The United Japanese Society of Hawaii held its annual Tsukimi no Kai, or moon viewing celebration, on Oct. 5 at Café Waiola on the campus of the UH John A. Burns School of Medicine in Kaka‘ako. Standing before an altar abundant with offerings of food for the gods and white streamers, the Rev. Akihiro Okada of the Daijingu Temple of Hawaii performed a traditional Shinto tamagushi ceremony in a lobby, where the moonlight shone in through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. With each wave of his haraegushi purification wand, guests contemplated their connection to the gods and expressed gratitude for their good health and abundance. Several community leaders and representatives of local organizations received a blessing from Rev. Okada. Each of them then placed an evergreen branch on the altar as an offering to the gods.

Attendees gathered in the Café Waiola dining area after the ceremony to partake of the food that had been prepared by Simply Ono and drinks by Lotus Spirits. Darin Miyashiro’s koto music, accompanied by Neal Shiosaki on shakuhachi (flute) got the guests into the moon-viewing mood. Chinagu Eisa members picked up the pace with their dynamic Okinawan drum performance.

The roots of Tsukimi no Kai date back to the Nara and Heian periods (710-1185) when China introduced the custom to Japan. Kaoru Nakamura-Sensei taught the guests how aristocrats and sophisticated samurai composed haiku poems at tsukimi no kai of long ago. She said haiku should be composed with layers of nature and emotions expressed purely from one’s heart. Prize baskets were awarded for the best poems of the night.

Participation was the order of the evening as members of the Iwakuni Odori Aiko Kai dance group led the guests in two upbeat bon dance numbers to close the program.

As guests walked back to their cars at the end of the evening, they could be heard marveling at the beautiful full moon. — by Jodie Chiemi Ching

Hilo’s Japanese Community Association of Hawaii will hold its biennial Japanese Culture Day, or “Bunka No Hi,” on Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Sangha Hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year’s theme is “Okage Sama De,” the Japanese phrase meaning, “I am what I am because of you.” Admission to the event is free.

The festivities will begin with a short Omikoshi parade at 9 a.m. The parade will start at the Aupuni Center on Kilauea Avenue and end at Sangha Hall. The mikoshi is a portable shrine that is carried at many festivals in Japan.

Former Hawai‘i Gov. George Ariyoshi and his wife Jean will serve as the parade’s grand marshals. Gov. Ariyoshi will also host a “talk story” session at Sangha Hall.

The Bunka No Hi program will begin at 10 a.m. One of the highlights of the program will be the introduction of JCAH’s 2017 “Japanese Cultural Treasures” and recognition of JCAH members 90 years and older. Entertainment will includes performances by koto sensei Darin Miyashiro and his Hilo students, Taishoji Taiko and a special dance presentation by a visiting delegation from Izu Oshima Island in Japan. In 1962, Izu Oshima became Hawai‘i Island’s first sister-island through an agreement established between former Hawai‘i County Mayor Thomas Cook and Oshima Mayor Toyonosuke Fujii.

Bunka no Hi will features numerous demonstrations, including ramen eating, Japanese style, by Sun Noodles president and owner Hidehito Uki from Honolulu. That will be followed by a ramen slurping competition. Other demonstrations will include soroban calculating by Hideaki Oshima of the Araki Hiroya Soroban School, aikidö by Hilo Shin Shin Toitsu, and a food demo by Mark Pomanski of Hilo’s Moon and Turtle restaurant. Experienced calligraphers will also be available to write your name or a message for a fee.

Shichi-go-san kimono dressing and picture taking is another popular component of Bunka no Hi. Experienced kimono dressers will dress girls ages 3 and 7 in beautiful kimono, while boys, age 5, will be dressed in a haori and hakama. The cost is $40 for JCAH members and $50 for non-members. The fee includes the dressing, a photography session, two 4- x 6-inch prints in a frame and a digital copy of the photos. Applications and details can be found on Japanese Community Association’s website at www.jcah.org.

