Konnichiwa to Momiji

The next generation of hard-to-find Momiji message dolls has debuted in Costa Mesa; one of four U.S. locations where the dolls will be available before the national launch date in July.

The Costa Mesa Japanese bookseller Kinokuniya is one of the few chosen locations that will exclusively feature the new line, Momiji Random Generation 7. The other stores are in San Francisco and New York.

The small, hand-painted wooden dolls each have a unique “personality” and a hidden slot for storing a personal message. The dolls attract customers from cities as far away as San Diego, said Costa Mesa store buyer Chigusa Kobayashi.

Jennifer Daly, 34, drove from Long Beach on Tuesday afternoon to buy a doll after hearing that the new line had become available.

“My husband thinks I’m a little crazy,” Daly said, “I love Momiji dolls. Each one is different, and they are really well done. The little individual details are really key.”

Since their creation in 2005 by the United Kingdom-based company Momiji, the dolls have garnered an international following and are not easily found in U.S. retail stores, New York Kinokuniya store buyer Sharon Cunningham said.

Cunningham arranged to have the dolls begin selling in the Japanese bookstore in February 2009.

The main New York City store sells more than 200 of the dolls per month, she said.

“They are super cute — sort of an updated and funky version of a Kokeshi doll,” Cunningham said.

The Kokeshi is a traditional Japanese wooden doll, and the more brightly colored Momiji appeals to today’s generation, she explained.

The dolls also sell well due to the collectible quality of the brand.

The individual dolls are retired by Momiji periodically and become very difficult to find, she said.

Kinokuniya is the only U.S. retailer to carry the new line before July 1 as part of an agreement between Momiji and the international bookseller.

“Kinokuniya was chosen from a long list of potential venues because of their dedication to celebrating the best in Asian art and culture,” said Momiji brand coordinator Kat Page.

Although the Costa Mesa location is the smallest of the eight U.S.-based stores, it was one of the few that did not have a conflict resulting from a previous contract. Many of the booksellers are housed inside Japanese markets that reserve Momiji product selling rights, Cunningham said.

Fortunately for Momiji fans, the Costa Mesa location moved out of its original supermarket location and into the Costa Mesa Square in 2003, Kobayashi said. The store is in its 20th year.

Since the move, the store has seen a greater influx of non-Japanese customers. The assortment of books, stationery, craft supplies and fun-shaped oddities draw in new customers from the Shopping Square almost daily, she said.

Many of the items in the store, like the Momiji dolls, are unique and hard to find. Kobayashi sees many customers who frequent the store because they are able to buy all their artist-specific and Japanese culture items under one roof.

“The store is great, but I come only for the dolls. You can’t buy them just anywhere,” Daly said.

Kinokuniya

Address: 3030 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa

Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Contact: (714) 662-2319