Photo Courtesy: OnlyInHawaii.org

In 2004, an historic event took place when the Shingon temple on Sheridan Street in Honolulu broke away from its denominational headquarters in Japan and became independent. It was the first time in the history of Hawai‘i that a traditional Japanese Buddhist temple had cut its Japanese ties and set out on its own course. All other Japanese Buddhist temples continue to maintain their official affiliations with their respective headquarters in Japan and derive their sense of legitimacy from their ongoing associations.

The Sheridan Street temple took on a new name, calling itself Shingon Shu Hawai‘i. The leader of this independence movement was the Rev. Reyn Tsuru, who continues to guide the congregation in its new direction. The temple has a longer history and next year will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its original founding. As an independent organization, however, it is a young 10 years old.

While the breakaway from the Japanese headquarters was in some respects quietly dramatic, the change, Tsuru explains, was not very disrupting, and the congregation shifted seamlessly to the new order.

“Even before the change,” he said, “there was very little involvement of the honzan headquarters in the actual operation of the temple. Mostly, they made ministerial appointments and selected the bishop, but we were not tied to them financially. The break was ecclesiastical. The old model of having ties to honzan in Japan is not really fitting for the United States.”

The practical advantages, as Tsuru sees it, are clear. Relieved from the old hierarchical system, Shingon Shu Hawai‘i is free to explore new forms of worship and meditation. The local temple was also liberated from the institutional politics of the larger denominational organization statewide and in Japan. While the temple is adopting new initiatives, Tsuru sees them more as expansions of the tradition rather than as departures from it.

The temple offers, for example, sessions for copying sutras (shakyö), which has a long history of many centuries. But unlike many traditional practices that are performed by Buddhists who do not fully understand their meanings and, in particular, how they relate to every day life, shakyö meetings at the temple end with tea and open conversation. The discussions provide opportunities not only for the minister to explain the meaning of shakyö, but, just as importantly, for participants to explore the personal meanings of their involvement with this ancient practice. The goma fire ritual is another ancient Shingon ritual, but Tsuru stresses the importance of participants, especially younger people, being engaged through their own understanding.

Over and over, Tsuru emphasizes the priority he places on people. The role of ministers is not to represent the religion to the people, but to represent the people to the religion. Ministers need to always ask the congregation about their needs and desires, about what they want to get from the temple. The job of the minister is to help people help themselves.

As an independent temple, Shingon Shu Hawai‘i can train and ordain its own ministers. While many of the other denominations have programs for training ministers locally, final ordinations are mostly carried out and must be certified in Japan. Tsuru himself was ordained in Hawaii by a former Shingon bishop, so his spiritual lineage goes back to Japan.

“But, really,” he says, “how does a lineage going back to Japan make you a better minister in Hawai‘i?” The crucial element is not a Japanese spiritual pedigree, but effectiveness as a minister working with local people who seek comfort and solace as they deal with every day issues.

“Our main challenge for the future,” he says, “is the establishment of clergy who represent the congregation with an ability to lead. Ministers must minister, which means they must care for the congregation.” Tsuru’s assistant, the Rev. Quinn Hashimoto, was primarily trained in Hawai‘i and was ordained by the authority of the local congregation — not a headquarters in Japan.

In caring for the congregation, Tsuru recognizes the shift that is taking place in what people expect from Buddhism. In the old days, Buddhism was a family religion, and while it still is, it is also becoming a religion for individuals. This shift is especially visible among younger people, who look to Buddhism to find meaning for their lives and not simply to perpetuate veneration of the ancestors through funerals and memorial services.

All of these elements — care for the congregation, localized clerical training and individualized spirituality — are exemplified in the case of Jeff Keller of Sacramento, Calif. Keller found out about Shingon Shu Hawai‘i through its website and social media (Facebook and Twitter). Keller is being trained as a Shingon Shu Hawai‘i minister through Skype, and has already completed the traditional kegyö training.

“Some might say this is not proper,” admits Tsuru. “But this is a new world of technology, and he is doing quite well. We are allowing him to develop his own interpretations.” Tsuru hopes that one of his contributions will be the development of a training and ordination system that is true both to Shingon Buddhism and the contemporary needs of Americans.

Keller’s case has another technological twist. An East Coast Buddhist priest named Bodhiphasa found out about Keller and has started to train Keller in meditation techniques. All through Skype. While Keller sees himself as an extension of Shingon Shu Hawai‘i, he also belongs to a Buddhist consortium in Sacramento. The use of the Internet has opened up fascinating possibilities for collaboration and the development of new forms of Buddhism created by blending different traditions.
So how does all of this translate into the bottom line of membership? Tsuru says their membership is growing. Like other temples, they are losing many senior citizen members, but younger people are taking their place. As we sat talking in the main sanctuary, a young girl appeared, paid no attention to us and walked to the front of the altar to pray.

“Many students stop by,” Tsuru says, softly. He has analyzed his membership rolls, and reports that the average age of the congregation is 50 to 54. “At one point we had dropped to 40 to 45, but we are now up a bit.” The demographics in many other temples are considerably older.

Tsuru recognizes that sustaining a membership is harder than increasing its numbers. New people will join, but if they do not find their needs met, they will leave. The independent temple is still an experiment, and its future, like all futures, is an open question. Independence, however, has given Shingon Shu Hawai‘i the freedom to try new approaches in extending ancient traditions into contemporary society.

On one level, this grand experiment can be seen as a radical departure from the usual pattern of maintaining institutional ties to Japan. But placed in a wider historical perspective, Shingon Shu Hawai‘i is repeating the old tradition of religious groups breaking away from mother organizations. Nothing is more traditional in history than breaking from tradition. When past practices result in declining memberships, then change is necessary. Everything changes, the Buddha himself said. Nothing stays the same.

When Buddhism went from India to China, Chinese Buddhists eventually became independent. When Buddhism went from China to Japan, Japanese Buddhists did not continue their institutional ties with China. So, when the congregation of Shingon Shu Hawai‘i declared their independence, they were following this ancient pattern of making Buddhism from one country relevant in another by changing it to fit new circumstances. The history of Buddhism is filled with the appearances of new Buddhisms. In time, the new becomes old, and from the old a new rebirth takes place.

In short, Indian Buddhism became Chinese, and Chinese Buddhism became Japanese. On the U.S. mainland, there are hundreds of groups making up what is rightfully called American Buddhism, many of which got their start and then became independent from Japanese denominations. Here in Hawai‘i, however, our cultural nostalgia is strong and keeps us tied to Japan. The question of localization is still in the process of being answered, and it will take more time for temples to fulfill the historical pattern by which Japanese Buddhism will become Hawaiian Buddhism.

Dr. George Tanabe is professor emeritus of religion at the University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa and president of BDK Hawaii. He and his wife Willa co-authored the book, “Japanese Buddhist Temples in Hawai‘i: An Illustrated Guide,” which was published in 2012 by the University of Hawai‘i Press.

Shingon Shu Hawai‘i, led by the Rev. Reyn Tsuru, has operated independently of its former denominational headquarters in Japan for the past decade. In doing so, the temple has the freedom to try new approaches to extending ancient traditions into contemporary society, and engaging younger people in Buddhism in ways they can relate to and understand.

Pictured in front of the Shingon Shu Hawai‘i temple on Sheridan Street is the Rev. Reyn Tsuru (left) and the Rev. Quinn Hashimoto, with the statue of Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism. Behind them are statues of Füjin, the Shintö god of wind (left) and Raijin, the god of thunder. (Photo by Gwen Battad Ishikawa)

“Dis wen happen long, long time ago in Japan,” she starts in a low voice as the sun begins to set over the West Maui Mountains. About 400 people from 8 to 80 years old lean in closer as Kathy “Tita” Collins takes the stage at University of Hawai‘i Maui College.

“Dis ol man and dis ol lady, all dey wanted was to have one litto behbeh dey can raise and teach and love so one day he could be one responsible citizen ’cause dey so Japanee. But year aftah year, no mo behbeh. So one day da ol lady started in her backyahd pulling weeds in da daikon patch an’ wen spot someting bright red in da daikon patch.” Collins’ eyes widen as she looks out into the audience.

“Wat you tink was? Was one litto one-inch behbeh. He so small, but da lady said, ‘Nevamind. We shall teach him, feed him, love him, and one day, he will grow mo big and mo strong and mo smart. But for now we call him Issun-boshi, little one-inch.”

For the first time in its 14-year history, the annual Maui Matsuri opened with traditional and obake (ghost) storytelling, a departure from the usual movie screening on the first night of the two-day festival.

“We wanted to do something different this year,” said Kay Fukumoto, one of the festival’s founders, who has helped organize the event every year since its inception.

She said storytelling is something new that the festival organizers are hoping to bring back next year and turn into a tradition.

Kathy Collins has been telling stories professionally for more than 15 years, traveling all over the country to share her stories, characteristically told in pidgin. The Maui diva was joined at this year’s festival by other local storytellers and the Bento Rakugo group from O‘ahu.