Other displays and demonstrations will include bonsai by Moku Honua Bonsai Kai, tea ceremony by Urasenke Hilo Shibu, washi chigiri-e by Lily Nakao-Sensei and her Hilo students, shibori and oshibana by Kim Springer and shishu by Stephanie Nagata. Food concessions and a limited number of event T-shirts will also be available for sale.

The Japanese Community Association of Hawaii is a nonprofit organization with a membership of nearly 400 families. It was formed 45 years ago to promote and perpetuate Japanese culture and arts in East Hawai‘i and to foster international relationships with Japanese citizens and organizations. For more information or to join, visit www.jcah.org.

Karleen C. Chinen

Pamela Rotner Sakamoto came to understand the invaluable, but secret, work that soldiers in the Military Intelligence Service performed in World War II while writing her own book, “Midnight in Broad Daylight: A Japanese American Family Caught Between Two Worlds,” about the family of MIS veteran Harry Fukuhara. So when she says that “Proof of Loyalty: Kazuo Yamane and the Nisei Soldiers of Hawai‘i,” produced by veteran filmmakers Lucy Ostrander and Don Sellers, “. . . captures the sad irony that those we discriminate against may be among our most able, tireless and faithful,” Sakamoto knows what she is talking about.

Hawai‘i International Film Festival attendees would be wise to include “Proof of Loyalty” in their viewing plans. It may not have the bells and whistles of the other World War II film about the Nisei soldiers featured in this year’s HIFF, but you will exit the theater with a greater understanding of Hawai‘i’s history and an appreciation for the depth of service the young Nisei stepped up to perform when the odds were against them.

The film highlights the work of 100th Battalion and MIS veteran Kazuo Yamane, who was the eldest of four sons and seven daughters born to immigrants from Japan. Their father, Uichi Yamane, who had immigrated to Hawai‘i from Yamaguchi Prefecture, would build a business empire that allowed Kazuo to receive an Ivy League-quality education at Waseda University in Tökyö after graduating from McKinley High School in Honolulu. Yamane returned to Hawai‘i in August 1940 after s graduating from Waseda and was drafted into the 298th Infantry Regiment of the Hawai‘i National Guard, based on O‘ahu.

Yamane and other Nisei would become part of the War Department’s most successful social experiment — forming the 100th Infantry Battalion, an Army unit made up of primarily of American-born men of Japanese ancestry.

Yamane was among the 1,432 original members of the 100th Battalion who were shipped out of Hawai‘i in June 1942 and sent to Camp McCoy in Wisconsin. In November and December of 1942, the Army transferred about 60 Japanese-speaking soldiers — many of them Kibei, who were born in the U.S. and educated in Japan — from the 100th to the Military Intelligence Service. They believed that the soldiers’ knowledge of Japanese language and culture could be used against Japan. The 60 underwent intensive military language training at the MIS Language School at Camp Savage, Minn.

Kazuo Yamane and his three brothers all served America honorably during the war. But it was Kazuo’s discovery of the Japanese Army Ordnance inventory while serving at Camp Ritchie in 1944 that the Army would find especially valuable. Yamane was later dispatched to Europe on a secret mission.

After the war, Yamane returned to Hawai‘i and worked in his family’s businesses.

Filmmakers Ostrander and Sellers tell the fascinating story of the loyalty, service and patriotism of Yamane and his comrades through their research and valuable interviews with historians who put this compelling story in its proper historical context. Among the interviewees are MIS and 442nd RCT veteran Ted Tsukiyama, who lived through the era, and research historians such as Dr. Franklin Odo, Dr. James MacNaughton and Tom Coffman.

“The little known story of Kazuo Yamane conveys how one man’s actions and belief in his country were significant in turning the tide of World War II,” commented Linda Tamura, Willamette University Professor of Education Emerita and the author of “Nisei Soldiers Break Their Silence: Coming Home to Hood River.” “More than that,” she continues, “it depicts how those least trusted during the war — because they looked like the enemy — became invaluable to our war effort. The rich archival images, context given by historians and veterans, and the haunting music complement this vivid story highlighting Kazuo Yamane, but also telling of Japanese Americans’ critical contributions during World War II.”

