Making lei, climbing mountains and learning the ukulele in a single morning was not a hard task. A delegation of about 10 people including the mayor and council chair from Moriyama City, Japan, spent yesterday morning in the care of
Making lei, climbing mountains and learning the ukulele in a single morning was not a hard task.
A delegation of about 10 people including the mayor and council chair from Moriyama City, Japan, spent yesterday morning in the care of the Lihu‘e seniors who worked with the visitors in various crafts and Hawaiiana.
“The mayor has so much confidence in us, he asked us to take care of the visitors,” kumu hula Beverly Muraoka said, following her session with the Japanese visitors.
Art Umezu, the Kaua‘i film commissioner, said the group arrived on Kaua‘i Tuesday with the intent of preserving the Sister City relationship it shares with Kaua‘i.
“They were interested in our culture and learning about Hawai‘i,” Umezu said. “Instead of touring the island like other visitors, the group spent the day listening to Roy Miyake talk about Hawaiian history at the Kaua‘i Museum.”
Following that, Umezu said the group, comprised of former City officials and workers, were treated to a visit by Kaua‘i Mayor Bryan Baptiste and a tour of Kaua‘i county offices.
Umezu said one of the visitors in the delegation is a member of the Hawai‘i Cultural Friendship group and was interested in learning more about the Hawaiian aspect of life outside of the normal visitor arena.
That set up the interaction with the members of the Lihu‘e Senior Center who worked with the group yesterday morning at the Lihu‘e Neighborhood Center.
“This visit is real good,” said Diane Horita, one of the Lihu‘e Seniors ukulele group. “The last group only learned ukulele, but this group did a lot of things.”
Horita said they started out by making fresh flower lei which they used while learning hula from Muraoka. The hula lesson moved right into the ukulele lessons taught by Herman Paleka and the Lihu‘e Seniors ukulele group.
“The whole thing is about bonding,” Umezu said. “What these visitors experience is not available in conventional tour groups.”
Muraoka demonstrated her teaching of hula expertise by translating the “Ulupalakua” hula the group learned, talking about the paniolo, the relationships, and the ‘aina, concepts that were readily absorbed by the visitors.
Although on Maui, the Ulupalakua experience will return to Japan as part of the morning, enhanced by the special performance of the Lihu‘e Senior Center hula students who performed a medley of kahiko hula including “Aloha oli,” a chant to welcome the special visitors.
Similarly, Paleka moved the visitors by selecting several Japanese songs to teach the ukulele, the visitors leaving with lyrics and chording for those songs, and the priceless experience of having one-on-one teaching by the senior students who brought extra ukulele so the visitors could play along with them.
As strains of “Silent Night” filled the Lihu‘e Neighborhood Center, it was obvious the mixture of holiday numbers melted any barriers between the visitors and the hosts.
“People should see this,” Muraoka said. “Instead of only talking ‘peace,’ people should live it just like this.”
Umezu said the delegation will wrap up its visit with a tour up Wailua River and attending the Smith’s Tropical Lu‘au before returning to Japan today.
·Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
