes.
Portable Nishikawa-brand mattresses guarantee a good night’s snooze almost anywhere, and Golf Partner is the equipment every golfer would love to have out on the fairway. 
Interest in the festival seems to be keen among celebrities. On hand for the announcement were Prin Suparat, Varavuth Laohapongchana, Sombatsara Thirasaroj, Praephan Thammawattana, Thitid Tassanakajohn, and Kanop and Lakana Jaovisidha.
The opening ceremony on July 29 will also have Nadech Kugimiya, Patcharasri “Kalamare” Benjamas and Sumontip “Gubgib” Chii and her baby Pao Pao in attendance, plus a Pokemon show. 
On July 30 Palitchoke “Peck” Arynabutr will perform and there’ll be a tea-making workshop and a cosplay show.