Kazuo Yamane died in April 2010 at the age of 93.

The film will have two screenings at HIFF — Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. and Friday, Nov. 10, 1:30 p.m. — both at the Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 in Iwilei. A trailer of the 55-minute film can be viewed at http://proofofloyalty.com. “Proof of Loyalty” was the recipient of the Audience Choice Award (documentary) at the Asian American International Film Festival in New York in August. For ticket information, go to hiff.org, or call (808) 447-0577.

WHO/WHAT: The University of Hawai‘i at Manoa Center for Okinawan Studies presents a public showing of filmmaker Chie Mikami’s 2015 documentary, “We Shall Overcome.” The film (see trailer at http://ikusaba.com/en/) documents Okinawan opposition to the construction of a new U.S. military base at Henoko Bay in northern Okinawa. Dr. Joyce Chinen, recently retired director of the UH Center for Okinawan Studies, will host a discussion after the screening.

WHEN/WHERE: Sunday, Dec. 3, at 1 p.m. in the UH Center for Korean Studies auditorium.

COST: Free admission and free Sunday parking on campus. For more information, call 956-5754 or email cos@hawaii.edu.

WHO/WHAT: The Hawaii United Okinawa Association presents its annual Winter Craft Fair featuring a wide selection of gift items for purchase. Take advantage of the great shopping opportunities and a silent auction. Enjoy food for sale, including hot andagi, and schmooze with Santa.

WHEN/WHERE: Saturday, Nov. 25, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 26, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the Hawaii Okinawa Center (94-587 Uke‘e St.) in Waipio Gentry. For a $5 donation, shoppers can enter the ballroom at 8:30 a.m.

Also, bring a non-perishable food item for the Hawaii Foodbank and HUOA will say “Mahalo!” with a free andagi (one andagi per person per day).

COST: Free admission and free parking at the Hawaii Okinawa Center and on-street parking. For more information, call 676-5400.

WHO/WHAT: By popular demand, Leeward Theatre and Hawaii’s Plantation Village present the return of “Plantation Plays.” The plays were written by Kiki, Courtney Takabayashi and Kirstyn Trombetta and directed by Ashley DeMoville.

WHEN/WHERE: Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 18 and 19, at 12 noon at Hawaii’s Plantation Village (94-695 Waipahu St.).

COST: $5 general admission (no other discounts accepted). For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.hawaiiplantationvillage.org, or call (808) 677-0110.

A traveling exhibit chronicling the story of the Japanese American experience in World War II opened on Veterans Day at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i. “Courage and Compassion: Our Shared Story of the Japanese American WWII Experience” was produced by the Los Angeles-based Go For Broke National Education Center. It will be on display through Saturday, Dec. 9.

GFBNEC president and CEO Dr. Mitchell Maki, board chair Stephen Kagawa and several members of the organization’s board traveled to Hawai‘i for the opening. They were joined by Gov. David Ige and his wife Dawn Amano-Ige; Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., the top military commander in the Indo-Pacific region; and JCCH president and executive director Carole Hayashino.

“Courage and Compassion” focuses on the events spanning World War II — from Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor; the birth of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service; the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans and their postwar resettlement and Hawai‘i’s changing socio-economic culture. The JCCH is supplementing the exhibit by highlighting the unique role Hawai‘i played during the war years and sharing little-known stories of people who demonstrated integrity, conscience and community that aided AJAs during and after the war.

The exhibit is interactive and features images and audio recordings of the firsthand accounts of AJA soldiers drawn from GFBNEC’s Hanashi Oral History collection.

Hayashino said JCCH is honored to work with the Go For Broke National Education Center in hosting “Courage and Compassion” and to have been selected as one of the 10 cities that will host the exhibit.

Maki recognized all of the veterans in attendance. He said it was fitting that the exhibit open on the day observed as Veterans Day in the most racially diverse state in the entire United States.

