Yoshi Nakatani brought Halal Japanese curry to JPEX, and by the time the festival closed four days later, he had found something more valuable than customers: a conversation.
The second edition of JPEX, held at Dubai’s World Trade Centre from August 20 to 23, gave Nakatani, who runs Yoshi’s Passion Curry restaurant, a direct line to visitors from across the region and beyond. The festival was founded by four Emiratis united by a passion for Japanese entertainment and a desire to bring that world to the UAE. For Nakatani, the booth was never simply a sales counter.
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“One of the main highlights of our participation at JPEX was the opportunity to introduce Halal Japanese curry and share our concept with people from many different backgrounds,” he told Arab News Japan. “It was not simply about serving food. It was about showing how Japanese cuisine can be enjoyed by Muslim consumers while respecting halal requirements and how food can become a bridge between different cultures.”
Visitors came with genuine curiosity, not just appetite. They asked about the halal standards, the story behind the dishes, and what connects Japanese culinary tradition to the Middle East. Nakatani described the exchanges as meaningful rather than transactional. “We received many positive comments and had meaningful conversations with visitors about halal food, Japanese culture, and the connection between Japan and the Middle East,” he said.
That direct contact with the local market has now shaped his next project. Nakatani is preparing to launch “IRO’S DELIVERY,” a film rooted in real experiences with halal food. “The film tells a story that connects Japan and the Middle East through food, culture, and human relationships,” he explained. “It is not only about delivering food, but also about delivering friendship, hope, and a message of peace across borders.”
Meanwhile, in Hall 6, a very different kind of patience was on display. Ramy Enab, founder of Shohin Bonsai Dubai, brought eighteen living specimens, each shaped over years using traditional Japanese methods adapted to the UAE climate. Some of the techniques on show were his own invention.
The Gold Inlay method traces a tree’s healed scars in 24-carat gold, drawing on the Japanese aesthetic of kintsugi. The Elevated Repotting technique creates the visual illusion of a tree floating above its pot. At JPEX, Enab unveiled a third: the Root Gateway, in which roots are trained to form an open arch beneath the trunk, so the tree stands on a passage of its own making.
His wife Alina added a world premiere of her own. She developed what is described as the world’s first bonsai diffuser, a bonsai that has completed its life cycle, preserved with fine channels cut through the trunk to carry hand-blended perfume. The wood itself releases the scent. The piece made its debut at the festival.
Enab spoke about the visitors with evident warmth. “The visitors were the best part, where most of them did not know much about bonsai. They wanted to know how it is done and what it means in Japanese culture,” he said. An unexpected layer of connection emerged repeatedly: many visitors were surprised to discover that the person explaining Japanese artistic tradition was Egyptian, a detail that deepened the cross-cultural resonance of every exchange.
The festival’s mascot, Suhil, described by the organizers as a guardian of creativity and seeker of connections, was designed to embody exactly that spirit. Whether the film Nakatani is now preparing will carry that spirit further into the region is the question his JPEX conversations have left open.