“But little Issun-boshi grew mo smart and mo strong, but neva mo big,” Collins continued. “Still, he set out one day for go out on his own so dat he could someday come back and take care of his ’ol mama-san and papa-san.”

As the story goes, Issun-boshi eventually ventures to the doorstep of the Shogun’s castle and, despite his small one-inch stature, secures a job as the young princess’ bodyguard. In his adventures, he defeats a mean, scaly oni (ogre), who drops his magic hammer. The princess picks up the hammer and discovers that every time she shakes it, Issun-boshi grows an inch. She shakes the hammer 75 times and Issun-boshi grows to be more than 6 feet tall. He and the princess get married and live happily ever after.

The story of Issun-boshi is a beloved Japanese folktale, and hundreds enjoyed traditional and more modern stories told at this year’s Maui Matsuri.

GROWING INCH BY INCH

Like little Issun-boshi, the festival has grown immensely since it was first conceived 14 years ago. Shaking the hammer are four local Sansei women who started the festival as a small cultural celebration on Market Street in Wailuku.

Maui residents Kay Fukumoto, Yuki-Lei Sugimura, Lynn Araki-Regan and Tiffany Iida volunteered to co-organize the first festival, and over the years have remained involved with the annual celebration.

The first festival, which was called the “Natsu (Summer) Festival,” was held June 17, 2000, and only ran for four hours. The Maui County Office of Economic Development partnered with churches and the Japanese Cultural Society to put together that first festival, which attracted about 1,500 people.

The festival soon outgrew Market Street and was moved to Kahului Shopping Center in front of what was then Ah Fook’s Supermarket. When the store burned down in 2005, the festival was moved to its current home at University of Hawai‘i Maui College.

Over the years, attendance has grown nearly tenfold, to about 10,000, with hundreds of volunteers helping each year to bring the festival to life. The festival budget is about $50,000 financial support coming from the Japanese Cultural Society of Maui, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, advertisers and other donors.

This year’s Maui Matsuri was held over two days, May 9 and 10. A kimono fashion show promotional event was held at Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center shopping mall a week before the festival.

This year’s celebration featured many of the usual favorites — Kodomo Corner, taiko drumming and bon dance — as well as a number of new additions, like the storytelling night, a kendama tournament and a cosplay contest.

FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILDREN

“Kodomo no tame ni,” an often-recited Japanese phrase meaning, “for the sake of the children,” is the perpetual theme and driving force behind the festival, organizers say.

That is why every year, the festival features food, entertainment and activities that are fun for the entire family, young and old. In the Kodomo Corner craft tent, one of the festival’s most popular activities, children learned how to make a hachimaki (headbands) and gyotaku (fish printing) and did simple origami paper folding and calligraphy.

“The goal of the festival is to ensure the Japanese culture and traditions our parents and grandparents shared with us are passed down to future generations,” said Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa. “Tradition is just as important here on Maui as it is in Japan, and the Maui Matsuri reminds us of that each year.”

It’s important that young people, especially, are exposed to facets of their own culture.

Immersion in the Japanese culture from a young age often has a lasting effect, Kay said.

She started taiko drumming when she was just 10 years old. Lynn was involved in classical Japanese dance; Tiffany’s grandma would buy her kimono for obon festivals; and Yuki-Lei’s mother was one of the founding members of the Japanese Cultural Society.

“When you look at all of us, we saw we were introduced to the culture at a young age and continued to be connected to it,” said Kay, a retired certified public accountant and currently executive distributor for Nu Skin USA.

In turn, the women have raised their children rooted in elements of Japanese culture, which they hope will be passed on to their children.

“When my mother lived with us, my son got to look at artwork, screens and scrolls she had collected over a lifetime and with great pride,” said Yuki-Lei, a public relations professional who owns her own event management company. “He took an interest in the language, studied in Japan. It’s woven into every day life.”

“The matsuri (festival) just brings it all out to the community and helps us celebrate it.”

Lynn Araki-Regan, an attorney with her own firm, Araki-Regan & Associates, LLC, and Mayor Arakawa’s campaign manager, said she is passionate about Maui Matsuri not for her own benefit, “but really to have my son and his generation learn his heritage.”

“If we don’t have the opportunities here (on Maui) to share with young kids, those traditions will quickly stop with my generation,” Lynn said.

The women say the matsuri is — and always has been — for the sake of the children.

“One of the most rewarding comments is when a parent tells you if it weren’t for this festival, my kids wouldn’t have this Japanese experience,” Kay said. “That’s why we do what we do.”

KEEPING TRADITION ALIVE AND LOCAL

Although matsuri are commonplace year-round in Japan, many of the old traditions are not regularly practiced even in the mother country. The Maui Matsuri aims to stay as true to the old traditions as possible, while making it relatable for all people, no matter their age, ethnicity or background.

“Even people living in Japan, a lot of them have never even stepped into a kimono, or they don’t know how to tie an obi (kimono sash),” Lynn said. “When they come to the Maui Matsuri, they’re amazed that we kept so many traditions alive here in Hawai‘i.”

Kay, Yuki-Lei and Tiffany said they received similar feedback from Japanese visitors.

Tiffany, who is administrative assistant to Maui County’s managing director, said it is important to share the Japanese culture with other ethnic groups “so we can all learn from each other.”

“Bon festivals during the summer months are the biggest Japanese tradition, and although it came over as a religious practice, in Hawai‘i it’s become accepted as something that everyone can do to honor their ancestors,” Kay said.

“Now when you go to bon festivals, it’s ethnically diverse, even religiously diverse. You could be dancing next to someone who’s Catholic or Christian. Anyone can join in the ring and dance,” she said.

Indeed, hundreds of residents and visitors this year joined in on the bon dance as Maui Taiko drummers performed a century-old song, “Fukushima Ondo.” The group performs the song at more than a dozen bon festivals during the summer season.

Guests unfamiliar with the dance quickly pick up the steps as they watch dancers dressed in kimono and yukata (cotton kimono) in the middle step through the moves.

“Our goal is to get as many people to the festival as possible. It’s not only trying to hand down tradition to the next generation who are Japanese, but to also share one of the cultures in Hawai‘i,” Kay said.

For more information, visit mauimatsuri.com.

Eileen Chao joined The Maui News as a reporter last year after having worked for Honolulu Civil Beat and The Molokai Dispatch. Chao was born and raised in Orange County, Calif., and earned her bachelor’s degree in communications and English from the University of California, San Diego.

Members of the Shufu Society of Hawaii and invited guests had an opportunity to view traditional Japanese arts and crafts ranging from lacquerware to artwork to kimono at its spring cultural event in April at the Japanese Consulate. Organization president Kensei Takeda also showcased several of his fashion gowns and jewelry, explaining the inspiration behind creating each ensemble.

TÖKYÖ — A former official of the Japan National Tourism Organization has released an English-language version of his research on the wartime escape of Jews from Nazi persecution via Japan.

Akira Kitade, 70, published his book in Japanese two years ago. It is based on his study of how people in Japan played behind-the-scenes roles in supporting the efforts of Chiune Sugihara, who, as an acting consul in Kaunas, the 1940 capital of Lithuania, saved thousands of Jews by issuing them transit visas.

Sugihara, who is often referred to as “Japan’s Oskar Schindler,” died in 1986 at the age of 86. Schindler was a German factory owner who saved the lives of more than a thousand mainly Polish Jews during World War II by employing them in his factories in Poland. His story was depicted in the Steven Spielberg film, “Schindler’s List.”

Kitade’s Japanese and American friends living in New York translated his book into English. It is titled, “Visas of Life and the Epic Journey — How the Sugihara Survivors Reached Japan.” The English version, which was published by Chobunsha Co. of Tökyö, will be sold at major bookstores in Japan and at their U.S. outlets.

In 1998, Kitade learned that his former supervisor, Tatsuo Osako, had been involved in escorting Jews fleeing the Russian city of Vladivostok by passenger boat to the Japanese coastal city of Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture. From Tsuruga, they continued on to the Japanese port cities of Yokohama and Köbe before embarking on further destinations, such as the United States.

Tatsuo Osako made more than 20 round-trips across the Sea of Japan from late 1940 to the spring of 1941, assisting in the transfer of Jews. He and Kitade began working together at JNTO in 1966.

Osako died in 2003 at the age of 86. When Kitade retired a year later, he decided to continue researching the brief friendship Osako had developed with the Jews during their voyage and to learn more about how the Jews had been received in Tsuruga.

“What Mr. Sugihara did for the sake of Jews is widely known, and I was impressed that unknown, ordinary people like Mr. Osako were also involved in the life-saving mission,” Kitade said.

In his research, he learned that a bathhouse in Tsuruga opened its facilities to the Jewish refugees for free. He also learned that an elementary school principal told students at a morning assembly that the Jewish refugees had lost their homes and country due to war, so they should not look down on them just because they were poorly clad and had no homes.

In a photo album Osako had kept, Kitade found pictures of seven Jewish refugees — one man and six women. Each had written their name and the date, along with messages to him in a variety of languages — Bulgarian, French, German, Norwegian and Polish.

