The Hilo-based Japanese Community Association of Hawaii invites the public to its ninth biennial Kodomo No Matsuri (Children’s Day Festival) from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. May 12 at the Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin Sangha Hall.
This year’s theme is “Kokoro” — heart, mind, spirit. Admission is free. Commemorative Kodomo No Matsuri hachimaki will be given to the first 150 children.
“The festival is being planned for children of all ages to enjoy and learn about the Japanese culture and arts,” said Ivan Nakano, association president. “This year’s event also celebrates the gannenmono, the first group of Japanese to immigrate to Hawaii 150 years ago to work on the sugar plantations.”
A highlight of the festival will be live demonstrations by 2017 national yo-yo champion Evan Nagao of Honolulu. A former child prodigy, the 21-year-old Nagao learned yo-yo as a toddler and at the age of 4 appeared on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno, “Ellen” with Ellen DeGeneres and “Ripley’s Believe it or Not.”
In addition to the U.S. title, Nagao won the 2017 European Yo-Yo Championship and placed sixth at the World Yo-Yo Contest in Reykjavik, Iceland. A limited supply of World Yo-Yo Iceland 2017 commemorative Plus yo-yos will be on sale.
The day also will feature performances and appearances by Puna Taiko and Japanese super hero Kamen RiderV3.
Free activities include bonsai, kazaguruma (pinwheel), kabuto/koinobori (folding of samurai hat and koi), origami, irezumi (face painting), washi chigiri-e (torn paper art), shibori (Japanese tie dye) and a tea ceremony for children (urasenke hilo shibu).
Activities with a fee include sakana sukui and somen nagashi. Japanese calligraphers also will be available to write your name on rice paper, which can be framed and given as gifts.
Kids also can test their skills and challenge their friends at the jan ken po and Nintendo Switch “Just Dance” contests. Prizes will be awarded.
There will be food booths with snacks, bento and shave ice available for purchase. Commemorative Kodomo No Matsuri gannenmono T-shirts will be for sale.
Additionally, Malie Ibarra, a 17-year-old senior at Ka‘u High School who wrote a children’s book titled “Tita the Turtle,” will autograph and sell her 23-page book and a limited supply of “Tita the Turtle” T-shirts from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Malie wrote and illustrated the story and activity book to counter certain attitudes toward violence and to teach children “different meanings of aloha.”
For more information, contact the Japanese Community Association of Hawaii office at 969-6437, via email at jcahawaii@yahoo.com or online at www.jcahawaii.org.