Gov. David Ige, whose father volunteered for the 442nd and served in the 100th Infantry Battalion, said the impact of the World War II story is much bigger than just the war. Ige thanked GFBNEC and JCCH for helping to tell the full story. He said he would not be governor today were it not for the World War II AJA veterans. He also applauded the many new projects being undertaken to tell the wartime story, including the Broadway musical, “Allegiance.”

The Nisei veterans are “all heroes in my book,” noted Adm. Harris. He said World War II was the most important event in his life, despite the fact that it happened before he was even born. He said, however, that the war impacted his life forever. “It shaped the boy I was and the man I became,” he said. “I stand on the shoulders of giants — it’s because of the Nisei soldiers,” Harris said.

“The Hawai‘i story is integrated into each component of our exhibition — from the troubled days following the Pearl Harbor attack to the unparalleled exploits of the 100th Infantry Battalion and beyond. Our exhibit honors the everyday people who rose above the public hysteria of WWII to recognize Ja-
panese Americans as friends, neighbors and citizens,” Maki explained in a press release. He noted that for nearly 150 years, Hawai‘i has played a major role in defining the AJA experience.

The exhibit debuted in Salem, Ore., this past July. Future venues will include Kingsburg, Calif.; Oberlin, Ohio; Rochester and Minneapolis, Minn.; Monterey, Calif.; Peoria, Ill., and Albuquerque, N.M.

“Courage and Compassion” was funded in part by a grant from the National Park Service’s Japanese American Confinement Site Grant Program. It is on display in the JCCH Community Gallery, which is open Mondays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tuesdays through Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. General admission during regular operations is $10 for adults and $7 for youth, students and seniors. For additional information, visit www.jcch.com or call JCCH at (808) 945-7633.

WHO/WHAT: The Go For Broke National Education Center and the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i co-host the traveling exhibition, “Courage and Compassion: Our Shared Story of the Japanese American WWII Experience.” Developed by Los Angeles-based GFBNEC, this interactive exhibit chronicles the story of the Japanese American experience during World War II and features local stories of bravery and extraordinary support of AJAs from communities across the country. As the exhibit partner, JCCH brings to life Hawai‘i’s unique role during WWII and shares little-known stories of integrity, conscience and community that helped Japanese Americans during and after the war.

WHEN/WHERE: Through Saturday, Dec. 9, in the JCCH Community Gallery. Gallery hours: Monday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Tuesday through Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; and Saturdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

COST: $10 for adults and $7 for youth, students and seniors during regular hours. For more information, visit www.jcch.com or call 945-7633.

WHO/WHAT: PBS Hawai‘i will broadcast “Proof of Loyalty: Kazuo Yamane and the Nisei Soldiers of Hawaii,” which was shown at the recently concluded Hawaii International Film Festival. The film by documentarians Don Sellers and Lucy Ostrander highlights the history of the Nisei soldiers who rose to the challenge and served America in World War II. Among them was Kazuo Yamane, who was drafted into the 100th Infantry Battalion and subsequently transferred to the Military Intelligence Service. As an MIS soldier, Yamane was among the first AJAs to work in the Pentagon.  He was subsequently assigned to the Pacific Military Intelligence Research Section, referred to as PACMIRS. Using his language skills, he found the complete Japanese army ordnance inventory in a collection of captured documents initially thought to be worthless. Yamane’s final assignment took him to Europe. A trailer of the film can be viewed at http://proofofloyalty.com.

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, Dec. 7, 9 p.m. on PBS Hawai‘i. The screening will be preceded by a PBS Hawai‘i “Insights” discussion at 8 p.m. titled “Tribute to the One-Puka-Puka.” Discussants will include former Hawai‘i newspaper journalists and history buffs Mark Matsunaga and Tom Coffman, who are featured in “Proof of Loyalty.” (Repeat broadcast of “Proof of Loyalty” only on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 1 p.m.)