As Kitade studied the faces in the album, he felt an urge to try and find them and to learn what had become of their lives. In 2010, he visited with some of the Jews who had landed at Tsuruga before immigrating to the United States as “Sugihara survivors.”

Unfortunately, he did not find any information on the seven people whose photos were in Osako’s album. However, the survivors he did meet strongly urged him to publish an English version if he ever wrote a book about his research, because they wanted to read it.

While preparing for the publication of the English version of his book, Kitade was contacted by a Japanese journalist now living in Canada who also has been following the story of the Sugihara survivors. She told Kitade that she had information about one of the six women, Sonia Reed. She said she had interviewed Reed’s niece and had seen the photos of the seven Jews in Osako’s album on a Holocaust remembrance website in Israel. Kitade had shared the photos with the website through the Israeli Embassy in Japan a few years earlier, hoping they might help him to locate the seven people or their family members.

The Japanese journalist said Sonia Reed was from Poland and had lived on Long Island after settling in the U.S. She died in 1997 at the age of 73 and is survived by three children. Reed and her late husband, who also was a Jew, from Berlin, ran a sheet-metal plant and invested in Japanese products. Their children said their parents had traveled to Japan twice.

“I plan to visit the United States again this year to give the original photo of Sonia to her children,” Kitade said.

Akira Kitade holds up the English-language version of his book titled, “Visas of Life and the Epic Journey — How the Sugihara Survivors Reached Japan.” The book chronicles Kitade’s research on Jews’ wartime escape from Nazi persecution via Japan. (Kyodo photo)

He said he hopes also that the English version of his book will be widely read so it can help him locate the remaining six faces in Osako’s album.

“If I could meet with them or their families, I want to ask them how they survived the wartime hardships” to further impart the stories of such people, Kitade said.

For more information, the publisher can be contacted by email at info@chobunsha.co.jp. — by Keiji Hirano

Saturday’s Program | Sunday’s Program

Cultural Tent | Festival Favorites

9 a.m.
KILAUEA OKINAWA DANCE CLUB
Toshiko Neumann, Leader

9:15 a.m.
NUUANU OKINAWA SHORIN-RYU / SHINDEN-RYU KARATE ASSOCIATION
Mitchel Shimamura, Sensei

9:40 a.m.
HAWAII OKINAWA CREATIVE ARTS
Jon Itomura, President, and Eric Nitta, Vice President

10:10 a.m.
HUOA ICHIGO ICHI E CLASS
Derek Asato, Instructor

10:30 a.m.
HUI OKINAWA KOBUDO TAIKO
Troy Sakihara, Leader

11 a.m.
SHINSATO SHOSEI KAI
Katsumi Shinsato, Sensei

11:30 a.m.
KIKUE KANESHIRO RYUBU KENKYU KAI
Alfred Yama Kina, Contact

Noon
TAMAGUSUKU RYU SENJU KAI – FRANCES
NAKACHI RYUBU DOJO
Frances Nakachi Kuba, Artistic Director

12:40 p.m.
YARA NO AYAGU & YARA NO EISAA (of Kadena Town, Okinawa)

1:20 p.m.
NIDAIME TEISHIN KAI HAWAII SHIBU AND HUOA SANSHIN CLASS
Allison Yanagi, Shibucho, and Wallace Onuma, President

2 p.m.
RYUKYU SOKYOKU HOZON KAI — SARINA
SOKYOKU KENKYUSHO
Sarina Udd, Sensei

2:30 p.m.
CHU HISA
A production of the Kenpi Ryugakusei Alumni

3:10 p.m.
OKINAWAN’S BANJO AI, accompanied by JIM ROCK
Nobuo Utsugi, Director

3:50 p.m.
CHINAGU EISA HAWAII
Lisa Tamashiro, President

4:20 p.m.
KACHASHI 101
Let’s all learn to Kachashi

6 p.m.
LAST SHUTTLE BUS to Kapi‘olani Community College

The Hui O Laulima women’s group is once again organizing the festival’s Cultural Tent, with Tina Kaneshiro and Laura Ajimine serving as co-chairs. The group selected “Shīsā” as the theme for this year’s Cultural Tent activities.

Hui O Laulima is partnering with Hawaii Okinawa Creative Arts to raise awareness about the significance of the Okinawan lion dogs. They plan to do this by having a shïsä greet visitors as they enter the Cultural Tent. HOCA, which is led by brothers-in-law and shïsä partners Jon Itomura and Eric Nitta, are also setting up a shïsä display and showing a video on the significance of the shïsä in Okinawan culture.

Returning exhibitors will include:

• Okinawan artifacts.
• Uchinaaguchi Okinawan language display.
• “Chimugukuru: The Soul, The Spirit, The Heart,” Hui O Laulima’s cultural cookbook will be available for sale for $27, or gift-wrapped in an apron for $35. Proceeds benefit Hui O Laulima’s cultural programs.
• Center for Okinawan Studies, University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa. The Center for Okinawan Studies will be selling the just-published “Social Process in Hawai‘i” volume, “Breaking the Silence,” on the World War II Honouliuli internment and prisoner of war camp, which includes a chapter on Okinawan internees and POWs who were imprisoned at Honouliuli. COS will also be selling the “Okinawan-English Wordbook.”
• Okinawan Genealogical Society of Hawaii.
• Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i.
• Ikenobo Ikebana arrangements by Nobuko Kida-Sensei.
• Hawaii Bonsai Association.
• Hands-on calligraphy; and displays and activities.

A small fee may be charged for materials for some activities.

• Ryukyuan kimono and Paranku dressing and picture-taking will be available on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and again from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Professional photographer David Shimabukuro from One Moment in Time Photography will be on-site to take the pictures. There will be a charge for the pictures.

ALL-TIME FAVORITES!

Pig’s Feet Soup: It’s called ashitibichi in Uchinaaguchi (Okinawan language). Pieces of pig’s feet are cooked in a soup stock and garnished with konbu (seaweed), daikon (turnip), togan (squash) and mustard cabbage and served with hot rice.

Yaki Soba: Okinawa-style soba noodles stir-fried with vegetables and luncheon meat and seasoned with a special chef’s sauce.

Okinawa Soba: Okinawa-style soba noodles served in hot soup and garnished with kamaboko (fishcake), shoyu pork, green onions and red ginger.

Champuru Plate: If you love Okinawan food, you’ll love this plate. Delicious shoyu pork and champuru — a mixture of stir-fried vegetables, luncheon meat and agedofu (deep-fried tofu) — are served with andamisu (pork and miso mixture) and your choice of brown or white rice.

The champuru plate comes with shoyu pork and stir-fried vegetables with agedofu.

Oki Dog: A hot dog and chili are wrapped in a soft tortilla with shredded shoyu pork and lettuce.

Chili & Rice: Chili and rice in a bowl. (Sold at Oki Dog/Chili booth)

Chili Frank Plate: Chili and rice plate served with a hot dog. (Sold at Oki Dog/Chili booth)

Chicken Plate: Barbeque chicken prepared local style and served with hot rice and corn, or just chicken in a carry-out bag.

Chicken Nishime: A healthy serving of chicken, mushroom, daikon (turnip), carrots and konbu (seaweed) slowly braised and simmered in dashi (broth) and served with your choice of brown or white rice. (Sold at Chicken Booth)

Andagi: The andagi, or Okinawan doughnut, is an all-around Festival favorite. Basic doughnut ingredients such as sugar, flour, milk and eggs are mixed into a batter and deep-fried. The hand “dropping” of evenly rounded balls of batter into the hot oil is a show in itself. Three andagi per package.

Andadog: The Okinawan answer to the American corndog. The Andadog is a whole hot dog on a stick that is dipped into andagi batter and deep-fried.

Yakitori stick: Skewered chicken grilled to perfection with a touch of teriyaki sauce.

Maki Sushi: Sushi rice rolled in nori (seaweed) and sliced for easy eating. Sold at the Yakitori, Okinawa Soba and Chicken Plate booths and at the Country Store.

Shave Ice: The perfect way to refresh yourself on a hot summer day.

Coffee: Andagi and coffee, a perfect match! Sold at the Andagi Booth. Additionally, canned iced coffee will be sold in the Andagi booth.

FOOD BOOTH HOURS:

• Saturday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Note: Okinawa soba, yakitori, sushi, shave ice and the “Anda” family — Andagi and Andadog — will be available for purchase during the bon dance until 8 p.m. All other food booths will close at 6 p.m.)
• Sunday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Saturday’s Program | Sunday’s Program

Cultural Tent | Festival Favorites

9 a.m.

