Hawaii hosts a wide variety of events throughout the year. The Honolulu Festival, in particular, is an event that has deep roots in Hawaii as an event with close ties to Japan, born from the historical ties between Japan and Hawaii. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Honolulu Festival, and on March 14 and 15, a variety of events will be held to show appreciation for the festival.
The first festival was held in March 1995. The festival was born out of the idea that the relationship between Japan and Hawaii should not be limited to mere traffic, but that we should “learn about each other’s culture, understand and respect each other,” and that this would lead to world peace. The theme of the festival has remained the same since then: “Pacific Harmony (Love and Trust).
In the beginning, the event was to introduce festivals, performing arts, martial arts, and sports from around Japan to Hawaii. Over the years, however, the scope of the event has expanded beyond Japan and Hawaii to the Pacific Rim. Today, the event has developed into a place where diverse cultures and ethnic groups can meet and interact across borders and generations.
This is the 14th year that I have covered this event myself, and during the event, Waikiki and Ala Moana Center are more lively than usual, and the whole town is in a somewhat upbeat mood. Some locals go out of their way to stay at Waikiki hotels for this event.
The charm of this festival is that visitors can experience festivals and events from all over Japan at one time. For example, visitors can enjoy the Hirosaki Neputa, Akita Kanto, Shikoku’s Awa Odori and Yosakoi, and even the Nagaoka Fireworks, one of the three largest fireworks in Japan, in just one or two days. In addition, there will be non-stop dancing by university and high school performance teams from all over Japan, groups from India, the Philippines, Australia, Canada, and other foreign countries, and numerous performances from the local Hawaiian community.
The main venue, the Hawaii Convention Center, is a 10-15 minute walk from the center of Waikiki. Here, in addition to stage performances, there will be exhibits and demonstrations, food tasting and sales, and a craft fair, with over 100 craft booths from Hawaii, Japan, and around the world. The Sake & Food Fest is extremely popular among the locals, where visitors can enjoy a small selection of Japanese sake and food (for a fee). The Nigiri-zushi workshop is also very popular every year (fee required, limited hours).
This year’s highlight is a special 30th anniversary event. At the Hawaii Convention Center ($10 for a day pass), the first 400 visitors on both March 14 and 15 will receive an original Honolulu Festival calendar. In addition, as the 30th anniversary opening ceremony, a “Kagamibiraki (barrel sake barrel breaking)” will be held at 10:00 a.m. on March 14, followed by a “Tuna Demolition Show” at 10:30 a.m., with sake and tuna to be served.
Visitors from Japan and the U.S. mainland rave about the Honolulu Art Market every time they visit, with its theme of “Protect the Beach, Protect the Ocean. More than 20 well-known artists, including Heather Brown and Nick Kutcher, exhibit at the market, and you can even meet them in person. What is typical of Hawaii is that the artists are very friendly. I have purchased paintings and other goods from them, and they explained about their works and even took care of the cash register for me. Solario, who created the main visual for the 30th Honolulu Festival, will also be exhibiting.
On the 15th, the final day of the festival, in addition to the same program as the previous day, the climax of the festival is the grand parade along Kalakaua Avenue, which starts at 4:00 p.m., but the streets are filled with people from early on. Visitors can experience up close the power of traditional Japanese festivals such as Akita Kanto, which is 12 meters high and weighs 50 kg with 46 hanging lanterns, Hirosaki’s fan-shaped Neputa, and Honolulu’s giant serpent mountain that blows fire as it moves forward.
The grand finale will be the Nagaoka Fireworks, which will be launched at 8:30 p.m. A series of large fireworks, filled with prayers for memorials, reconstruction, and peace, will bloom in the night sky of Waikiki.
Again, there will be a 30th anniversary special, with ocean lawn fireworks viewing seats at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel ($65 and up, including two drinks) (this is sure to be a sellout). A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Honolulu Festival and the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival.
The 30th Anniversary Special will be held as the closing event! The “Aloha and Mahalo – 30 Years of Cultural Celebration/30th Honolulu Festival Mahalo Ceremony” will be held as the closing event. Ayaka Hirahara will sing “Jupiter” at Sunset on the Beach on the east side of Waikiki. This is an invitation-only event, but there are public spaces around the area where people will be able to hear her sing live for free.
One of the best ways to experience Hawaii is to attend an event. The Honolulu Festival, in particular, is a great opportunity for us Japanese to experience Hawaiian and Pacific Rim cultures in a familiar setting. Above all, it is a natural opportunity to interact with people from all over the world. We all smile and say, “Amazing! and smile at each other, it is sure to be a wonderful exchange. If you are in Hawaii during this season, feel free to visit.
© Source travel watch