Cherry Blossom Festival

CINDY SHINAE NAKAGAWA Parents: Ivan and Joyce Nakagawa High School: Waiakea High School (Big Island), 2009 College/Degree: University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa, education, 2014. Occupation: Elementary school teacher at President Abraham Lincoln Elementary School. What or Who Inspires You? “A teacher is someone who inspires and motivates children. But as a teacher, my students inspire....

[caption id="attachment_20392" align="alignnone" width="240"] Taylor Date[/caption] TAYLOR LILIA DATE High School: Punahou School College/Degree: Seattle University, Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communications, minor in Journalism Occupation: Marketing assistant Hobbies: Searching for cute cafes, playing soccer and watching k-dramas. How do you live “kaizen,” continuous growth/improvement, in your daily life? “Just over a year ago, I....

Kristen Nemoto Jay On Friday, March 31, the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Cherry Blossom Festival crowned the 71st Cherry Blossom Festival Queen and Court at the annual Festival Ball and coronation...

Alexis Sayuri Okihara 64th Cherry Blossom Festival Queen Looks Forward to Sharing Knowledge with Future Generations Gwen Battad Ishikawa It is fitting that kansha (gratitude) was the theme of the 64th Cherry Blossom Festival, because kansha is what Queen Alexis Okihara has felt for the past year. “They [Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce, who....

Jennifer Keiko Ezaki Parents: Bruce and Laura Ezaki High School: Our Redeemer Lutheran, 2009 College/Degree/Year: Biola University, bachelor’s degree in communication, 2013; University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa, post baccalaureate certification in special education, 2016. “What does kokoro mean to you?” “Kokoro is a reminder for me to remain present and connected in a constantly changing....

The 65th Chrysanthemum Festival, a Maui Japanese tradition that raises funds for scholarships and the historical preservation programs of its sponsor, Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans, will be held Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Velma McWayne Santos Community Center in Wailuku. Teens from five Maui high schools are vying for the Chrysanthemum....

WHO/WHAT: The 68th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival will hold a Silent Auction online. In June, the CBF’s sponsor, the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce, will select the CBF court in a closed event...

Gwen Battad Ishikawa Every year, the Herald interviews the outgoing Cherry Blossom Festival queen as she prepares to pass on her crown to her successor. What are some of the changes that have taken place...

Jodie Chiemi Ching Sixteen-year-old Jamie Hirano is on board as The Hawai‘i Herald’s newest intern. The junior at James B. Castle High School has her target goal clear in sight – attend New York University...

  WHO/WHAT: The Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the Blood Bank of Hawaii for its next community service project. As the sponsoring organization, HJJCC is in charge of helping to fill...