RYUKYU SOKYOKU KOYO KAI HAWAII SHIBU

(Jane Kaneshiro and Bonnie Miyashiro, Co-chairs)
Featured Okinawan koto schools:
• Jane Kaneshiro Sozan Kai
• Bonnie Miyashiro Soho Kai
• Toma Toyoko Sokyoku Kai
• Kaya Hatsuko Sokyoku Kai
• Yamashiro Yoneko Sokyoku Kenkyu Kai
• Yasuko Arakawa Aki no Kai
• Sunny Tominaga Sokyoku Sanyuukai
• Chieko Miyasato Sokyoku Kai

9:30 a.m.
NOMURA RYU ONGAKU KYO KAI HAWAII SHIBU
Seiichi Yagi, Chapter President

10 a.m.
HAWAII TAIKO KAI
Terry Higa, Instructor

10:25 a.m.
OPENING PROCESSION
HUOA Member-Club Banners, Shishimai (lion dance), Chondara (clowns) and Paranku Clubs of Hawaii

10:50 a.m.
FORMAL OPENING CEREMONIES
Speeches by invited guests

11:30 a.m.
HOOGE RYU HANA NUUZI NO KAI NAKASONE DANCE ACADEMY
Lynne Yoshiko Nakasone, Grand Master and Director

12 noon
AFUSO RYU CHOICHI KAI HAWAII
Grant “Sandaa” Murata, Chapter President

AFUSO RYU KAJI NO KAI HAWAII
Kenton Odo and June Nakama, Shihan

12:50 p.m.
RYUSEI HONRYU RYUKO KAI
Mitsuko Toguchi Nakasone, Kaishu

1:20 p.m.
RYUKYUKOKU MATSURI DAIKO HAWAII
Akemi Martin, Regional Director

2 p.m.
JIMPU KAI USA, KIN RYOSHO RYUKYU GEINO KENKYUSHO
Cheryl Yoshie Nakasone, Artistic Director

2:30 p.m.
SHORIN RYU HAWAII SEIBUKAN
Masakazu Teruya, Kancho

3 p.m.
RADIO OKINAWA’S 2014 MIUTA TAISHO WINNER – NANKURU
SANSHIN

3:40 p.m.
OKINAWAN’S BANJO AI, accompanied by JIM ROCK
Nobuo Utsugi, Director

4:20 p.m.
OKINAWA MINYO KYOKAI HAWAII / URIZUN MINYO GROUP
Derek Ichiro Shiroma, Sensei

4:50 p.m.
KACHASHI

5 p.m. — PAU

5:30 p.m.
OKINAWAN FESTIVAL BON DANCE
Opening/Welcome: Emcee Jon Itomura
5:45 p.m.: Young Okinawans of Hawaii —
David Jones, President
6:45 p.m.: Aiea Taiheiji Yagura Gumi — Todd Imamura, President
7:20 p.m.: Hawaii Shin Kobukai — Betty Dela Cuesta, Head Instructor
7:55 p.m.: Iwakuni Odori Aiko Kai — Marion Kanemori, Vice President and Dance Committee Chair
8:30 p.m.: Hawaii Eisa Shinyuu Kai — Melissa Uyenten, President
9:20 p.m.: Kachashi

10:30 p.m.
LAST SHUTTLE BUS to Kapi‘olani Community College

By Loren Ke‘alaaumoe Fujitani
Special to The Hawai‘i Herald

It has been a year since I arrived here on the island of Suo-Öshima in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Although it doesn’t feel like a year has passed, the changing of the seasons tells me otherwise and I find the feelings and memories from last year returning almost nostalgically.

When new ALTs (assistant language teacher) like me arrived in Öshima last summer, we were inundated with countless orientation sessions. We also had to adjust to summer in Japan, an experience in itself with its merciless heat and humidity. Perspiration stuck to my body like stick candy and I still remember the unpleasant body odors that hung in the still air on the trains. And then there was the awful smell of bug sprays that filled store entrances. To top it all off, the noisy mating calls of the cicadas nearly drove me mad.

Looks like this soumen jumped the tracks.

But summer is also the season of festivals and fireworks in Japan with scents, sights and sensations that somehow trump the unbearable heat and humidity. Fresh in my memory are images of the glowing matsuri (festival) lanterns, hanabi (fireworks), soft yukata (cotton kimono), and delicious takoyaki (battered octopus) and yakitori (skewered chicken), among other festival foods.

There were some challenges during my first year in JET. Some turned out to be positive experiences; others, not so. But they all contributed to my overall learning about living abroad, and as I reflect on them now, I realize that they were basically trivial adjustments that come with living in a new country.

I know I can expect new challenges in my second year in Öshima, but I also know that I will be able to overcome them.

But before Year Two begins in earnest, join me as I look back on my first 12 months in Japan.

WELCOME TO ÖSHIMA!

One of the first cultural challenges I encountered was the language, mainly the use of expressions that can’t be readily translated into English — expressions such as yoroshiku onegaishimasu, and otsukaresama. I remember thinking, “How do I respond to this?”

I also had to orient myself to driving in Japan, including learning right-hand driving and passing the grueling road test. I’ve always used electric appliances, so having to light a gas flame to even heat water was a pain. Then there were times when my apartment looked like a Laundromat. Many Japanese apartments, including mine, do not have a clothes dryer, so I had to hang my laundry throughout the apartment. I learned that that is quite common. Neither does my apartment have a heater, so I spent my first winter bundled up in layers of clothing, trying to keep warm. I’m proud to say that I learned to navigate Japan’s various train systems, however.

In Ösaka, children enjoy chasing and eating the nagashisoumen. (Photos courtesy of Loren Ke’ala Fujitani)

But I also had my “Oh my gosh!” moments . . . like the time I mistakenly used the word mendokusai (meaning “bothersome”) after a school principal invited me to their enkai (a gathering, often a dinner party).

I also learned, the hard way, that I am probably allergic to suppon (soft-shelled turtle) after trying it for the first time. I spent the next three days (including my 27th birthday!) in the hospital. And, I’ll never forget being served kujira (whale meat) for school lunch, thinking it was just another type of battered meat.

I did gain confidence standing in front of a classroom filled with teenagers, many of whom towered over my 5’3” frame. But I still struggle with trying to speak and understand Japanese, especially the Yamaguchi dialect, which is known as Yamaguchi-ben.

It’s funny how I’ve grown accustomed to things that, just a year ago, were major challenges for me. Things like . . . sorting my trash.

DETAILED TRASH

Now this may sound silly to you, but I think it’s worth sharing. They take their trash sorting seriously in Japan, as anyone who has had to dispose of waste on a regular basis can tell you — and I’m not talking about just a plastic bottle or an onigiri (riceball) wrapper from a quick stop at the konbini (convenience store). I’m talking metals, glass bottles, PET bottles, plastics, hard plastics and burnables, which are among the categories for waste sorting in Öshima. The process differs from town to town, but coming from the U.S., it involves at least two, three, perhaps even four more steps than recycling in America.

For example, the label and the cap of a disposable plastic water bottle all have to be removed and discarded separately from the bottle. Coming from a country with two to three recyclable categories at most, I was shocked when I learned how much waste sorting I was expected to do in Öshima. After cleaning and settling into my new apartment, I was faced with disposing of the waste I had created. I had no choice but to learn the meticulous process over time. In addition to the waste-sorting nightmare, I was told that I had to clean my waste before disposing of it. Huh?! I must clean my waste before I sort it and dispose of it?!

If you think about this long enough, it begins to make some sense. By asking consumers to do a little bit more, the process of recycling and waste disposal becomes more efficient overall. It also made me more aware of what I consume.

There are 10 different sorting categories. I was given a pick-up schedule and a booklet with diagrams and more detailed explanations. I also had to purchase specific types of bags — net as well as transparent plastic, depending on the type of waste. I also had to write my name on the bag before setting it out for pickup. You mean, besides showing everyone the contents of my trash, I also had to take ownership of it at the communal trash collection location? That’s an invasion of my privacy, I thought. A fellow ALT told me that on one occasion, his trash was brought back to his apartment and left outside his door because he had mistakenly put waste that wasn’t considered burnable into the “Burnable” bag. As if people knowing where you live, where you grocery-shop, when you’re home and when you’re away isn’t already surrendering enough information. Thanks to Japan’s recycling regulations, people know what you consume and more. No secrets here. Ah, the joys of living in a small town.

Did the children miss all of this soumen?

Of course, it doesn’t help that my name is probably the only one written in English on the burnable, translucent yellow bag. In an attempt to make my trash less conspicuous, I adopted a scribbling style early on, writing “Fujitani” as fast as I can, thinking it will stand out less if no one can read it. It usually ends up looking like the squiggly lines on an EKG graph, which, come to think of it, could possibly draw more attention than the Roman alphabet. But it’s been a year and my trash hasn’t been returned to my doorstep. At least, not yet. I’d call that a year of trash-sorting success. Any American who can master waste sorting in Japan deserves a pat on the back!

SECOND SUMMER

Since I spent last summer settling in and getting acclimated to my new life, community and surroundings, I decided to do some traveling this summer. I visited my grandaunt’s (my grandfather’s sister) home in Ashiya, a quaint neighborhood in Hyögo Prefecture. Ashiya is situated between the cities of Köbe and Nishinomiya in Hyögo-ken.

Koshien Stadium, the home field of the Hanshin Tigers baseball team, isn’t too far away, so I was able to attend my first Tigers game. Although it was a losing effort for the Tigers, their fans cheered on the team until the very end.

Energetic Hanshin Tigers fans cheer on their team.

