JASH Japan Day Spring 2026
On April 28, 2026, JASH held its 65th Japan Day program, generously sponsored by the Freeman Foundation and various JASH donors and supporters. Approximately 180 students from Hanalani Schools, Hawaiʻi School for Girls at La Pietra, Henry J. Kaiser High School, Konawaena Middle School, Lahainaluna High School, Maui Hui Malama, Mid-Pacific Institute, Moanalua High School, Saint Louis School gathered at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii’s Generations Ballroom to enjoy a day of cultural activities.
Held twice a year, Japan Day is JASH’s longest-running educational program and is offered free of charge to middle and high schools across Hawaii. Since its inception in 1993, over 8,700 students from 71 different public and private schools have participated in this enriching program. Generous support from various JASH donors and supporters has allowed JASH to expand Japan Day’s reach to more schools, positively impacting an even greater number of students. Additional funding from the Freeman Foundation enabled more neighbor island schools to participate as well.
Top Row (L-R): Welcome remarks by JASH Chair Karen Knudsen, Deputy Consul General Hiroki Haruta
Bottom Row: Taiko Center of the Pacific
The program began with welcome remarks by JASH President Reyna Kaneko and JASH Chair Karen Knudsen. JASH was also honored to welcome Deputy Consul General Hiroki Haruta, who shared greetings and expressed his support for the event. A dynamic taiko performance and demonstration by members of the Taiko Center of the Pacific followed, featuring the pieces Clarity and Tatsumaki, which energized the audience and set a lively tone for the day. Students also learned about the many sounds the taiko drum can represent, including mizuno (water), kazuno (wind), namino (waves), and yukino (falling snow).
Following the opening ceremony, students attended four of eight cultural sessions led by about 40 volunteer instructors and cultural experts. Hands-on workshops included bon dance, calligraphy, go (strategy board game), hanafuda (Japanese playing cards), karate, soroban (Japanese abacus), tea ceremony, and yukata.
Top Row (L–R) Students learn bon dance moves and steps; Students practice calligraphy strokes.
Bottom Row (L-R) Students learn how to play go; Students learn how to play hanafuda
Japan Day offers students a hands-on introduction to traditional Japanese arts and culture, reinforcing and expanding what they learn in the classroom while giving them opportunities to build new friendships along the way. A student from Saint Louis School shared in the post-program survey, “This experience was a good look into some of the many traditional Japanese practices. It is a very interactive, fun, and eye-opening experience to anyone who hasn't or has been exposed to Japanese culture.” Another student from Konawaena Middle School wrote, “Japan Day is an exciting event with many Japanese activities; there are many options for you to choose from and you can learn and make new friends.”
The program also highlights how cultural traditions can inspire and enrich lives across generations and communities. Reflecting on a personal connection to one of the sessions, a student from Moanalua High School commented, “I often attend the bon dance at the Buddhist association with my grandma, so knowing how to put on the yukata traditionally was very helpful and I will be sure to use that in the future.”
Top Row (L-R) Students the basics of karate; Students learn how to use the soroban
Bottom Row (L-R) Students learn about the art of tea ceremony; Students try on yukata
After the Japan Day program, neighbor island students from Hawaii Island and Maui enjoyed private gallery tours of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi’s exhibit Okage Sama De: I Am What I Am Because of You. Students also visited other cultural sites on Oahu, including Byodo-In Temple and STIX Asia, before returning to their respective islands.
JASH extends its sincere gratitude to the generous sponsors of Japan Day: the Freeman Foundation and JASH donors and supporters. A special mahalo also goes to the dedicated volunteer experts who made the program possible: Ms. Lydia Morikawa and members of Hawaii Shin Kobukai (bon dance); Ms. Tsugumi Hasebe and members of Toka Shodo Calligraphy (calligraphy); Mr. Sid Kobashigawa and members of Honolulu Go Club (go); Ms. Helen Nakano and members of Hanafuda Hawaii (hanafuda); Mr. Jordan Silva of Japan International Karate Center (karate); Mr. Hideaki Oshima and Mrs. Yasuko Oshima of Araki Hiroya Soroban School (soroban); Mr. Hitoshi Murata and members of the Urasenke Foundation (tea ceremony); and Ms. Mutsuko Narumi and former members of the UH Kimono Project (yukata). JASH also thanks the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi for providing private gallery tours of the Okage Sama De: I Am What I Am Because of You exhibit for the neighbor island students.
To learn more about our Japan Day program, visit our webpage at www.jashawaii.org/education/jd.
