Kodomo No Hi: Keiki Fun Fest

Community website by MBC/Ernest Abrams. Call 808-739-9797 for advertising/sponsorship#KaimukiHawaii Community website by MBC/Ernest Abrams. Call 808-739-9797 for advertising/sponsorship#KaimukiHawaii

Kaimuki, Hawaii
Event Calendar Item
Kodomo No Hi: Keiki Fun Fest
Tweet
Type: Keiki/Family
Date: Sunday - 4/29/2007
Time: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location:
Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i
JCCH Teruya Courtyard and
Fifth Floor
2454 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, Hawai'i 96826

For more information
call (808) 945-7633
Cost: See Below

Cost/Entry Fee: FREE ADMISSION.

For KIMONO DRESSING information and registration, go to www.jcch.com; email or call (808) 945-7633.

EVENT DETAILS In observation of the Japanese holiday where parents celebrate their children and wish for their children's future happiness and success, the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i (JCCH) is presenting its fourth annual Kodomo no Hi: Keiki Fun Fest on Sunday, April 29, 2007, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the JCCH Teruya Courtyard and fifth floor. At this JCCH festival--which commemorates the modern Japanese holiday Kodomo no Hi or Children's Day--Hawai'i's keiki can participate in a cultural scavenger hunt and kimono dressing; have a hands-on lesson in various Japanese art forms, such as enameling and basket weaving, and enjoy entertainment where the children shine as the stars of the show. A mini-craft fair dedicated to children's wares; a variety of kid-friendly foods, an antique fire truck ride and free keiki vision screening are also part of the day's festivities. Admission is free. (Kimono dressing and photo-taking are separate costs.) For more information, call the JCCH at (808) 945-7633.

At the fest, the JCCH will feature a cultural scavenger hunt and a Love's Bakery donut-eating contest that the young and the young-at-heart can play. Children can also try various Japanese make-n-take crafts, such as chigirie (art of handmade paper torn into shapes to create pictures); mizuhiki (decorative string art for ornament making); kumihimo (art of braiding); ikebana (art of flower arranging) and shippoyaki (art of enameling) by the Enameling Club of Hawai'i.

Fest-goers can also play the game of go, the Japanese board game of skill--much like a complex version of checkers--presented by the Kalani Go Club and Farrington High School Japanese Club.

Also throughout the day, live and colorful koi (carp) will be swimming in a pool provided by the Hawaii Goldfish and Carp Association and children can attempt to nimbly catch their own fish with thin paper nets in the Japanese game of kingyosukui (goldfish scoop game). Fire Truck Hawaii will also give 10-minute tours of Mo¯'ili'ili on a 1936 antique fire truck. Minako Ishii will also be autographing her new book Girls' Day/Boys' Day published by Bess Press.

On display will be a rare collection of children's swords from the Japanese Sword Society of Hawaii. The 18-inch to 24-inch swords, which are hundreds of years old and often mistaken for adult daggers, once belonged to the male children of daimyo¯ (feudal lords). The swords were bestowed to young boys as a rite of passage from their fathers.

Parents can memorialize this special day by having their child's tegata (handprint) or ashigata (footprint) pressed with ink on shikishi (Japanese paper used for autographs). Provided by Nihon Shuji, the hand or foot print can be accompanied by the child's name written in Japanese characters. Children can also be dressed in traditional kimono by Masako Formals and capture this dressing session with professional photographs. Dressing cost: $70 for non-members; $56 for JCCH members (20-percent discount). Photos are an additional cost. For a kimono-dressing registration form, email at info@jcch.com or call the JCCH at (808) 945-7633.

The District 50-Hawaii Lions will conduct its free keiki vision screening for children between the ages of 3 and 9 to promote awareness of vision disorders in children. With required parental consent, the screening provides early detection of amblyopia (lazy eye) and uncorrected vision disorders in children.

On stage, children will be the performers and demonstrators throughout the day. Performances include Okinawan drumming and dancing by the Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko of Hawaii and Hooge Kai Nakasone Dance Academy; Japanese classical dances by the Hanayagi Mitsusumi Dance Studio and Hanayagi Dance Academy and Japanese taiko (drumming) by Hawaii Matsuri Taiko. Young singers from Urata No Enka and kindergarteners from Liholiho Elementary School will perform fun Japanese songs such as Obento¯ Bako (Lunch Box).

As for festival food, back by popular demand is the KC Drive Inn Waffle Dog provided by the Asato family, owners of the now-closed restaurant. Other festival foods include: Waiola Burgers and bento¯ by Marian's Island Wide Catering.

Kodomo no Hi is a national holiday in Japan that has evolved over hundreds of years, said Mandy Westfall, JCCH Programs Director. Centuries ago, there were two festivals that celebrated girls and boys separately: Momo no Sekku (Peach Festival) for girls and Sho¯bu no Sekku (Iris Festival) for boys, respectively. As Japan changed, Momo no Sekku became known as Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival) and Sho¯bu no Sekku turned into Tango no Sekku (Boy's Day). Traditionally, on the fifth day of the fifth month, families wished their male children future success and long life by displaying koi nobori (carp windsocks), a symbol of strength, and mushaningyo¯ (warrior figurines) of famous Japanese heroes.

Following World War II, Tango no Sekku once again changed to Kodomo no Hi--a holiday that is part of Japan's Golden Week--which celebrates both boys and girls. In May, in honor of Children's Day, many families in Japan and Hawai'i still display the koi nobori outside their homes; however parents are often doing so to show their appreciation and wish for the future success of their young ones--both male and female.

####

The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i (JCCH), a non-profit organization, strives to strengthen our diverse community by educating present and future generations in the evolving Japanese American experience in Hawai'i. Located in Mo¯'ili'ili, the Center features a Community and Historical Gallery, Resource Center, Kenshikan martial arts do¯jo¯, Seiko¯an Japanese teahouse and Gift Shop. For more information call (808) 945-7633, email info@jcch.com or visit the website at www.jcch.com.

Questions? Ready for an appointment?

Like Our Facebook

Kaimuki, Hawaii Event Calendar Item

Kaimuki, Hawaii
Event Calendar Item