About koro koro workshop

Nanami's grandmothers were seamstresses. Career options were grim for second generation Japanese-American women, whose parents thought adequate formal education for girls was to 10th grade. As seamstresses, they ventured beyond piece work and created new patterns for dresses and costumes of the day. Nanami enjoys inventing and sewing because it brings her closer to her history and future. She now designs and builds reusable alternatives to throwaway culture from her workshop in Portland, Oregon. Guided towards a simpler lifestyle, she aims help others find joy in the act of cherishing the small acts in life. During the pandemic Nanami switched gears to mask making, for every mask sold she gave $1 to non profits doing the hard work. In two years she raised over $3000 for the ACLU of Oregon, APANO (Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon), The Black Resilience Fund, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) , Don't Shoot PDX, NAYA (Native American Youth & Family Center), Oregon Food Bank, Red Cross, Transition Projects. Mask donations were distributed to The Confederated Tribes of Stiletz, Outside In (Youth Services), River District Navigation Center (Houseless Shelter), Walnut Park Shelter (Houseless Shelter) and Portland Public Schools. She has continued to benefit the community by giving to local auctions/participating in fundraisers; most notably Portland Public Schools and The National Go For Broke Education Center.Read their story