LIHUE — The doors to Kauai Matsuri Festival 2024 opened to the public starting at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall.
But the excitement of Matsuri started on Thursday with the arrival of the delegations from Iwaki City and Moriyama City, Japan.
“They just got in,” said Art Umezu, serving as a liaison between the visiting Japanese and the county. “Mayor Takafumi Morinaka was only recently elected mayor of Moriyama and is paying a courtesy visit with Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami.”
Both Iwaki City and Moriyama City have long-standing sister city relationships with Kauai, and in previous visits have had government officials, and crafts people from Japan working alongside Kauai practitioners during the Matsuri event with the Kauai public being the beneficiaries of the shared cultural events.
Among the dignitaries from the Iwaki City group are Yasuo Ando, the Vice Mayor Deputy Director General, Office of Tourism, Cultural Exchange Division, Tomohiko Akatsu, Senior Administrative Officer, Cultural Exchange Division, Toshinori Ohba, Chair of Iwaki Visitors Bureau, Toru Hosokawa of the Iwaki Rotary Club, Tsuneo Suzuki, President of the Iwaki Hawaii Exchange Association, and Kelly Kawamata, Manager of the Iwaki Tourism City Planning Bureau.
“We have a pickleball demonstration on Friday with Craig and Lori Koga,” Umezu said. “Do you realize that these cities have no pickleball, a sport that has taken off on Kauai. The officials want to know more and possibly introduce the sport to their cities.”
Governmental protocol, including the exchange of gifts and other formal greetings were taken care of during the Aloha Party hosted by the Kauai Japanese Cultural Society, sponsors of the Kauai Matsuri Festival, and county officials.
The Matsuri showcases traditional and contemporary Japanese culture and arts, including folk dancing, including Minyo, Azuma, and Min.
There will be Cosplay, Kendama, and Musubi Making contests, Kimono and Happi Coat fashion show, and new for this year, Gyotaku T-shirts.
Both Kauai Taiko and Tsunami Taiko will herald the event with performances of traditional and contemporary taiko pieces.
Spread out throughout the day, people can browse through displays and hands-on sessions on Chanoyu, or Japanese Tea Ceremony, Ikebana flower arranging, Bonsai, Calligraphy and Mochi Making.
The day ends with an Obon Dance at the convention hall.
Kauai Matsuri Festival is brought to the island by the Kauai Japanese Cultural Society in partnership with the County of Kauai, the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the Kauai Visitors Bureau, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, the Kekaha Agriculture Association and a number of community organizations.
For more information, visit www.kauaijcs.org.
