JASH Natsumatsuri 2021

You're Invited to our 2nd Annual JASH NexGen Natsumatsuri on Thursday, July 29 from 6-7pm (HST)!

Planned and organized by the JASH NexGen Advisory Committee and sponsored by Island Insurance Foundation, this year’s summer festival will be a hybrid event, broadcast to you live from Natsunoya Tea House via Zoom.

Your virtual attendance is free, but proceeds from our tempting add-ons will support future JASH programming.

Themed around Tanabata ‘Star Festival’, the evening will be filled with:

* Great meals from Natsunoya Tea House (in-person) from Rinka Japanese Restaurant (at-home),

* Interactive tanzaku lucky draw,

* Awesome entertainment by Alternative Taiko Unit Garyu,

* Sake tasting courtesy of Keith Nakaganeku of The Cherry Co.,

* Cultural demonstration with the 69th Cherry Blossom Festival Court,

* and stories of Tanabata presented by Kintetsu International!

We can't wait to celebrate the summer and party in the stars with you!

Natsunoya, Rinka, sake, and tanzaku orders are now closed.

Cancellations after July 26, 2021 or no-shows will be charged.

Zoom Registration

LIVE & AT-HOME Food

Program & Entertainment

Sponsors

Food

LIVE Menu <Natsunoya>

JASH NexGen Natsumatsuri 2021

(Sample Natsunoya Teishoku shown. See description for details.)

Join the festivities LIVE at Natsunoya Tea House!

Open for limited seating, Natsunoya Tea House will be decked out in Tanabata “Star Festival” décor, and you’ll get to view and be part of the evening’s livestream program while enjoying a delicious teishoku dinner meal specially prepared for our Natsumatsuri.

Check-in: 5:00pm
Program: 6:00pm-7:00pm
Cost: $55/person
(includes dinner and (1) complimentary Tanzaku Lucky Draw entry)

The JASH Natsumatsuri Natsunoya Teishoku includes:

* Spicy Ahi Roll

* Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura

* Miso Salmon

* Tonkatsu

* Teri Steak

* Yakitori

* Spicy Eggplant

* Miso Soup

* Rice

* Oriental Salad

* and Hot Tea/Water.

Served in a beautiful lacquer box, it's a FULL dinner that's going to pair well with our two sake featured in the evening's sake tasting with sake sommelier Keith Nakaganeku of The Cherry Co.

Suigei Tokubetsu Junmai (left)

Tengumai 50 Junmai Daiginjo (right)

(Bottles will be 300mL each.)

We ask that you please pre-order your sake at the time of your dinner reservation.

Natsunoya registration is now closed.

Natsunoya Tea House

1935 Makanani Dr.

Honolulu, HI 96817

TAKE-HOME Menu <Rinka>

JASH NexGen Natsumatsuri 2021

Unagi Set

We're partnering with Rinka to offer our members a special bento exclusive for our JASH Natsumatsuri!

The JASH Natsumatsuri Rinka Set (pictured) includes:

* Unagi with broiled egg on rice and pickled vegetables

- OR -

* Teriyaki chicken with broiled egg on rice and pickled vegetables

- AND -

* Medley of assorted seafood, chicken, tofu, and vegetables

* Somen noodles

Price: $35

(does not include delivery fees)

Delivery (provided by Elite Delivery) and Carry Out are both available.

Select your pick-up option and additional add-ons at checkout.

Teriyaki Chicken Set

Japanese Restaurant Rinka

1001 Queen St #105

Honolulu, HI 96814

It looks so ono, we can't wait to dig in!

Plus, it's definitely going to pair well with the night's two sake choices, recommended by The Cherry Co.:

Suigei Tokubetsu Junmai (left)

Tengumai 50 Junmai Daiginjo (right)

These two sake will be featured in the evening's special sake tasting session with sake sommelier Keith Nakaganeku of The Cherry Co., so you'll definitely want to add them to your bento order!

(Bottles will be 300mL each.)

Rinka bento orders are now closed.

For those picking up their dinners from Rinka, please visit the restaurant from 4:30pm-5:30pm.

