Guest Author HJCC Cherry Blossom Festival
About the Festival
The Cherry Blossom Festival is a project of the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce and holds the honor of being one of the longest, continually running ethnic festivals in Hawaiʻi. In 1949, Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce (HJJCC) Vice President Akira “Sunshine” Fukunaga returned to Hawaiʻi from visiting the Nisei Week Japanese Festival in Los Angeles. He brought back with him the idea of starting a similar Japanese cultural celebration in Hawaiʻi. Along with a commitment of time and resources, each Junior Chamber member personally invested $1,000 toward a start-up fund. After four years of hard work by the Junior Chamber members and volunteers, the first Hawaiʻi Cherry Blossom Festival was ready to be presented.
Under the leadership of General Chair Takaaki Nakata, the HJJCC introduced the first annual Japanese ethnic festival in Hawaii in 1953. It featured a window-display contest, a kabuki drama, a radio personality show, a fashion show by Hariuchi Uchida, kabuki doll making, ikebana exhibits, and demonstrations of Japanese cooking, painting, and classical dance. The highlight was the Queen Pageant, in which 72 young women participated and Violet Niimi was crowned the first Cherry Blossom Festival Queen. The event ended with an ondo and fireworks celebration at the old Honolulu Stadium in Mōʻiliʻili.
Seventy-two years later, the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce continues to organize this Festival thanks to a dedicated committee of volunteers.
“The mission of this Festival continues to be the perpetuation of Japanese culture and the enrichment of the lives of young women of Japanese ancestry,” shared Kristin Alm and Garrett Matsumoto, General Co-Chairs of the 72nd Cherry Blossom Festival.
In this past year’s Festival, the Queen Contestants participated in over 20 classes in Japanese culture and personal and professional development, including Japanese American history, aikido, calligraphy, ikebana, manju-making, taiko, as well as communication and visual presentation.
The Festival includes a range of events, such as:
- Opening Ceremonies at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi
- Public Appearances showcasing cultural performances
- Golf Tournament
- Contestant Reception
- Haiku Art Contest for students grades 3-12, sponsored by the Japanese Women’s Society Foundation
- Violet Niimi Oishi Scholarship
72nd Cherry Blossom Festival Queen Tory Nakata
In March 2024, the 72nd Cherry Blossom Festival Queen and Court were crowned at Festival Ball, the culminating event of the Festival year where Contestants showcased their skills and growth from the past year.
Tory Nakata, who was crowned Queen of this past year’s 72nd Cherry Blossom Festival, embodies the values of the Festival and is a prime example of what one can gain from experiencing what the Festival has to offer. She said “growing up in a multigenerational household with my Japanese grandparents, I was fortunate to have been immersed in my Japanese culture. However, while away at college, I found it challenging to uphold many of those Japanese traditions and came to the realization that I didn’t fully grasp ‘why’ or the significance behind certain practices.” So upon graduating from college, she applied for the Cherry Blossom Festival hoping to deepen her connection to her heritage, advance professionally, meet like-minded individuals, and reconnect with the Hawai‘i community.
When asked about her contestant experience, Tory replied ”my contestant experience surpassed my expectations, instilling in me a newfound confidence and appreciation for my Japanese American identity that I can now proudly share. The beauty of the Festival lies in the shared stories that accompanied each class I attended — hanafuda, kendo, calligraphy — enriched by the untold narratives from my own family and those around me.”
The opportunity to bond and grow with the other Contestants was another aspect she appreciated, saying “the camaraderie among the other remarkable women I shared this experience with continually brightened my journey. Witnessing and growing alongside this group of women, whom I now consider sisters, will forever be the most invaluable piece to my exploration of self-discovery and belonging.” Nakata’s piece of advice for the next wave of Cherry Blossom Festival contestants is to “always remember why you chose to embark on this journey.”
The Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Cherry Blossom Festival takes great pride in its long history of developing young leaders, perpetuating Japanese culture in Hawaiʻi and giving back to our community. As we look to the next 72 years of the Festival, we continue to be grateful for the generous support from our many sponsors, instructors and volunteers.
The Cherry Blossom Festival is now looking for candidates for the 73rd Festival! The application fee is $15 through the early signup deadline of June 30, 2024 and $30 through August 1, 2024. The application and additional information can be found on our website, cbfhawaii.com. You may also email cbfsearch@hjjcc.com with any questions. Become a part of this special legacy!
