Illustration by Mike Dougherty
Is there cultural significance to your business’s name?
The meaning of “sakura” is “prosperity.” The real spelling of “sakura”—ending in r and a, meaning “cherry blossoms”—is changed to “Sakula” with l and a at the end. This is a Japanese name divination, and it means that your fortune will be stronger. Even a slight difference in the number of strokes in a name can make a huge difference in fortune.
What drove you to open Coco Sakula?
I never really thought about starting a business, but after meeting certain people, that idea turned into conviction. What I’m thinking about with this business is not just to provide a product but to reflect the world as I’ve felt it up until now.
What has the community response been like?
The president of the Japan-America Society was very pleased, and I think this has fulfilled one of his wishes to preserve Japanese culture and Japanese food. I feel some customers are happy to speak Japanese in our store. It inspires old, sweet memories of Japan.
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