I also had an opportunity to participate in a day of nagashisoumen, or “flowing noodles.” A bamboo stalk is cut in half down the center, creating a channel for the cooked soumen noodles to flow down in cold, running water. The children stand on either side of the bamboo and try to catch the noodles with their hashi (chopsticks), dipping it into a dashi (soup broth) before eating it. Sometimes, cherry tomatoes or grapes are tossed in, exciting the children as they chase after them as they flow down the bamboo flume.

Hanshin Tigers, gambatte!

Last month, my co-worker Motoko and I attended my second bon odori (bon dance) in Öshima, in the neighborhood of Agenosho. This year, I was able to recognize many of the students and people I had gotten to know during my first year of teaching. The night was even more memorable because Motoko and I saw fireworks in the design of tako (octopus) for the first time. I wasn’t sure what the design was at first, but Motoko immediately recognized it. She looked at me and said, “tako?” That was confirmed after a few more colorful tako fireworks appeared in the night sky.

As summer draws to a close, I realize that in spite of its physical discomforts, summer may just be the most memorable season of my time thus far in Japan.

Loren “Ke‘ala” Fujitani is starting her second year as an assistant language teacher with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program in Suo-Öshima. Fujitani grew up in Mänoa Valley and graduated from Mid-Pacific Institute and San Jose State University. She worked in Northern California prior to applying for the JET Program.

A small obon festival in the neighborhood of Wada in Öshima was moved indoors due to rain. Atsuko Fujimoto, a teacher I met in Öshima, is to my right; her father is to my left.

Enjoying the Yanai Kingyo (goldfish) Chochin (lantern) Festival in Yanai City, Yamaguchi-ken, in mid-August.

Jodie Ching
Special to The Hawai‘i Herald

TOBE! . . . FLY!
Choichi Terukina-Sensei, a National Living Treasure of Japan in the Afuso style of Okinawan uta sanshin (singing and playing sanshin simultaneously), has always believed in seeking makutu, which, in Okinawan language, means “the ultimate truth.” Music is his starship for connecting humankind and sharing truth and messages of peace around the world.

On Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Hawaii Okinawa Center, the school Terukina-Sensei established in Hawai‘i — Afuso Ryu Choichi Kai Hawaii — will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a program of music, dance and theatre. Whether you are a newcomer to Okinawan performing arts or a longtime aficionado, here are five reasons why I hope you will attend this special performance.

Reason No. 1: It will be something different. You will be treated to the soothing yet haunting sounds of classical Ryükyüan music composed over 200 years ago, when Okinawa was an independent kingdom. That music became the foundation of today’s Okinawan music.

And then there is the amazing energy of Afuso Ryu’s members, including Terukina-Sensei’s young grandsons — 13-year-old Tomofumi and 3-year-old Ryuto — both of whom will be part of the production. The talent and discipline of these two youngsters will leave you in awe.

Reason No. 2: The show will NOT be boring. Some people are under the mistaken impression that koten, or classical Okinawan music, will lull you to sleep because of its slow pace. If that’s what you think, you are in store for a treat. When Terukina-Sensei produces a show, he makes sure that it is filled with musical solos, dances and performances in play form that are interesting and inspiring and that reveal entertaining stories from Okinawa.

This philosophy is rooted in the beliefs of Seigen Afuso, who established Afuso Ryu in the late 1800s. Seigen Afuso believed that the best way to master a song is by listening to it not only with your ears, but more importantly, through your heart.

He also believed that the mastery of uta sanshin is a lifelong journey and an evolution that is as much a philosophy of life as it is the learning of notes on a music sheet. When one is young, you singing from your heart in a way that is different from singing from your heart when you are older and have possibly experienced a deep love with a soul mate or the heartache of losing a loved one. The one lesson all Afuso Ryu sensei learn and pass on to their students is the importance of “singing from the heart.” This is a basic philosophy has been passed on from Seigen Afuso-Sensei and on through the generations.

Reason No. 3: It’s rare and authentic. Terukina-Sensei could have picked anywhere in the world to establish the first school of Afuso Ryu outside of Japan. He chose Hawai‘i, and in 1984, selected Grant Murata, a young yonsei already proficient in sanshin, to be Afuso Ryu’s first teacher in Hawai‘i.

By 1994, Grant “Sandaa” Murata had achieved certification as a kyoshi, or teacher, of Afuso Ryu — the first in Hawai‘i. Sandaa-Sensei continued his study of the Afuso Ryu style of uta sanshin, traveling back and forth between Hawai‘i and Okinawa, and finally receiving the blessing of the headquarters in Okinawa to establish the Hawai‘i chapter of Afuso Ryu.

Sandaa-Sensei credits the success of Afuso Ryu in Hawai‘i to support he received from respected musicians in the local community — people such as Nomura Ryu shihan (master instructor) Eugene Arakaki, a cousin of Terukina-Sensei; Yorito Tengan and Chuck “Chiso” Jitchaku; minyo (folk music) shihan Kiyoshi Kinjo and Shoei Moriyama; koto shihan Katsuko Teruya and Bonnie Miyashiro; and community supporter Dr. Albert Miyasato, among many others.

As artistic director and president of the Hawai‘i branch, Sandaa-Sensei has always encouraged Afuso Ryu students to further their study of uta sanshin by traveling to Okinawa and experiencing the unique teaching style of Afuso Ryu directly with grandmaster Terukina-Sensei. It is a face-to-face teaching style that fosters a lifelong bond between student and teacher.

Like Sandaa-Sensei did in his younger years, many students take advantage of the opportunity — and not just once. They continue to return to Okinawa, engaging in rigorous training and pursuing proficiency certification.

Onstage and off, the Afuso Ryu ‘ohana is a close-knit family that continues to grow. It is amazing to think that the Hawai‘i school got its start in 1984 with a handful of students who crowded in Sandaa-Sensei’s modest living room in Ainakoa, seeking to find themselves through their culture.

Today, uta sanshin classes are held at five locations: Aiea Hongwanji Mission, Soto Mission of Hawaii in Nu‘uanu, on Kaua‘i and Maui and in Los Angeles.

Kenton Odo and June Nakama, both shihan, along with Calvin Nakama, Sean Sadaoka and Melissa Uyeunten, all kyoshi, teach the Aiea Hongwanji Mission classes. Sandaa-Sensei, who is a shihan, his wife Chikako Shimamura, a kyoshi, and Tom Yamamoto, a shinjinsho who holds first-level proficiency in uta sanshin, lead the class at Soto Mission of Hawaii. Once a month, Sandaa-Sensei flies to Kaua‘i to teach students there, while Kenton Odo-Sensei teaches a monthly class on Maui. Additionally, Ryan Nakamatsu, a kyoshi from Hawai‘i, teaches classes in Los Angeles, where he currently resides.

In all, Afuso Ryu has over 700 members worldwide, with about 100 members making up the Hawai‘i branch.

Reason No. 4: The chickenskin factor. No matter how many times you hear it, Terukina-Sensei’s powerful voice will give you chickenskin and set your heart aflutter. Sensei’s voice is his trademark and it must be experienced live to be truly appreciated. His voice comes from a pure heart and makutu, and passing on this spirit to his students and those who listen to Afuso Ryu music is his ultimate goal. When you listen to the voices of his three shihan — Grant Murata, Kenton Odo and June Nakama — you know that he has infused in them this special gift. And now, as teachers themselves, they seek to share the gift with their students.

Reason No. 5: Peace and remembrance. Only people who have suffered through war truly understand the preciousness of peace. Okinawa was the only prefecture of Japan where World War II came ashore and into the small villages, forcing the people to flee and take refuge in caves, where some eventually died. In just three months of fighting between American and Allied forces and Japanese imperial forces, more than 100,000 Okinawan men, women and children lost their lives. Some were caught in the crossfire of battle; others starved to death or died of diseases such as malaria.

Classical Okinawan music survived the horror and sadness of losing loved ones in the Battle of Okinawa and helped to heal the people and instill peace in their hearts.

In this day of electronics and information overload, it is crucial that we connect our children to the ancestral values of people like Seigen Afuso, who believed that music is the path to discovering the essence of one’s heart. War, religious differences and materialism are about divisiveness. Music, taught Seigen Afuso, is eternal and a universal language that has no geographic borders.

Because of Terukina-Sensei, Seigen Afuso’s message of music as a universal language music made its way across the Pacific Ocean 30 years ago, and it thrives in the students of Afuso Ryu Choichi Kai Hawaii. Although far in distance and time, it will leave you with a feeling of a home for all.

Jodie Ching, who earned her bachelor’s degree in Japanese from the University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa, studied at the University of the Ryükyüs in 1998. She is currently the office manager for a Honolulu accounting firm, as well as a wife and the mother of two young children. Ching has studied Okinawan dance with Tamagusuku Ryu Senjukai Frances Nakachi Ryubu Dojo and sanshin with Afuso Ryu Choichi Kai Hawaii.

