Members of the Deigo Club held their shinnen enkai at the Natsunoya Tea House on March 25. The gathering was a festive event, with lots of music, comedic skits and prizes. Yasuko Arakawa-Sensei and her Aki no Kai koto students performed “Kajadefu,” which was danced by Dazzman Toguchi.
The Deigo Club was established in 1949 by Hawai‘i Nisei and Kibei Nisei. One of the original members, Robert Nakamoto, offered the event’s kampai toast. Nakamoto resides in Las Vegas, but flies to Hawai‘i every year to attend the Deigo Club shinnenkai.
Over the years, the membership grew to consist largely of Okinawans who immigrated to Hawai‘i after World War II. The shinnenkai is an opportunity for the members to get together with friends from the Okinawa and speak Uchinaaguchi (Okinawan language).
