29th Annual Honolulu Festival is set to take place from March 7-9, 2025

Archives 2009(15th)

Date : Mar 13 (Fri), Mar 14 (Sat), Mar 15 (Sun)
Sub Theme : Heart of the Pacific, Creating Our Future

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Participating Performers

Alaska Native Heritage Center Dancers, Tahiti Nui International – Tiare Heipua -, Hempfield Spartan Marching Band, Rafu Mutsumi Kai, MONTESSORI DE CAGAYAN DANCE TROUPE, Kalayaan Philippine Dance Theatre/La Salle Filipiniana Dance Company, Jujube Oi Lan Dochu from Hawaii, Enjoy the Honolulu Festival with Momoi, Tenshumonogatari, Ukulele Studio MAHANA, Miyagi Univ. Kosuzume, Obama Girls & Obama Boys, Ibaraki City Dance Drill Team World Wings, and more.

Educational Program

Educational School Tour

2009(15th)

One by one, the yellow school bus arrived in front of the Hawaii Convention Center. There were a total of 971 students from 12 schools which include elementary, junior high, high school and special school for the Educational School Tour.

Special

Friendship Gala

2009(15th)

The Friendship Gala is an annual event hosted by the Honolulu Festival, where the participating groups, locals of Hawaii and tourists gather and enjoy many gourmets prepared by the local chefs. It is filled with so much excitement every year which only the participants will know.

Educational Program

Maui Mikoshi Contest

2009(15th)

The Maui Mikoshi’s unveiling ceremony was hosted by the Honolulu Festival on Saturday, March 14, 2009, at the Hawaii Convention Center. The Maui Mikoshi was designed by the students from Henry Perrine Baldwin High School which won the Honolulu Festival’s Mikoshi Design Contest for the second time.

Educational Program

Educational School Tour 2009

2009(15th)
Special

Ennichi Corner

2009(15th)

The Ennichi Corner was the most popular event among children similarly to last year. There were traditional Ennichi games such as yo-yo fishing, goldfish scooping, shooting gallery and kendama.

Craft Fair

Craft Fair

2009(15th)

The Craft Fair was held for 2-days on Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15. There were various traditional crafts from Hawaii and Japan. Also, there was a variety of vendor booths which the visitors were observing each of them and stopped at their favorite.

Parade

Grand Parade

2009(15th)

The Grand Parade was held on the last day of the Honolulu Festival on Sunday, March 15, where over 100 performing groups paraded on the streets of Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki.

Educational Program

Baldwin High School won the Maui Mikoshi Design Contest

2009(15th)

The team Henry Perrine Baldwin High School led by Mr. Rory Sato won the Maui Design Contest for the second time since 6 years ago. This contest started as a social service, where it provides an opportunity to interact and learn about the Japanese culture for the youth in Maui since 2004.

Stage

Stage Performance

2009(15th)

There were performances of various cultures held on the Festival Stage at the Hawaii Convention Center. They include the Hawaiian music, hula dance and a live performance by Moana DNA which is a popular band among the locals in Hawaii.

Special

The Highlights of the 15th Annual Honolulu Festival

2009(15th)

Feature Articles

Special

Omuta Dijayama and Honolulu Daijayama!

2009(15th)

“The Daijayama is a treasure and strength of Omuta City which is one of the best festivals in the world.”

Special

The Japanese Subcultures such as anime and Akiba-kei are very popular in Honolulu!

2009(15th)

Doraemon is a main character from one of the famous Japanese which is also recognized as the Anime Ambassador of Japan by the Ministry of Foreign Affair of Japan which came to the Honolulu Festival.

Special

The Honolulu Festival is Filled with Young Energy

2009(15th)
Special

The Spiting Fire of the Honolulu Daijayama in the Grand Parade

2009(15th)

The Honolulu Daijayama is one of the highlights of the Honolulu Festival. The Hawaii Fukuoka Kenjin Kai gathered 10 volunteers to assemble the head part of the Honolulu Daijayama on Friday morning of March 13 at the Hawaii Convention Center.

Special

Daidengaku & Tenshu Monogatari – Feature Article

2009(15th)

The Rare Japanese Performing Arts of the Feudal Japan were Staged in Honolulu.

Special

Feature Interview with Man Nomura

2009(15th)

Kyogen Master
Man Nomura

Special

Feature Interview with Manzo Nomura

2009(15th)

Kyogen Master
Manzo Nomura

Special

Feature Interview with Keiko Matsuzaka

2009(15th)

Actress
Keiko Matsuzaka

Special

From a Port Town of Toba City, Mie Prefecture to the Honolulu Festival!

2009(15th)

The members of Toba City Tourist Association participated at the Honolulu Festival, which will be their sixth time this year. Today, we interviewed the Executive Director, Kenji Komiyama.

Special

Feature Interview with Yasunori Maeno of Obama Girls & Obama Boys

2009(15th)

The members of Obama Girls & Obama Boys participated at the 15th Annual Honolulu Festival for the first time in 2009. Recently, “Obama for Obama” support group that promotes the city of Obama, Japan is gaining a lot of media attention even in the U.S., since its name is same as the U.S. President, Barrack Obama. We interviewed Yasunori Maeno, who is the representative of Obama Girls & Obama Boys.

Special

The Participating Groups from the Asia-Pacific Region

2009(15th)

This year marked the 15th anniversary of the Honolulu Festival. There were more participating groups from Japan and other countries of the Asia-Pacific region. Specifically, the groups from Australia, Philippines, Korea, Alaska and Hawaii participated this year. Each of them performed their traditional culture.