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Boutique supports Asian-American groups

Midori Kai will host its 10th annual Asian crafts boutique on Saturday, Sept. 11. The fundraiser will include handmade items such as vintage kimonos and pottery, as well as cultural events, including a morning performance by a ukulele school and a jazz group playing in the afternoon.

Midori was founded in 1996 as an Asian-American women's group dedicated to working with youth and fostering cultural activities, said boutique chair Phyllis Osaki. The boutique was first held in 2000 and has been held at the Mountain View Buddhist Hall Temple since 2004.

"We thought that a boutique is a good way to start fundraising and giving back to non-profits," Osaki said. "We don't really have a target fundraiser amount, but we get a percentage of the profits, which go back to our endowment. We use our endowment to fund activities and give grants."

Planning for the one-day affair starts in April. For the boutique's 10th anniversary, the fundraiser will include food vendors and the first 200 customers will receive a free recyclable shopping bag.

This year, the two-year, $1,000 annual grants will go to organizations serving the Asian-American community, including the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, the Asian Women's Shelter and the Ed Iwasaki Memorial Fund.

The boutique will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Mountain View Buddhist Hall Temple, 575 N. Shoreline Blvd.

—Angela Chen