First prize winner Eric Kira (right) receives his prize from Grant Murata, Hawaii Herald/Hawaii Hochi advertising manager, on behalf of TransPacific Tours.

“Guess the Cherry Blossom Festival Queen” Winners

Melanie Carrié, 66th Cherry Blossom Festival queen, visited the Hawaii Hochi offices in March and drew the winning ballots for the 35th “Guess the Cherry Blossom Festival Queen” contest sponsored by The Hawai‘i Herald...
Graphic for the 66th Cherry Blossom Festival Contestants

66th Cherry Blossom Festival Queen Contestants (part II)

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....
The Hawaii Herald Logo

Cherry Blossom Festival: 69TH CBF QUEEN BRIANNE YAMADA REFLECTS WITH GRATITUDE

Tomorrow, the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce’s 70th Cherry Blossom Festival Ball will be held at the Sheraton Waikiki. A new Queen will be crowned with a new court to reign in 2022-2023....
Group photo of the 65th Cherry Blossom Festival queen contestants.

Community Focus – 65th Cherry Blossom Festival Contestants Introduced

The 65th Cherry Blossom Festival was officially launched on Jan. 8, with the 15 queen contestants introduced at the New Year’s ‘Ohana Festival at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i. Kokoro, the Japanese word for heart, mind and spirit, is the theme for this year’s festival. “Kokoro embodies the spirit of the Cherry Blossom Festival....

Queen Contestants – 68th Cherry Blossom Festival (page 2 of 3)

[caption id="attachment_20387" align="alignnone" width="240"] Jewel Mahoe[/caption] JEWEL KAHIWALANI MIYUKI MAHOE High School: Kamehameha Schools Kapalama College/Degree: University of Northern Colorado, Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, minor in Reading; Vanderbilt University, Master of Education in Special Education; and University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa Occupation: Preschool special education teacher Hobbies: Running, reading, learning to sew from....
Chrysanthemum Festival Contestants: (starting from top left) Sokah Furumoto, Kristi Echiverri, Makaylen Tadeo, Jaelynn Nobriga, and Paige Maki Nagahama

Community Focus – Chrysanthemum Festival Set for Dec. 2 in Wailuku

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....

Win a free trip to Japan!

To everyone out there in cyberspace, allow me to wish you all a Happy February! In honor of this new month, I bring you a gift: the chance to win a free trip to...
The 67th Cherry Blossom court, from left: Miss Congeniality Reeann Minatoya, Princess Katrina Shimomura, First Princess Kayla Ueshiro, Queen Lauren Sugai, Princess Ariel Lee and Princess and Miss Popularity Taylor Chee. (Photo courtesy of HJJCC)

Spotlight – Lauren Sugai Crowned Cherry Blossom Queen

Jodie Chiemi Ching On March 16, Lauren Akemi Sugai was crowned the 67th Cherry Blossom Festival queen at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, marking the climax of the 2019 festival, sponsored by the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce. In an interview with The Hawai‘i Herald, Sugai shared her Cherry Blossom Festival experience. When her name....
MariCAR adventure through the streets of Tokyo. Heather is third from right, front row. (Photos courtesy Heather Omori)

Queen Interview – “I Know Who I Am”

65th Cherry Blossom Festival Queen Heather Omori Reflects on the Past Year Gwen Battad Ishikawa As any Cherry Blossom Festival queen will tell you, their year as queen was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and a whirlwind one at that. It’s been nearly a year since Heather Kiyomi Omori was crowned the 65th Cherry Blossom Festival queen.....
Queen Melanie Carríe at the Jan. 13 opening ceremonies of the 2019-2020 Cherry Blossom Festival, which was held at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i. (Photos courtesy Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce)

67th Cherry Blossom Festival – Queen Interview, Queen Melanie Carríe: Time Now to “Give...

Departing Cherry Blossom Queen Melanie Carríe Looks Ahead to a New Chapter Jodie Chiemi Ching In the 2018 Cherry Blossom Festival souvenir booklet published by the festival’s sponsor, the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce, queen contestant Melanie Camille Michiko Carríe wrote: “I am inspired by the idea that obstacles are stepping stones towards the....

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