WHO/WHAT: Kadomatsu workshop led by Rick Hoo. Kadomatsu are Japanese good luck bamboo and pine arrangements that adorn the entrance to many homes at New Year’s. Rick Hoo began making kadomatsu with TEMARI, Center for Asian and Pacific Arts, and now works on them with the Kuhio Lions Club of Honolulu. His workshop will cover kadomatsu’s history, design and symbolism. Hoo will teach participants how to make a contemporary version of the bamboo and pine arrangement with materials found in Hawai‘i and Japan.

WHEN/WHERE: Sunday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., at the Honolulu Museum of Art’s Spalding House (2411 Makiki Heights Dr.).

COST: $45 for general public, $35 for Honolulu Museum of Art members. Register online at myhoma.org/kadomatsu
. For more information, call the Honolulu Museum of Arts at (808) 237-5225.

One person in the photo for the “Journeys to Wellness” story that was published in our Nov. 3, 2017, edition was erroneously identified as the Rev. Dr. Wally Fukunaga. The person should have been identified as Chew Nung Lum. We apologize any inconvenience the error may have caused.

The Japanese Cultural Society of Maui is accepting nominations for its annual Nihon Bunka Awards, or Japanese culture awards. Winners will be honored at the organization’s shinnen enkai dinner on Jan. 27, 2018, at the Maui Beach Hotel.

Each year, JCS Maui recognizes individuals for their excellence and contributions to the Japanese arts and/or culture and for their selflessness in sharing their talents with the community.

Nominations should be sent to Lynn Araki-Regan — by mail to 1823 Wells St., Suite 2A, Wailuku, HI, 96793, by fax to (808) 249-2872 or via email at lynn@araki-regan.com. The nomination deadline is Dec. 23. For more information, call Araki-Regan at (808) 280-1299.

The Japanese Community Association of Hawaii, based in Hilo, honored three “cultural treasures” at its biennial “Bunka no Hi,” or Japanese Culture Day program, on Nov. 18 at the Sangha Hall. The event was themed “Okage Sama De,” an often-used Japanese phrase of gratitude meaning “I am what I am because of you.”

Honored as cultural treasures were: Wailea Mochi Pounding Festival founder Akiko Masuda; judö sensei (teacher) Ronald Takeya, who has been practicing the martial art for over four decades; and 99-year-old Takayoshi Kanda, who is known in the community as the “Keeper of the Waiakea Tsunami Clock.”

The day of cultural activities began with an omikoshi (portable Shintö shrine) parade along Kïlauea Avenue to the Sangha Hall. Former Hawai‘i governor George Ariyoshi and his wife Jean were the parade’s grand marshals. The governor led a “talk story” session later in the day.

JCAH was established 45 years ago to promote and perpetuate Japanese culture and arts in East Hawai‘i and to foster international relationships with Japanese citizens and organizations.

The 65th Chrysanthemum Festival, a Maui Japanese tradition that raises funds for scholarships and the historical preservation programs of its sponsor, Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans, will be held Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Velma McWayne Santos Community Center in Wailuku. Teens from five Maui high schools are vying for the Chrysanthemum Festival crown.

Exhibits and entertainment will begin at 4:30 p.m., dinner is at 6 and the program starts at 7. Admission to the festival is free — tickets for the dinner are $15 each.

The contestant who raises the most money through ticket sales will be crowned the festival queen. This year’s contestants are:

• Kristi Echiverri, 17, of Kahului, a senior at Maui High School and the daughter of Laura and Lucky Echiverri.

• Sokha Furumoto, 16, of Ha‘ikü, junior at St. Anthony Junior-Senior High School and the daughter of Laurie and Wesley Furumoto.

• Paige Maki Nagahama, 17, of Wailuku, a senior at Seabury Hall and the daughter of Paula Diep and Hank Rapoza.

• Jaelynn Nobriga, 17, of Kahului, a senior at Kamehameha Schools Maui and the daughter of James “Jay” Nobriga and Wendy Nobriga.

