Curt Otaguro: Brennon Morioka - Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii

12
Maui Matsuri
May 15
The Cultural Center once again
took part in the 10th Annual
Maui Matsuri on May 15.
Education Specialist Derrick Iwata,
together with volunteers Charlene
Yamamoto, Kimberly Chinen, Scott
Morishige, Eric Kobayashi, Arnold
“A.J.” Bactista and Shasta Yamada
represented the Cultural Center
in the children’s activities tent
making our signature hachimaki,
as well as a new koi activity. Five
volunteers from Kamehameha
School’s Japanese Club and three
from Baldwin High School’s
Japanese Club also participated.
keauhou shopping
Center Obon Festival
June 5
The Cultural Center
traveled to the
Big Island of Hawai‘i
on June 5 for the
7th Annual Keauhou
Shopping Center
Obon Festival.
The event was
sponsored by the
Kona Hongwanji. Educational Specialist
Derrick Iwata, volunteer Charlene Yamamoto,
and several members of the Hilo Tsukikage
Odori Kai staffed the Cultural Center booth
which assisted nearly a hundred event
attendees with our signature hachimaki
activity and sold some select items from
our Gift Shop. Lisa Ciriako, member of Kona
Hongwanji and Cultural Center, was very
pleased to have our group at the event.
Many thanks goes to the Kona Hongwanji
for inviting us for the past four years.
We look forward to another great experience
next year.
Throughout the festival, hundreds
of hachimaki were made as well
as about 150 paper koi. We also
sold numerous items from our
Gift Shop and got the opportunity
to meet some of our members
from Maui and Moloka‘i!
Yuki Lei Sugimura, a former
board member, who is one of the
co-coordinators for the event, was
very pleased to have the Cultural
Center participate. The children’s
make-and-take activities tent
coordinator, Tiffany Iida and her
assistant were also very impressed
with how many patrons we were
able to service. We are very grateful
to the Maui Matsuri organizers
for inviting us once again.
(Left to right) Eric
Kobayashi, Kimberly
Chinen, Scott Morishige,
Yuki Lei Sugimura,
Arnold “A.J.” Bactista,
Derrick Iwata, Charlene
Yamamoto and Shasta
Yamada present Sugimura
with a belated board
appreciation resolution.
kūlia i kanu‘u
June 5
July 5 T-shirts, Humor,
and Local Identity
(Guest: Grant Kagimoto)
July 12 The World
of a Local Filmmaker
(Guest: Edgy Lee)
July 19 Storytelling,
Drama, and Oral
Histories (Guest: Nyla
Fujii-Babb)
Nearly a thousand people gathered at
‘Iolani Palace on June 5 to commemorate
the 125th anniversary of Kanyaku Imin
and to honor the AJA World War II
veterans. The event was free and open
to public but many chose to purchase
the special VIP packages that gave event
attendees special reserved seating at
the ceremony and concert as well as fast
access to all food booths.
The Cultural Center was a partnering
organization of the event and assisted
with VIP ticket sales. The staff and
volunteers Janet Kanja, Clarence Kanja,
Brandon Kim and Troy Nakamura also
sold numerous items from the Gift Shop
and were thrilled to welcome two new
family memberships to the Cultural
Center. Another current member took the
opportunity to renew their membership
for the year.
A special photo of the AJA WWII veterans
was taken in front of ‘Iolani Palace to
mark the auspicious occasion. Several
thinking Out Loud Celebrates One Year on the Air
THinking
OuTLOuD
tALKinG iSSuES•tAKinG ACtiOn
Hot topics, notable guests. Thinking Out Loud has officially been
on the air for a year and the interesting interviews continue
to draw much attention from the local community. Tune in
to KZOO-AM 1210 every Monday night and get into the discussions
regarding topics that are on everyone’s mind. Thinking Out Loud is
hosted by Michiko Kodama-Nishimoto and Warren Nishimoto, George
Tanabe and Christine Yano. Willa Tanabe hosts the JCCH Book Club
on the last Monday of each month.
July 26 JCCH Book
Club: Murder Casts
a Shadow (Guest:
Victoria Kneubuhl)
August 2 Nichiren
Buddhism in Hawai‘i
(Guests: Eric Kawatani
and Bishop Shingyo Imai)
August 9 Local
Ingredients, Local
Products (Guest:
Don Akiyama)
KZOO-AM 1210
Mondays 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Phone: (808) 941-5966 (KZOO)
Email: jcch@am1210kzoo.com
August 16 Japanese
American National
Museum (Guest:
Irene Hirano Inouye)
August 23 The Creative
Spirit—Why We Need It
(Guest: John Koga)
August 30 JCCH
Book Club: The
Value of Hawai‘i
(Guests: Jon Osorio
and Craig Howes)
We want to hear from you. Call in your questions or comments
live during the program at (808) 941-KZOO or email anytime at
jcch@am1210kzoo.com.
Download past shows at the KZOO website. Visit www.jcch.com
for a link to all archived past shows.
Thinking Out Loud is sponsored by Hawai‘i Committee for the Humanities,
University of Hawai‘i Center for Japanese Studies, University of Hawai‘i College
of Social Sciences, and Barnes & Noble.
Volunteer Brandon Kim and Chief Operating Officer
Allicyn Tasaka pose for a quick picture with Recording
Artist Jake Shimabukuro following his concert at the
Kūlia I Kanu‘u event at ‘Iolani Palace on June 5.
veterans held “talk-story” sessions of their
WWII experience. The event was topped off
by a special performance by Ukulele Virtuoso
Jake Shimabukuro who performed his new
song, “Go For Broke”. Education Specialist
Derrick Iwata was also instrumental in
coordinating the festive bon dance that
concluded the evening.
The event, sponsored by Pacific Guardian
Life and the Japanese Cultural Center of
Hawai‘i, also partnered with Central Pacific
Bank, Hawai‘i Imin Shiryo Hozon Kai, United
Japanese Society and Friends of ‘Iolani Palace.