Hawaiʻi to Host First-Ever All-Women’s Classical Okinawan Uta-Sanshin Concert
“YUI” concert celebrates cultural bonds, mentorship, and music

HONOLULU, HAWAIʻI — August 4, 2025 — The women of Afuso Ryu Choichi Kai USA – Hawaiʻi proudly
announce a historic cultural event: the first-ever all-women’s classical Okinawan uta-sanshin concert in
Hawaiʻi, to be held on Sunday, September 14, 2025, at 2 p.m. at the Hawaiʻi Okinawa Center in
Waipahu.

Themed “YUI,” a powerful Okinawan word symbolizing connection, mutual support, and
intergenerational bonds, this groundbreaking concert will feature female musicians from Hawaiʻi who
have studied under the distinguished Afuso Ryu Choichi Kai tradition. Through their performances, they
honor the teachers, traditions, and communities that continue to nurture and preserve Okinawan
culture across the islands.

This concert is more than a musical performance—it is a celebration of the deep relationships that
sustain our identity as Uchinanchu. The spirit of yui is alive not only in our music and dance, but in the
circle of organizations, mentors, and supporters who help keep our culture vibrant.
The upcoming event marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to uplift women in classical
Okinawan performing arts, and to ensure that heritage is passed on with respect, gratitude, and aloha.
For more information see the concert flyer or please email mikajinukai@gmail.com.

About Afuso Ryu Choichi Kai USA – Hawaiʻi
Afuso Ryu Choichi Kai USA – Hawaiʻi is dedicated to the perpetuation of classical Okinawan music,
specifically the uta-sanshin tradition, as taught by Grandmaster Choichi Terukina. The organization is
committed to fostering cultural pride, excellence in performance, and the transmission of knowledge to
future generations.

Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson’s work is rooted in her Japanese American heritage but more broadly seeks to normalize all types of stories of underrepresented characters who don’t fit mainstream boxes. Her books “Shell Song” and “The Mochi Makers” are children’s books that intersect the messages of the past with the hopes for future generations. Shell Song is the first ever children’s book about Japanese American incarceration in Hawaiʻi told through Sharon’s family history and the shell collection she inherited from her grandfather. Come visit the store for a chance to speak with her about her experiences and written works at 10am featuring Shell Song. There will also be a keiki activity.

Then at 2pm, Sharon will be sharing her poetry featured in Gate of Memory, a poetry anthology comprised of poems by descendants of Japanese Americans incarcerated.

Joining Sharon will be author Dr. Kelli Nakamura as she discusses her book “Legacies of Incarceration: The World War II Experience of Hawaii’s Japanese”. Legacies of Incarceration provides a holistic view of the incarceration experience of Hawaii’s Japanese by exploring the factors that shaped the circumstances of confinement on each island before, during ,and after World War II. This book examines residents’ experiences on Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Molokaʻi, Lanaʻi, Kauaʻi, and Oʻahu, expanding beyond an Oʻahu-centric urban focus to highlight the community impact of incarceration.