Jonathan Y. Okamura, Ph.D.
Commentary
Special to The Hawai‘i Herald

Last Nov. 18, I participated in a public forum with five other speakers on the topic, “What Can Hawai‘i Teach America about Race,” at The Arts at Marks Garage in Chinatown. It was part of the online newspaper Civil Beat’s ongoing “Hawai‘i Storytellers” series and attracted a capacity audience of more than a hundred people. The other speakers were novelist Lois-Ann Yamanaka, Civil Beat columnist Denby Fawcett, entrepreneur Spencer Toyama, attorney Mark Landsberg and kumu hula (hula instructor) Hina Wong-Kalu.

Rather than engaging the panel topic directly, all of the speakers were instructed to tell a personal story related to race or ethnicity in Hawai‘i, which, for me, detracted from what I otherwise would have said. The story I told concerned my experiences as a non-haole professor at the University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa, where I have been working since 1989, due to the persisting stereotype that non-whites are not faculty. I related how even while walking the picket line during the UH faculty strike in 2001, I was asked by a skeptical haole professor if I was really faculty. I gave other examples of this questioning of my faculty status, including by local students used to having predominantly white professors, which has occurred on numerous occasions on campus. Nonetheless, I ended my talk by emphasizing that the stereotyping I have encountered as a Japanese American is far less demeaning and dehumanizing than what Micronesians have to contend with on a daily basis, especially the racist jokes told about them.

Hawai‘i residents might recall that another public forum with the exact same title as the one that I spoke at was held in September 2015 in Kaka‘ako. It featured four well-known local personalities, none of whom could be considered an expert on the subject of race. They were former Kamehameha Schools trustee Corbett Kalama, venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki, actor Daniel Dae Kim and UH Peace Institute director Maya Soetoro-Ng. PBS Hawai‘i president Leslie Wilcox served as moderator. My assumption is that the event was convened by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in response to the Black Lives Matter movement in the continental United States, where marches and demonstrations were often marred by violence in the streets.

Although I participated in the Civil Beat forum, the problem I have with its title is that we do not really talk about race in Hawai‘i. Local residents are far more likely to mention “ethnicities” rather than “races” as comprising the constituent groups in the islands. We hence consider the cultural differences among ourselves as much more significant than racial differences, such as skin color or hair texture and color, which differentiate races such as whites and African Americans in the continental United States. When curious, as we often are, we ask others about their “ethnicity” or their “nationality,” but not their “race.” In sociological terms, the reason for this cultural practice is because race is much less socially constructed than ethnicity is in Hawai‘i. This means that the social categories we use to distinguish one another are not based on race, but on ethnicity, such as Japanese American or Filipino American, rather than Asian American.

Another problem with the forum title is that it implies that we in Hawai‘i have the expertise and ability to instruct a vastly more racially and ethnically complex and diverse continental United States in how to solve its long persisting problems concerning race and racism, as though we have solved our own.

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The artwork on the following pages are the winning entries of the annual nengajö, or New Year’s card, design contest for students taking Japanese language. The statewide contest is sponsored by the Hawaii Association of Teachers of Japanese and is open to the elementary, middle and high school students of teachers who are members of HATJ.

Awards are presented in the categories of most artistic, most original, most comical and “New Year’s in Hawai‘i” for each school level. The entries are judged on its artistic value, as well as on the correct “spelling” of the Japanese words that appear on the card and the form of the Japanese characters.

Rana Harada, grade 12, Roosevelt High School — third place, original, high school.

Reynn Oshita, grade 4, Mililani ‘Ike Elementary School — third place, original, elementary.

Rayna Zhou, grade 11, Roosevelt High School — second place, Hawai‘i, high school.

Mitsuki Soma, grade 4, Wilson Elementary School — third place, artistic, elementary.

Brigitte Barton, grade 4, ‘Äina Haina Elementary School — second place, original, elementary.

Hye Lim Kim, grade 11, Roosevelt High School — second place, artistic, high school.

Noah Hui, grade 4, Mililani ‘Ike Elementary School — second place, comical, elementary.

Soto Mission of Hawaii Hosts Ministers’ Children from Japan

Jodie Chiemi Ching
Special to The Hawai‘i Herald

Byodo-in at the Valley of the Temples in Käne‘ohe was another stop on the students’ itinerary.

Hawai‘i’s Japanese American community has come a long way since 1903 when Soto Zen priests first arrived in the Islands to provide spiritual support to the immigrants working under harsh conditions on the sugar plantations. When World War II broke out, the community again turned to their Soto Zen temple. In the more than a century since the first immigrants arrived, the Soto Mission of Hawaii has continued to support its members and the community.

The students observed a mass at St. Augustine by the Sea Catholic Church in Waikïkï.

“In order for the temple, even today, to survive, [it] needs to serve, not only the members, but also the community,” explained Bishop Shugen Komagata of the Soto Mission of Hawaii. “If the temple is not functional and beneficial for the community, then we don’t need the temple,” he continued.

But Soto Mission of Hawai‘i’s influence also extends beyond the local community. Last December, the mission partnered with Soto Zen International in hosting five students whose fathers are Soto Zen ministers — three boys and two girls. The students came from different parts of Japan. The program is known as SZI Kaigai Totei Kenshu (SZI Overseas Ministers’ Children’s Workshop).

The students were accompanied by the Rev. Kenji Oyama, vice abbot of the Seiryuji Soto Zen Temple in Yamagata Prefecture. He served as the group’s leader and chaperone in Hawai‘i. It was a homecoming of sorts for the 42-year-old Oyama, who was born in Hawai‘i and lived in Waipahu until 1989. During his freshman year in high school, his father, the Rev. Yodo Oyama, then-resident minister of the Taiyoji Soto Zen Temple in Waipahu, returned to Japan to lead a Soto Zen temple in Chiba ken. Rev. The elder Rev. Oyama is now a minister in Akita Prefecture.

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Rev. Kenji Oyama took the visiting students to his old hometown, Waipahu, where they visited with Taiyoji Soto Zen Mission’s current minister, the Rev. Ryosho Kokuzo, and temple members. Kneeling, from left: Carol Oyama, Rev. Kenji Oyama and Keietsu Fukushima. Second row: Lillian Sakamoto, Ryuko Kokuzo (minister’s wife) Rei Asai, Fuko Ikeda, Yuta Tamiya, Tesshu Kameno and Rev. Ryosho Kokuzo. Third row: Rev. Tazawa and Rev. Konno, who were on a short study visit to the Soto Mission of Hawaii while training to become ministers, and Taiyoji member Linda Unten. (Carol Oyama and Rev. Kenji Oyama are not related; however, as a child, she was like an aunty to Oyama and his siblings. In fact, they always referred to her as “Aunty Carol.”)

64th Cherry Blossom Festival Court members are dressed in beautiful furisode kimono in Kyoto, Japan, while visiting Diamond Sponsor Watabe Wedding.

Alexis Sayuri Okihara
64th Cherry Blossom Festival Queen Looks Forward to Sharing Knowledge with Future Generations

Gwen Battad Ishikawa

It is fitting that kansha (gratitude) was the theme of the 64th Cherry Blossom Festival, because kansha is what Queen Alexis Okihara has felt for the past year.

“They [Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce, who sponsors the festival] provided all of us with once in a lifetime experiences, not only as a contestant, but also as court members. I’m very thankful for everything we’ve learned and gained this year,” Okihara said.

The Okihara family attended Nisei Week festivities in Los Angeles. Pictured, from left: father Darren, Alexis, sister Amanda and mother Mavis. (Photos courtesy Alexis Okihara)

The 26-year-old yonsei recently shared the highlights of her past year during an interview at Hawai‘i Hochi’s offices. On March 18, she will pass her crown and scepter on to her successor at the Festival Ball at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel.

Over the past 12 months, Okihara and the rest of the 64th Cherry Blossom Festival Court — First Princess Brittney Kawahara, Princess and Miss Popularity Asia Ayabe, Princesses Kristi Murakami and Ritsuko Tomari and Miss Congeniality Dylan Lau — have served as goodwill ambassadors, representing the HJJCC, at various events in Hawai‘i. They participated in Cherry Blossom festivals in San Francisco and Los Angeles. In Japan, they met with local dignitaries and members of their sister Jaycee chapters. Their two-week long trip to Japan included Tökyö, Odowara, the “San JC chapters” of Tamashima, Kojima and Kurashiki, Hiroshima, Kyöto, Ösaka and Köbe.

The highlight of their Japan trip was meeting Princess Kiko, wife of Prince Fumihito, the emperor’s and empress’ second son.

“[Meeting her] was the highlight of my trip since not everyone gets to do that. She is so sweet and kind,” says Okihara.

Being it was her first time to Japan, Okihara enjoyed the sights, sounds, and of course foods that Japan had to offer.

A couple of the more memorable activities she participated in while in Kurashiki was reaping rice in a field and enjoying a meal of fresh snapper grilled over burning hay and a homestay with a Jaycee family. “The children in Japan are very intelligent,” said Okihara. “The family we stayed with had a 4-year-old and a 10-year-old. The 4-year-old could write her name in Japanese and English and she taught me how to sing songs and write numbers in Japanese.”

The 64th Cherry Blossom Festival Court and their advisor Staci Yoshihara (far left) reaped rice in Kurashiki, Japan. They later enjoyed a meal of snapper grilled over burning hay.

