LIHU’E — Orange yokan was one of the unique samples being offered by ResortQuest’s Sandi Kato-Klutke at the Matsuri Kauai 2005 event at the Kaua’i War Memorial Convention Hall. “It’s a chance for the young people to be Japanese,” said
LIHU’E — Orange yokan was one of the unique samples being offered by ResortQuest’s Sandi Kato-Klutke at the Matsuri Kauai 2005 event at the Kaua’i War Memorial Convention Hall.
“It’s a chance for the young people to be Japanese,” said Bryan Yamamoto, a Kaua’i Community College professor. “Notice how this year there are a lot more young people? This is an opportunity for them to be able to be Japanese.”
Yamamoto, who normally is one of the leaders coordinating the tours from Japanese and Far Eastern groups through the college, is no stranger to these types of events. On Saturday, he had his daughter on hand following her AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) game in Hanalei, and his son was also present, an injured knee keeping him from participating in the first Waimea High School cross country invitational that was taking place on the Westside.
Jean Dobashi had a new arena of responsibility, as she coordinated groups of students from the Kaua’i High School Japanese Club. Their task this year was to monitor the traffic flow in and out of the event.
“I came home special for this?” Dobashi queried. But, the task at hand was an integral part of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) grant that partially funded the annual event. “We even went to a workshop to learn how to do this,” she added.
Officials with the County of Kaua’i are the second major sponsors of the cultural presentation that featured an integration of educational, interactive, and entertainment aspects of the Japanese culture.
Dulcie Yano, one of the key leaders in hosting the annual event, said that Jackie Kanna designed the cover for this year’s Matsuri Kauai 2005 program booklet, and in trying to find a computer font that fit the elegance she was trying to convey, finally gave up, and simply wrote in the word “Matsuri.”
“That’s her handwriting,” Yano said proudly as she showed off the work that portrayed a variety of the Kauai Japanese Cultural Society’s work on each fold of a Japanese fan set against a black background.
Kaua’i groups involved in various aspects of the Japanese culture integrated with visiting groups from Japan to offer patrons a wide variety of exhibits, educational demonstrations, and entertainment performances.
Takeshi Fujita, a retired teacher, led the oshibana section, where patrons could create their own note cards to take home. This popular form of Japanese art utilizes pressed flowers and foliage.
Wayne Miyata, a ceramics instructor at the Kaua’i Community College, had a different venue for this year’s festival, as his demonstrations revolved around the daruma, or a type of Japanese figurines.
Miyata said that the daruma is a change of pace from the vases everyone associates him with, noting that the daruma must have had a wide variety of facial expressions while meditating for nine years.
“This festival is a wonderful celebration of Japanese culture and arts. Through the various demonstrations, exhibits, music, and dance, we have the opportunity today to experience the richness of Japanese traditions that have become interwoven in our unique, multicultural community,” said Kaua‘i Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste in his welcome message delivered in the day’s program.
Former Kaua‘i Mayor Maryanne Kusaka was also one of the guests present, stopping to offer her condolences to members of the Kauai Bonsai Club, who suffered the loss of over a dozen of their prized specimens to theft during the recent Kauai County Farm Bureau Fair.
That loss, however, did not deter the spirit of the group who had a variety of specimens on display and offered up a demonstration of their techniques.
Glenna Ueunten of the Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko held on the best for last, as the group unveiled a new style of taiko at their presentation.
Ueunten, the Kaua‘i coordinator for the taiko group, explained that they have been practicing the new style for several weeks, but could not unveil it to the public until they got approval from the O‘ahu sensei, that approval coming during the Kaua‘i performance at the annual Labor Day Okinawa Festival on O‘ahu.
Ueunten added that leaders of the Kaua‘i will have a beginners’ taiko class starting at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center from Friday, Oct. 7.
She said this fourweek session is open to all ages, and will be held on Fridays from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. People may call 332-8111 to register. The class size is limited.
Pearl Shimizu is the president of the Kauai Japanese Cultural Society.
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.
