LIHUE — Emi Hodo of Iwaki City, Japan, was proud to pose with the American flag and the Hawaiian flag outside the mayor’s office Friday afternoon.
Her gesture led Yukio Matsumoto, a soba noodle-maker, to follow suit, as cameras from the Iwaki City delegation recorded the memorable moment while waiting on Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.
The delegation is one of four from Japan sister cities of Kauai participating in Matsuri Kauai 2017, which opens to the public today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lihue Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall, and was paying a courtesy visit to the mayor before attending a Matsuri Kauai dinner.
Iwaki City and Kauai established a sister-city relationships in 2011 following the tsunami which swept through the Japanese town.
Iwaki City is one of four sister cities which are providing origami papers for people to create orizuru, or paper cranes, which will be placed near the Orizuru Tree of Peach and Aloha which commemorates the 20th anniversary of Hiroshima and Hawaii as sister states.
Pearl Shimizu, president of the Kauai Japanese Cultural Society, invites everyone to fold cranes for the tree, which is dedicated to Sadako Sasaki, a young Hiroshima girl who survived the bombing on Aug. 6, 1945, only to succumb at age 12 to leukemia caused by the bombing fallout.
During her battle against cancer, Sasaki’s mission was to fold 1,000 orizuru in order to get well. This symbolic gesture has become a symbol of peace and hope throughout the world.
Shimizu said the tree will also be dedicated to the late Aiko Nakaya of Waimea, who taught origami art for many years. She passed away in June.
Also appearing at Matsuri Kauai are delegates from Suo Oshima, including Mayor Takumi Shiiki, and county officials Akira Hoshide and Isao Yamamoto.
Iwaki City officials include Yoko Igari, Iwaki City official from the director of international relations; Tsuneo Suzuki of the Iwaki Hawaii Exchange Association; Takashi Wakamatsu, managing director of Spa Resort Hawaiians; Toshinori Ohba, Riko Koito and Shizuko Sakuma of the Iwaki Hot Springs Association; Toru Hosokawa of the Iwaki Rotary Club, which donated $2,000 for the Iwaki buoy on display at Port Allen Marina Center; Naoto Katono of the Iwaki Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development; and a host of people who will be offering various cultural ceremonies, soba noodle-making and tasting, and more.
Torao Hikariyama, also known as Tevita Apina, an Enka singer from Oahu, will also be performing as the youngest boy to win grand champion at the KZOO Radio Karaoke Competition. He competed in Japan, has been featured on several Japan television shows, and has three CD releases.
The event is free to the public.
