Participating in the Ekoji Obon Festival 2025

Harmonious Kitchen delights visitors with authentic Japanese delicacies at the lively Ekoji Obon Festival 2025.

This summer in Washington, DC has been unusually rainy, likely due to climate change, with frequent heavy downpours. On Saturday, July 12, we participated in the Ekoji Obon Festival. Although it didn’t rain heavily that day, a passing thunderstorm caused many attendees to stay indoors. As a result, our booth didn’t see the same long lines we experienced last year.

This was our second time participating in the festival. Last year was our first, and though we were figuring things out as we went, we sold out in just two hours — a very welcome surprise! This year, our pork buns and curry buns sold out quickly once again. Our karaage, croquettes, and newly introduced mizu yokan and pear kanten jelly were also well received and completely sold out.

We brought larger quantities of yakisoba and ohagi this time, as they were especially popular last year. However, due to the weather, we still had some left 30 minutes before the event ended, so we offered them at a 30% discount. Customers were grateful, and we received many kind words.

This experience reminded us that no matter how well we plan, we can’t always expect to sell out — adapting to the moment with flexibility and creativity is essential. We look forward to bringing these lessons into our future events.