• Makaylen Tadeo, 16, a junior at King Kekaulike High School and the daughter of Bobbie-Jo Moniz-Tadeo and Ricardo Tadeo Jr.

For ticket or event information, or to contribute to a contestant’s efforts, call Leonard Oka at 249-2163 or 385-7670. Oka is the president of Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans. He is co-chairing the event with Gary Nakama, a past president of the group. Proceeds will support the Sons and Daughters’ historical preservation projects, which are done for the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center, and annual scholarships.

The United Japanese Society of Hawaii honored 26 Nikkei celebrating their 80th birthday this year with a festive party on Sept. 23 at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i’s Manoa Grand Ballroom. The event, UJSH’s annual Nenchosha Ian Engei Taikai (Senior Citizens Festival), is held in conjunction with Japan’s observance of “Respect for the Aged Day,” which is a national holiday. The birthday honorees were treated to a buffet lunch and a program of Japanese and Okinawan music and dance.

A lively shishimai performance by Hawaii Okinawa Creative Arts opened the program. It was followed by the Japanese classical dance “Matsu,” meaning “pine,” which was performed by Onoe Kikunobukazu (Howard Asao) of the Kikunobu Dance Company. In Japanese tradition, the pine tree symbolizes long life. Mitsuko Toguchi Nakasone-Sensei and Diana Kawaguchi of the Lanakila Okinawa Nenchosha Club performed the auspicious Okinawan dance, “Kajadifu Bushi.”

UJSH president Sheree Tamura welcomed the honorees and their families and friends to the UJSH’s 43rd annual nenchosha program. Each year, UJSH asks the various O‘ahu kenjinkai, senior citizen clubs and community centers to identify its octogenarians and submit their names so that UJSH can recognize them at the Nenchosha Festival.

The honorees were introduced individually during the program and presented a certificate. They also had their picture taken with UJSH president Tamura and 2017 Cherry Blossom Queen Heather Omori.

Gary Simon represented Gov. David Ige in offering a congratulatory message to the honorees. Messages were also shared by Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and then-Consul General of Japan Yasushi Misawa.

The 2017 honorees were: Barbara Akamine, Stanley Balbuena, Norma Hirata, Jean Ige, Wallace Inouye, Irene Ishiyama, Takako Jenkins, Ethel Kawahara, Chizuko Kawaji, Ann Kobayashi, Donald Koga, Eleanor Miyasaki, Carl Nakamura, Grace Onuma, Nobuko Oshiro, Emmie Otake, Franklin Otake, Elaine Silva, Beatrice Sonoda, Keiko Suzuki, Sachiko Takahashi, Clara Takiguchi, Teruko Towata, Melvin Watarai, Keiko Yoshinaga and Daniel Zukemura,

UJSH past president and current member Ann Kobayashi represented her fellow octogenarians in thanking the United Japanese Society for recognizing them on reaching their eighth decade of life.

UJSH past president Clyde Matsumoto delivered the congratulatory banzai to the honorees.

The program closed with UJSH president Sheree Tamura and the Iwakuni Odori Aiko Kai dancing a lively “Matanashi Dayo Jinsei Wa.”

This year’s festival was chaired by UJSH member Karen Kuba-Hori.

WHO/WHAT: Daijingu Temple of Hawaii will hold its traditional Shinto New Year’s blessings for both humans and their pets. After the blessing, attendees can purchase good luck omamori (amulet) to help them through the next 12 months and a fortune written on paper. If you don’t like the fortune, you can tie the paper to a nearby stand and buy another fortune.

If you are unable to attend the Dec. 31 or Jan. 1 public blessings, you can also make appointments for individual New Year blessings for yourself and/or your family. Call the Rev. Akira Okada at (808) 595-3102 for appointments.

WHEN/WHERE: Daijingu Temple of Hawaii (61 Püiwa Rd.) in Nu‘uanu with blessings at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and beginning again at midnight continuing through 4 p.m. on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2018.

