Daijayama is the Fire Spitting Dragon from Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu. Each summer the Daijayama Summer Festival attracts over 400,000 spectators, celebrating an old legend dating back over a thousand years.  Dragon floats parade through the main streets in Fukuoka Prefecture each July manned by thousands of people. Folklore has it that the dragon is a water god, blessing the farmlands with water and children with good health.
 
The Honolulu Festival will feature this towering dragon float measuring 20 feet in height and 33 feet in length at the Grand Parade. It will be manned by over 75 people. Fireworks will light up the skies of Waikiki as the performers dance to the drums and flutes of traditional Japan. The Honolulu Daijayama, full of energy and excitement, is a performance that should not be missed.

The Honolulu Festival has been promoting goodwill and cultural exchange for the past fourteen years. This mission will once again be tested when the Honolulu Daijayama is manned at the Grand Parade. The volunteers will consist of about 25 members from Kyushu and over 50 members from Honolulu. And spearheading this effort is Mr. Richard Yasukochi, an active member of Fukuoka Kenjinkai (an association of over 120 members whose descendants are originally from Fukuoka) since 2004.  We were able to sit down and interview him.

Richard Yasukochi's father was a member of Big Island's Fukuoka Kenjinkai for over 50 years. Little did Richard know of this until he was introduced by his cousin by attending a get-together in 2004. He was first exposed to Daijayama in March 2004 when he was asked to help assemble the head of the Fire Spitting Dragon for the Honolulu Festival. He was also taught how to ring the bells and play the taiko during the rehearsals held for the Grand Parade.  Richard was so impressed by the magnitude of this project that when his group was asked to continue the legacy of the Daijayama in the Honolulu Festival and take it over with recruitment from Hawaii, he took on the challenge as the leader. This will be the first year that the volunteers from Honolulu will take a major role in the Grand Parade. With the support from Fukuoka Kenjinkai and volunteers from the University of Hawaii Japan Club and Roosevelt High School, much of the responsibility to man Daijayama will be up to our local community.