One of the most memorable experiences of the year, however, was a night the court members spent in Hiroshima.

“We visited the Peace Park and then had a free night where we didn’t have any commitments. We were so relaxed and had fun. We walked over three miles using Google maps to get back to our hotel. Just spending time with the girls in a different country . . . it’s something I’ll never forget.”

Last month, the court participated in the Waimea Cherry Blossom Festival on the Big Island. “I liked that trip because it was local. We were able to share with the Big Island what our festival is and were able to see their cherry blossom trees along Church Row (in Kamuela).” The trip was extra special for Okihara since both sets of grandparents live on the Big Island and were able to drive out to see them.

COMPARING OTHER CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVALS

The Cherry Blossom festivals in San Francisco and Los Angeles seem to be on a grander scale than Hawai‘i’s, with their weeklong events and activities promoting the festival and the Japanese culture. In San Francisco, the community gathers together to view Okinawan dance and taiko performances. Los Angeles has Nisei Week in Little Tokyo, which includes a parade and events that showcase local businesses that support the festival.

In Hawai’i, the Cherry Blossom Festival queen contestants are introduced during the ‘Ohana Festival in January. The ‘Ohana Festival, presented by the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i, showcases the Japanese culture through displays, demonstrations and entertainment. The contestants also participate in the Honolulu Festival, taking place March 10 to 12. This festival features the various regions of the Pacific Rim, including Hawai‘i, Japan, Australia and the U.S. mainland.

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Kaelyn Sachiko Okuhata

Kaelyn Okuhata

Parents: Kevin and Lori Okuhata

High School: King Kekaulike High School (Hawai‘i Island), 2012

College/Degree/Year: Chapman University, bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing and a minor in art studio, 2016

“What does kokoro mean to you?”

“Last winter in the Colorado Rockies, I saw snowfall for the first time. Although it was six in the morning and 30 degrees outside, everything was perfect. As I stood in silence and observed the first rays of sunlight glistening on each delicate snowflake, my heart, mind, and spirit were completely connected. At that ‘kokoro’ moment, time slowed down to allow me to fully grasp how beautiful it was to just exist. My heart skipped a beat, my mind was at ease, and my spirit was lifted by this precious gift of nature. Obtaining kokoro is to observe one’s heart, mind, and spirit coming together, leaving no desire for anything else. Fully appreciating every moment in life, like your first snowfall, makes each day a blessing.”

Heather Kiyomi Omori

Heather Omori

Parents: Terence and Bridget Omori

High School: Mililani High School, 2008

College/Degree/Year: University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa, bachelor’s degree in psychology, 2011; University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa, master’s degree in elementary education, 2013.

“What does kokoro mean to you?”

“Growing up, I was surrounded by family, friends, coaches, and teachers in my community who helped shape the values I live by. My heart feels, my mind thinks, and my body acts, but to me kokoro is more than just this, it is the complete balance of all three parts. With the purest intentions, I practiced these values until they become habits, which and then these habits became my way of life. Living in the moment and enjoying every aspect of life, has allowed me to grow empathetic and think positively toward others.  As an educator, I teach the importance of community relationships and the act of giving while expecting nothing in return with my students. This is kokoro, doing good in secret and being known for your integrity as a human by being recognized by others. I continue to live my life with purpose and mindful acts of kindness.”

Michelle Sachi Ota

Michelle Ota

Parents: Fred and Shelley Ota

High School: Pearl City High School, 2008

College/Degree/Year: University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa, bachelor’s degree in business administration – marketing and international business, 2012.

“What does kokoro mean to you?”

“When I entered Class 5, four girls rushed over to introduce themselves. That day I met Junna, Sakura, Kana, and Kokoro. Kokoro is not the physical heart, but the spirit and strength that motivate us. Kokoro is also the name of one of my first students. She and her friends became a source of strength for me as a teacher. Those girls warmed my heart, but others were harder to connect with. But I continued reaching out to the more difficult students. They slowly began replying to my greetings, became more attentive during classes, and made their ways into my heart, too. Although we aren’t together anymore, all of my students still motivate me. Kokoro is not just a word nor a single person to me. It is a collection of students, friends and family members who constantly give me strength and have become part of who I am today.”

Roxanne Näpualani Takaesu

Roxanne Takaesu

Parents: Charles and Edwina Takaesu

High School: Kamehameha Schools, 2011

College/Degree/Year: University of Hawai’i at Mänoa, bachelor’s of fine arts degree in dance performance, 2015.

“What does kokoro mean to you?”

“The Japanese concept of kokoro, which refers to the heart, mind, and spirit, has played a major role in my life. My belief is that to be a genuine person you will need a good connection with your kokoro. One major way that I connect to my kokoro is through dance. While dancing, I am able to connect with my heart, mind, and spirit. Through the movement I am able to fully project my emotions and feelings. In a sense, I can feel my spirit dancing. Although cliché, I consider the mantra ‘give it your all,’ as giving your kokoro. Giving everything I have to everything I do, as nothing of worth comes from anything done half-hearted, half-minded, or half-spirited, is my life perspective. This concept of kokoro has brought out the best of me, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.”

Lori Satoki Kim

Lori Kim

Parents: Eric and Karen Kim

High School: Pacific Buddhist Academy, 2007

College/Degree/Year: University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa, bachelor’s degree in business administration – accounting, 2012.

“What does kokoro mean to you?”

“Growing up, Kokoro always meant heart. It meant using my heart to always try and show compassion to others, a thought reinforced by attending a Buddhist school for all of my early educational years. It meant acknowledging my heart during both times of highs, like being chosen as a Cherry Blossom Festival contestant; and lows, such as being unable to pass the last tests needed to attain the Certified Public Accountants (CPA) license. Although Kokoro can also be defined as mind or spirit, Kokoro will always mean heart because my heart shapes and defines my mind and spirit. My heart led me to a challenging career because my mind wanted to be constantly tested.  My heart also helped shape my resilient spirit in testing for the CPA license exam. Kokoro is heart; it shapes who we are, defines our actions and guides who we will become.”

Jolyne Chiemi Kurihara

Jolyne Kurihara

Parents: Gary and Joyce Kurihara

High School: Pearl City High School, 2007

College/Year: Leeward Community College, bachelor’s degree in business management, anticipated in 2019.

“What does kokoro mean to you?”

“I believe that kokoro, feeling from the heart, is truly the unintentional act of giving without receiving anything in return, resulting in a sense of contentment.   Growing up, my grandmother would always comfort me whenever I had a rough day, make sure I had enough food to eat, and pray for our family every night in front of her Butsudan.  Now that my grandma is older and time is slowly ticking, I want to give back that same gift of compassion, which is to be her lifetime caregiver.  It makes me feel good knowing that my grandma will be in good hands for all the things that she had done for me coming from her heart.  She inspired me to create lifelong relationships with those in my life and I hope to continue to share this gift to our community in providing a better future for the generations to come.”

Kirstie Hiroi Maeshiro-Takiguchi

Kirstie Maeshiro-Takiguchi

Parents: John and Stephanie Kirimitsu

High School: La Pietra Hawai’i School for Girls, 2010

College/Degree/Year: University of Hawai’i at Mänoa, bachelor’s degree in environmental design, 2015.

“What does kokoro mean to you?”

“‘The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart.’ – Helen Keller.

Those feelings from your heart, mind, and soul are kokoro. To me, it is a reflection of all the meaningful lessons, beautiful memories and kind people that make me who I am today. I am forever grateful for my upbringing, life experiences, and for the love and support from my family and friends. They have taught me to have an open heart and mind and to humbly embrace the essence of kokoro. I believe to live with kokoro is about being true to myself as I strive to be a compassionate and caring person. With every thing I do and every person I meet, I remind myself to speak, act, and smile from my kokoro and hopefully I will leave a beautiful footprint on others’ kokoro.”

Nicole Keiko Nakamoto

Nicole Nakamoto

Parents: Nathan and Christine Nakamoto

High School: Roosevelt High School, 2008

College/Degree/Year: University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, bachelor’s degree in business administration – finance and international business, 2012.

“What does kokoro mean to you?”

“Kokoro, heart/mind/spirit, should not be thought of as three distinct characteristics but in perfect unison, humbling us to the very core of our being. The heart illustrates our will, the soul connects to our emotions, and the mind permits the right disposition/attitude in which we live. My interpretation of Kokoro is to truly love with all of your heart, soul and mind. Special Olympics has genuinely shown me how to embrace this unconditional love. Those with disabilities often get portrayed in a negative way. My sisters are a blessing in my life that inspires me to look past the disabilities and see the abilities everyone has through love, support and encouragement. This is the same with all lives in general. Everyone in life deserves to love and to be loved. Kokoro exists in all of us and by perpetuating this foundational value we can make a difference in this world.”

Jennifer Keiko Ezaki

Jennifer Exaki

Parents: Bruce and Laura Ezaki

High School: Our Redeemer Lutheran, 2009

College/Degree/Year: Biola University, bachelor’s degree in communication, 2013; University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa, post baccalaureate certification in special education, 2016.