COST: The blessings are open free of charge to the public. Donations are welcome and appreciated. Parking is available at the shrine’s parking lot or on the street; additional parking is available in the Boy Scouts parking lot across the street from the shrine. For more information, call (808) 595-3102.

WHO/WHAT: Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha welcomes the “Year of the Dog” with traditional New Year’s blessings beginning at midnight, Jan. 1, 2018. As far of the festivities, you can get your head bitten by a shishi lion for good luck and partake of ozone mochi soup for good health. Omamori will also be available for purchase. A list of the various omamori and their prices is available at www.e-shrine.org/omamori.html.

WHEN/WHERE: Jan. 1, 2018: 12 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha – Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu (1239 Olomea St.). Parking available at Damien Memorial School (1401 Houghtailing St.), with a free shuttle running continuously between the school and Kotohira Jinsha from midnight to 3:30 a.m. and again from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call (808) 841-4755.

COST: Free and open to the public.

WHO/WHAT: Traditional Japanese New Year’s blessings will be given at Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii beginning at midnight, New Year’s Eve. Everyone is welcomed to visit the shrine to express gratitude for the blessings of the past and to receive blessings for good health and well-being for their families and businesses in the new year. New ofuda (talisman) and omamori (amulet) for the blessing and protection of businesses, home and individuals will be available for purchase. New Year’s blessings will be provided to all who visit the shrine.

WHEN/WHERE: Jan 1, 2018: 12 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Jan 2 and 3, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii (215 N. Kukui St.). For more information, call (808) 538-7778.

COST: Free admission.

Shakuhachi lovers from around the world will gather at the University of Hawai‘i’s Mänoa campus and the East-West Center from Dec. 15 to 18 for a festival celebrating the traditional Japanese bamboo flute. The highlight of the festival will be a Master’s Concert on Friday, Dec. 15, at 7:30 p.m. in Orvis Auditorium.

The concert will feature traditional and contemporary shakuhachi pieces performed in various styles by such world masters as Christopher Yohmei Blasdel, Steven Taizen Casano, Robert Herr and Chris Molina from Hawai‘i; Yuzan Kaminaga, Kazushi Matama and Ranzan Mitsui from Japan; Riley Lee from Australia and Gunnar Jinmei Linder from Sweden. They will be accompanied by special guests Kenny Endo on percussion, Kikuko Sato on shamisen, vocalist Mika Kimula and others. Concert tickets are $10 to $20 and can be purchased at the door.

The festival is an opportunity for participants of all skill levels to learn and perform a variety of shakuhachi playing styles through workshops and classes. Participation fees range from $175 to $350 and include access to all concerts, workshops, lessons and an academic conference covering the latest in shakuhachi research.

The festival is presented by the East-West Center Arts Program
and the UH Mänoa Music Department, with additional support from the Japan Foundation and the UH Center for Japanese Studies. For more information, visit www.HawaiiShakuhachi.com.

“Cultural Day,” a project inspired and spearheaded by a Maui teen to honor Nisei veterans like her grandfather and all veterans, will be held at the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center’s Stanley Izumigawa Pavilion on Saturday, Dec. 16, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Visitors can enjoy a performance by Maui Taiko, participate in games and crafts, enjoy food booths, visit a Barnes & Noble mini book fair and observe Japanese tea ceremony by the Rinzai Zen Mission tea group. At sunset, visitors can light a candle for a loved one.

“My senior project centers around the idea of informing people of my age about our country’s Nisei veterans who fought for the United States even while the country questioned their loyalty,” explained Tiara Kobayashi-Bautista, a H.P. Baldwin High School student. Her grandfather, Stanley Kobayashi, served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in World War II.

In addition to the events, the NVMC’s Education Center will remain open so guests can view the “One Puka Puka: The Purple Heart Battalion” exhibit on its final day.

“Cultural Day” is open free of charge to the public. There will be charges for the food and some of the activities. The NVMC is located at 665 Kahului Beach Rd. For more information, call (808) 244-6862, or email deidre@nvmc.org.