HANAPEPE — The thumping of taiko echoed through this quiet town as amateur hands got to try the art of the Japanese drums under the supervision of members from the Kaua‘i Taiko Group, a group that meets each Friday at
HANAPEPE — The thumping of taiko echoed through this quiet town as amateur hands got to try the art of the Japanese drums under the supervision of members from the Kaua‘i Taiko Group, a group that meets each Friday at the West Kaua‘i Hongwanji Waimea Temple.
The hands-on taiko experience was not limited to youngsters who attended the annual Kodomo no hi (children’s day) celebration hosted by the West Kaua‘i Hongwanji Hanapepe Temple recently.
Born from the original Japanese Boys’ Day celebration where families celebrate the young men in their family, the tradition was changed to Children’s Day in 1948, and, on this day, families celebrate the children in their family.
Takeshi Fujita was one of the original founders of the Hanapepe celebration, and took his turn manning one of the many activity stations while other volunteers took lunch breaks.
Youngsters were given the opportunity for hands-on experiences in the art of sushi-making (which this year, was Spam musubi), origami or paper-folding, kite-making, bonsai, ceramics, oshibana, and getting dressed up in traditional Japanese wear for a picture alongside a freshly-made kadomatsu arrangement.
Interspersed between the activity stations which featured children-priced admissions were other stations themed for various local lifestyles, such as coconut-frond weaving, a surgical-rubber shooting gallery, and a kite competition that saw the youngsters’ Scott Sled creations take to the brisk southwesterly winds for an endurance flight for prizes.
To replenish the energies that were expended participating in the various activities, there was a kid-sized food booth offering full-sized meals at kid-sized prices. These were prepared by the church’s volunteers.
Mahina Olores, 3, was obviously pleased with her accomplishment of making her own Spam musubi, which she clutched in one hand while trying to paint a ceramic snail while mom and grandma watched.
Kahiau Niheu and Keila Kamakele were more engrossed with trying to get a full-bodied sound from the taiko setup on the outside of the church, while the Nishimoto ‘ohana reveled in the melding of their Scott sleds flying alongside the school of fabric koi that surged in the brisk Kona winds.
It was a celebration of the strength and life of the youngsters who stopped by to take advantage of the fun and culture.
Staff Writer Dennis Fujimoto may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or mailto:dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.