“What does kokoro mean to you?”

“Kokoro is a reminder for me to remain present and connected in a constantly changing world filled with distractions. Kokoro does not have one simple functional translation, however, I think the phrase ‘a mindful heart’ encapsulates kokoro as an embodiment of cognitive empathy. Kokoro is about connecting with others on a more than surface level, sympathizing with others, having a deep understating of one’s self, and cultivating meaningful relationships. As a middle school teacher, I try to practice the philosophy of kokoro every day. Through continued interactions with my students, parents, co-workers, and friends, I not only gain a deeper insight of them but I gain a deeper understanding of God and myself. Kokoro is dynamic. What kokoro signifies to me is dependent on my life experiences and is ever changing. The philosophy of Kokoro has transcended time and has been a part of Japanese thinking for centuries.”

Carly Aiko Ishihara

Carly Ishihara

Parents: Cory and Charlyn Ishihara

High School: Hawaii Baptist Academy, 2014

College/Degree/Year: University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa, bachelor degree in Asian Studies with a Japanese/Korean focus and a bachelor’s degree in sociology, anticipated in 2018.

“What does kokoro mean to you?”

“To me, kokoro, meaning heart, mind, and spirit, embodies resilience and inner strength. It allows me to work towards self-discovery and to becoming a better version of myself. As a full time student, double majoring, I have always struggled to keep up and constantly question my ability to keep going. However, my family has instilled this feeling of ‘kokoro’ within me by teaching me to never give up on what I believe in. My grandmother especially shows me her ‘kokoro,’ her tenacity for life, each and every single day she continues to live and thrive. Now, I feel that the quiet voice in my soul telling me that I can achieve anything and everything as long as I keep pushing forward is my ‘kokoro.’ My heart, mind, and spirit coming together to give me the strength to continuously grow in amazing ways.”

Marcie Emi Kamei

Marcie Kamei

Parents: Michael and Megumi Kamei

High School: St. Francis School, 2009

College/Degree/Year: Meiji Gakuin University (Minato, Japan), bachelor’s degree in global and transcultural studies, 2015.

“What does kokoro mean to you?”

“Kokoro literally means ‘heart,’ but it is more than just showing common courtesy; it is a genuine compassion and empathy. My grandmother was my biggest influence in understanding what kokoro truly means. She always seemed to intuitively know everything about me, from offering to take me shopping for winter clothes because she understood I was from Hawai‘i, to what foods I wanted to eat when I was hungry for non-Japanese food, to offering to take me to different places to help me make the most of my time living in Japan. It was these experiences, as exemplified by my grandmother, which made me aware of what kokoro is really about; being truly heartfelt in all of your actions and words, and about being genuinely sincere in your concern for others. I try to demonstrate kokoro every day, the same way my grandmother did for me.”

The Okinawan Festival’s Cultural Tent is a great place to spend several hours of your time at the festival expanding your knowledge of Okinawan culture. The Cultural Tent, which is organized annually by the Hui O Laulima women’s group, will feature an even wider selection of displays and activities this year — and more tent space! Cultural Tent hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Sunday.

One of the many T-shirt designs that will debut this year. (Photos courtesy HUOA)

Among the new activities this year will be a performance by keiki who participated in the Warabi Ashibi Okinawan Cultural Day Camp this past summer. The youngsters will dance a song they learned in camp using the paranku drum (small, hand-held drum) they also learned to make at camp.

Another favorite activity is the kimono and paranku dressing and picture taking by a professional photographer (for a fee). It’ll make for a great family or children’s photo for your 2017 holiday card.

Other Cultural Tent highlights include:

• Okinawan Genealogical Society of Hawaii will team up with visiting staff and volunteers (including new Hawai‘i Herald columnist Colin Sewake) from the Okinawa Prefectural Library to help attendees find their Okinawan roots. Visit www.okinawanfestival.com to download the request form ahead of time. OGSH will also provide database searches on early Okinawan immigrants to Hawai‘i. Bookmarks with common surnames printed in Ryükyüan, Okinawan and Japanese will be available for purchase, as will sales of OGSH’s “Short Stories” and “Talk Stories” collections of personal stories written by Hawai‘i residents. There will also be a display of common household objects that would have been found in a plantation home.

• University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa Center for Okinawan Studies will be sharing information about the Mänoa International Exchange, or MIX, study abroad program with an emphasis on the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa. COS will also be selling “Breaking the Silence: Lessons of Democracy and Social Justice from the World War II Honouliuli Internment and POW Camp in Hawai‘i,” edited by University of Hawai‘i-West O‘ahu Professors Suzanne Falgout and Linda Nishigaya, the Social Process in Hawai‘i volume on the Honouliuli Internment Camp, where many Okinawan prisoners of war were incarcerated in the aftermath of World War II. The center will also be selling other informative books from University of Hawai‘i Press informative books, including “From Okinawa to the Americas” by Hana Yamagawa on the emigration of Okinawans and the “Okinawa-English Wordbook” by the late Dr. Mitsugu Sakihara.

• HUOA Uchinaaguchi Language Class volunteers will be teaching visitors simple phrases in Uchinaaguchi. Resources and materials related to the indigenous languages of the Ryükyü islands will be available, as well as information on HUOA’s Uchinaaguchi class, which is held at the Hawaii Okinawa Center.

Members of Nihon Shuji will demonstrate the art of calligraphy. Visitors can also create their own calligraphy print.

• Hawaii Karate Museum will feature information on the history of karate in Hawai‘i and a display of photos, books and other karate material.

• Nihon Shuji (Japan Calligraphy Education Foundation) will be demonstrating the art of calligraphy. Visitors can also create their own calligraphy print.

• Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i visitors can decorate a fan with stamp designs and pick up information on the center’s programs.

• Hawaii Bonsai Association members will display and sell bonsai plants. They will also provide advice on caring for bonsai plants.

AND OTHER FESTIVAL TENTS:

• Machi-Gwa (Country Store): Bring your reusable shopping bags and fill them with fresh, locally grown vegetables, fruits and other delicious treats! The selection of fruits and veggies will include: göya, ginger, daikon (white radish), apple banana, eggplant, cucumber, Okinawan sweet potato and other surprises.

Volunteers will also be selling a festival favorite: the popular andamisu (pork and miso mixture) that is delicious with your favorite Okinawan dish, or just with hot rice. Additionally, Aloha Tofu will be providing healthy treats such as tofu mousse in assorted flavors, yushidofu (fresh soft tofu) and some logo items.

There will also be pickled items such as sambaizuke and takuan as well as yummy baked goods. T-shirts from previous years’ festivals will also be available at discounted prices. And, after all that shopping, cool down with a refreshing reusable mason jar of plantation tea.

• Heiwa Dori: Experience Hawai‘i’s version of Okinawa’s famous Heiwa Dori. Specialty foods from Okinawa will be on sale, such as konbu (dried kelp), göya-cha (bitter melon tea), Okinawa soba noodles, andagi mix, shïkwasa (Okinawan lemon-lime) juice, kokuto (black sugar) candy and more.

• Hanagi Machi Gwa (Plants): Discover a fabulous selection of potted plants and flowers for sale, such as orchids, water lilies, succulents, vegetables (including göya — bitter melon, Okinawan spinach, and Okinawan sweet potato) and fruits. Find the perfect addition for your houseplant collection and outdoor garden!

• Ti Jukuishina-Mushimun (Arts & Crafts Gallery): Explore a wide array of original arts and crafts by local artisans and crafters.

• Capital Campaign Tent: Construction has begun on the Hawaii Okinawa Plaza. Learn more about the project, which aims to secure the financial future of HUOA. Also, participate in the “How to Be More Okinawan” series — 30-minute interactive sessions covering a range of subjects, including: language, dancing kachashi, singing, chanting, stretching, eating and whistling like an Okinawan. Storyteller Alton Chung will share the legend of the shïsa. Check Facebook for schedule.

• Festival T-shirts: Add the 2017 design to your Okinawan Festival T-shirt collection! The 35th Okinawan Festival T-Shirt is available in men’s, men’s tank top, women’s and youth sizes.

• Blue Zones Tent: The Blue Zones Project™ was inspired by the lifestyles of regions in the world with the highest concentration of centenarians. Five Blue Zone areas have been designated: Okinawa Japan; Loma Linda, Calif.; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Sardinia, Italy and Ikaria, Greece.

In the rural and peaceful village of Ogimi in northern Okinawa and other rural villages in Okinawa, villagers are recognized as being among the healthiest and longest-living people in the civilized world, according to National Geographic magazine. The Blue Zone is a community well-being improvement initiative designed to help people live longer and better by making healthy lifestyle choices easier. The Blue Zones Project has identified nine common traits that contribute to longevity — simple actions like moving naturally, having the right outlook, eating wisely and maintaining positive relationships, which is how early Okinawans lived. Local health insurer HMSA brought the Blue Zones Project was brought to Hawai‘i and is working with communities and worksites to create healthier environments that promote and supports people’s well-being. The Blue Zones tent is an opportunity to learn about healthy cooking, backyard organic gardening and how to elevate our lives and that of our families.