Program & Entertainment

Interactive Tanzaku Lucky Draw

Tanzaku are the colorful strips of paper that decorate bamboo during Tanabata. On them, people write their dreams and goals in hopes a god might see your tanzaku and grant your wish.

Join our Tanzaku Lucky Draw fundraiser for the chance to win a Two-night Ocean View Staycation at the Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani! Itching to go farther away? How about U.S. Domestic Air Tickets for Two courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines! Plus other fabulous prizes! Winners will be drawn and announced at the end of Natsumatsuri program, but you do not need to be present to win.

Tanzaku entries are now closed.

Tanzaku Entry Prices

1 entry - $5 / 3 entries - $10 / 15 entries - $40

Performance by Alternative Taiko Unit Garyu

Garyu 我龍 is a percussion and performance group from Hiroshima, Japan, founded in June of 2005. Garyu fuses wadaiko---traditional Japanese drums---with contemporary Western drums, to create a new style of music that moves beyond conventional genres. Their motto is “the pursuit of original expression.” The characters for Garyu read as “self” and “dragon.”

Garyu’s beat begins when they cut the hide of the drums themselves. The group makes inventive, modern instruments using traditional methods. Their music, materials, costumes, and the majority of their instruments are entirely original.

When playing, Garyu interlaces their Japanese heritage and rich scenery of their country with the beats of wadaiko and Western drums. At first glance, Japanese and Western drums seem incompatible. But delve deeper, and you find that each contains unique elements that compliment and enhance one another. The members of Garyu challenge themselves to bring together the best of both styles of drums in order to give you modern music with a strong beat and a sharp edge.

Sake Tasting with Keith Nakaganeku of The Cherry Co.

Sake sommelier Keith Nakaganeku of The Cherry Co., Ltd. returns to host another installment in his popular interactive sake tasting segments.

If you'll be joining us LIVE at Natsunoya, pre-order your sake while making your dinner reservation. For those ordering take-home Rinka bentos, add your drinks to your cart for easy pick-up or delivery!

The Evening's Sake:

Suigei Tokubetsu Junmai
Tengumai 50 Junmai Daiginjo

Bottles are 300mL each.

Pre-orders are now closed.

Sake will be available for purchase at Natsunoya.

Cultural Demo with the 69th Cherry Blossom Festival Court

For this year's Natsumatsuri, the 69th Cherry Blossom Festival Court will present an interactive cultural cooking demonstration for our viewers at home.

Photo provided by Cherry Blossom Festival Hawaii

History of Tanabata with Kintetsu International

Do you know the legend behind Tanabata? Who are Orihime and Hikoboshi? Why is the weather important?

Join Kintetsu International Hawaii Company as they present the history of the Star Festival and share how it is currently celebrated in Japan.

Emcees

Taylor Date

Taylor is a social media marketer for Japanese-owned marketing firm, Ocean Blue Hawaii. She comes from a community relations and international communications background holding roles in the Hawaii State Legislature and the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. Taylor received her bachelor’s degree in strategic communications with a minor in journalism from Seattle University in 2018. During her time in college, she studied abroad in two of the biggest metropolises in the world- Seoul, Korea at Hanyang University and Tokyo, Japan at Sophia University. Today, she is involved with multiple Japanese American organizations and serves as the Co-Media Director for the JET Program Alumni Association. She also runs a Hawaii food and lifestyle blog on Instagram (@townie.tay) where she covers our island’s trendiest eateries, experiences, and hidden gems.

Kristian Lipumano

Mainland born but locally raised, Kristian has been part of the local community his whole life. Kristian has been a banker with First Hawaiian Bank since 2015. Previously, he has also worked in the travel industry, primarily in the Japan-focused markets. Kristian received his bachelor's degree in Japanese from the University of Hawaii at Manoa before participating in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. He spent two years teaching English in Hokkaido, and he remains closely tied to his town, Kuriyama. Upon his return, he received his master's degree in business administration from the Shidler College of Business. Kristian is a JASH NexGen Committee Member and serves as the current president of the JET Alumni Association of Hawaii. He works to produce networking and career development opportunities within his JET Alumni sphere.

Program

JASH NexGen Natsumatsuri 2021

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