Clear Skies Make for an Enjoyable Festival!
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www.huoa.org September/October 2015 Issue #158 Circulation 9,820 Clear Skies Make for an Enjoyable Festival! By Tom Yamamoto, Chair 33rd Okinawan Festival other Nature revealed her “Uchinanchu Spirit of Aloha” by holding back the hustling back and forth to retrieve and deliver items. The busy yet cohesive atmo- M heavy rains that persisted up until the day before this year’s Okinawan sphere of multi-generations working together celebrating the spirit of their culture Festival and replacing them with gleaming rays of sunshine. Blessed with clear skies would make for an ideal episode on Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations.” and rejuvenated spirits, festival goers and volunteers alike eagerly participated in the With that, on behalf of the HUOA, I want to offer my sincere gratitude to all the 33rd Okinawan Festival at Kapiolani Park on September 5 and 6. volunteers who put forth so much time and energy into making this festival a huge success! It is amazing that year after year we are able to accomplish this monumental feat! From the preplanning stages in May, many of you have been taking on these roles for years, and you never seem to skip a beat; you return straight back to the task at hand. Setting the foundation at the park a week prior to the festival is very labor inten- sive, and we deeply appreciate all the unloading of containers, digging trenches, lay- ing pipes, running electrical and gas lines, building booths and backdrops, setting up tents and equipment, and prepping the food on Friday. A special thanks to Governor and Mrs. Ige, who took time out of their busy Friday to help prepare andadogs at Jefferson Elementary with fellow Gaza Yonagusuku Doshi Kai members. Governor and Mrs. Ige are flanked by HUOA President Mark Higa and President-elect Tom Yamamoto. Permeating throughout the festival grounds was the rich Okinawan culture, with the aroma of pig’s feet soup, champuru plates, Okinawa soba and andagi, the rhythmical beating of the taiko drums, and of course, the appearance of “Gosamaru,” Nakagusuku Village’s mascot, who posed for thousands of selfies. Completing the festival were various performing artists, festival wear, products from Okinawa and Hawaii, children’s games, plants, and exhibits that represented the past, present and Governor and Mrs. Ige worked side by side with fellow Gaza Yonagusuku Doshi Kai members at future of our Okinawan heritage and organization. Jefferson Elementary School Kitchen on Friday night, skewering hotdogs in preparation for Andadog New relationships were formed and old friends reunited as our guests from sales over two days at the Okinawan Festival. Okinawa representing performing artists, researchers, government officials, writers, What goes up must come down…and the Monday crew did an incredible job of and simply festival goers intermingled with members of our local community. Mayor doing just that: breaking down and cleaning up what took four days to set up, while Keisuke Hamada shook the hands of countless people as he and his staff proudly the hospitality crew providing meals in between. We really appreciate your efforts. represented Nakagusuku Village. We want to especially recognize Jane Serikaku and the HUOA office staff who Strolling along the food booths, Heiwa Doori, Country Store, other tents, children’s worked tirelessly to coordinate festival matters on top of their regular duties. games, backstage, and even the unseen volunteers at Jefferson School, one could wit- Once again, for all of your hard work and contribution in planning for and volun- ness micro-communities of workers shouting out orders, running the assembly line, teering at the 33rd Okinawan Festival, Ippee Nifee Debiru! Inside This Issue Clear Skies •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Page 1 President’s Message •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Page 2 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Honolulu, HI No. 659 Permit Legacy Awards Banquet ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Page 3 Okinawan Festival Photos •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Pages 4-6 Festival Photo Contest Winners •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Page 7 Ikuyu Madin/Preserving Our Legacy/HUOA Donations •••••••••••••• Pages 8 & 9 Mensore ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Page 10 Mensore ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Page 11 Club News •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Page 12 Grant “Sandaa” Murata/Winter & Evening Craft Fair ••••••••••••••••••••••• Page 13 Grant Sato to Highlight Awamori Fest ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Page 14 WLFL Grantees Earn Konkuru/Uchinaaguchi/Okinawan Proverb ••• Page 15 HawaiiUnited Okinawa Association 94-587Ukee Street Waipahu,Hawaii 96797 HUOA Schedule of Events/HOT Schedule ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Page 16 2 Uchinanchu September/October 2015 September/October 2015 Uchinanchu 3 congratulations to those of you in our performing arts community for your attaining Shinjinsho and Shihan in your particular art forms. Grant Sandaa President’s Message Murata Sensei of Afuso Ryu Choichi Kai was also bestowed this year with the By Mark Higa honor of being the first foreign judge for Ryukyu Shimpo’s Koten Sanshin Konkuru. Chibariyo to all our performers, and to the many individuals who have focused your studies on Okinawan culture through grants and scholarships. As you further and share your knowledge, the dedication you all have will continue to have a multi-fold effect on the many around you. In October, 46 participants of the HUOA Study Tour will join Governor Ige and over 25 Hawaii government and business representatives in Okinawa Sumiti - Making an Imprint for for the Hawaii-Okinawa Sister State 30th Anniversary Celebration in Okinawa. Okinawa has planned a celebration that will be similar to the festivities held Our Future Generations here in July, but will tie in with the always exhilarating Naha Matsuri! The Study Tour group is made up of first timers as well as many who have been to ai Sai Hawaii United Okinawa Association Members! Okinawa multiple times. Members are in store for a unique mix of sightseeing, H While many of us observed the close of the Bon Dance season, learning and unique cultural experiences. Not only will the tour focus on histo- friends and family in Okinawa also observed Higan, marking a turning of ry and traditions, but we will also observe ways in which Okinawa continues to the seasons at the autumn equinox for harvest, but also another time to pay participate at the highest levels of research and technology at the global stage! respects to our ancestors. As we always look to those who came before us with Both the Study Tour and Sister State Events represent a renewal of traditions great reverence, it’s wonderful to think of the important lessons many of them and a forging of new ideas and friendships. left with us and how we use these lessons to guide both what we do today and The spirit and energy of our members never wane! The examples above what we do in the future! Our events celebrating the Okinawan Culture this show something a little different for everyone. However, a common thread is autumn surely have strong imprints made by our kupuna and ancestors. As we the feeling of gratitude for what so many have provided us, and the fire we each echo these lessons, we also find what impressions our living culture can make have to continue to making imprints. Big or small, each will have a great effect moving forward. on more than just ourselves! Let’s continue to live these same lessons in HUOA What better example of the message we share with the rest of the com- and our Member Clubs: expressing thanks to our elders and senpai, and provid- munity than the Okinawan Festival. Version 33.0 had much build up from early ing every opportunity for our youth to engage, be inspired and enriched through spring. And, through this year’s extreme El Nino heat mixed with three of the programs, events and travel. largest hurricanes threats we have seen in a while, something or someone decid- ed to part the rain clouds to bring blue skies and breezes upon us for another weekend of celebration between our member clubs, visitors, performers from Okinawa and thousands of attendees. LOST AND FOUND AT We saw many new faces and an array of new exciting twists to this year’s Festival - Ippee Nifee Deebiru to our dedicated volunteers for constantly thinking OKINAWAN FESTIVAL of ideas to keep our festival fresh and operating smoothly. For all of you behind Did you lose your sunglasses, car keys, camera, two- the scenes, who are setting up early in the week, keeping everything running way mirror? Or, did you purchase Okinawan items at smoothly in our “back of the house” during the festival, and then coming back on Monday to pack up, the Festival is not possible without each and every one of Heiwa Dori and forget your package somewhere? Bon you. Thank you for your dedication and for continuing to bring new friends to Dance towels? Festival t-shirt? “feel good” about what we are doing to share our wonderful culture! We have a wide collection of items that were turned While Young Okinawans of Hawaii provided us a lesson and official close to Obon with Michijyune for Uukui (3rd Day of Okinawan Obon), the Autumn in by