Getting to know Kelly Abe
Kelly and Gimo of Osara Australia, located in SO:ME Space
Osara Australia offer functionally designed and ethically handmade tableware crafted in Japan. Find their beautiful new stall in SO:ME Space, open every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday or visit them online at osara.com.au.
Has your background always been in retail?
I previously ran a labour-hire agency for the hospitality industry. Even though retail is relatively new to me, I am happy that I can bring my knowledge of customer service into my new business.
What inspired you to set up your business and how long has it been going?
In November 2019, my partner Gimo and I took a trip to my home country, Japan. I was there to be a translator and explain the stories behind Japanese culture. My partner was immediately drawn to the culture and became obsessed with the homeware shops. She couldn't stop talking about the attention to detail of the service that Japanese retail staff provided when wrapping their products!
Japanese culture, their attention to detail and rich history are all things that I had forgotten about over the years. My visit made me feel reconnected with my Japanese background and, because of that trip, I learnt more about Japan, especially its craftsmanship.
In 2020, I had to shift my career path. Inspired by my unforgettable trip, I left my career in labour-hire services and started Osara Australia with my partner.
How do you find the Japanese artisans you work with?
Osara is like an artisan hub of Japanese homewares. We work very hard to release new arrivals to our online shop every Thursday and simultaneously update our shelves at South Melbourne Market every week.
For the past year, we have had help from Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), which helps us connect with renowned Japanese artisans. These artisans we were introduced to through JETO are very well respected within the artisan community in Japan but have less knowledge of marketing and exporting. It is always a pleasure to listen to their stories firsthand and bring their crafts directly to Australia.
Describe your products and how they are ethically made.
Osara has an extensive range of Japanese tableware and homeware products that are made in Japan and are very unique in Australia. The range includes sake sets, sake cups, matcha bowls, matcha whisks, everyday chopsticks, chop stick gift sets, chopstick rests, teacups and tea sets, Japanese incense and incense holders, Japanese dinnerware such as ramen bowls and donburi bowls, handmade mug cups, wind chimes, Japanese towels, premium glassware such as Edo Kiriko and Kagami Crystal.
We want Osara's products to follow a heritage of Japanese cultural identity. There are crafts in Osara that were taught from generation to generation and are still celebrated today. This perseverance and commitment transfer over to the products, showing incredible attention to detail and care. We always respect the artisan's measure of value to the crafts, so we work with them directly to ensure authenticity.
Meeting with artisans and understanding how their products were made in Japan is so important to us. Even though we do not travel to Japan like we used to, I can sense the passion of our artisans and how enthusiastic they are about sharing the process of making their products.
Why did you choose South Melbourne Market to sell your products?
South Melbourne Market is so attractive on many levels. It is just full of life and energy. With many stallholders from all different backgrounds, it is a market which showcases Melbourne's great diversity.
With the help of our online shop and social media, we are honored to know many of our customers personally who come to say hello. South Melbourne Market is a tourist hotspot, and we have people from all over Australia and the world who visit us too! We are so proud to be part of this wonderful Market!
Do you have a favourite recipe you can share with our readers?
Japanese food is still my favourite cuisine! We are visual people, so we always search for recipes through videos.
Our customer, friend, and Melbourne food videographer, Culinary Frank has a great Karaage recipe. Karaage is Japanese fried chicken, and this recipe is a fast, easy and delicious way to make this Japanese dish at home.