The 14th Annual Honolulu Festival Craft Fair was held at the Hawaii Convention Center on March 15th and March 16th.  The Craft Fair consisted of over 100 booths from Hawaii and Japan. The booths were all lined up taking up ample space at the Hawaii Convention Center and yet as the noon crowd grew, it got busy, so busy that there were people all over the place. 

Some of the popular booths displayed and sold homemade cookies, natural soap, hula supplies and bags and accessories “made in Hawaii”.  Many vendors came not only from Oahu but also from the neighbor islands making the Craft Fair a great place for the visitors to buy unique and original “made in Hawaii” gifts to take home to their friends and family.  There was quite a variety of goods at the Craft Fair.

Also present at the Craft Fair were booths that could be seen at the Flea Market held at the Aloha Stadium each week, items that are quite popular with the local people.  Tangi Ukuleles, one of the popular ukulele brands of Hawaii, had a booth at the Honolulu Festival.  Musician Tangi Tully even came and played the ukulele for those who attended. What a treat!

The Beijing Tourism Administration promoted the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics	Shabri of Hawaii, homemade cookies made in Waipahu	Jewelry made from Coconuts
All natural bath salts and body soap made by Ahhhloha Bath Salts, Etc.	Katy Johnson of Hilo, Hawaii, designer of Hawaiian bags and accessories at reasonable prices	Da Bag Place, maker of bags and T-shirts out of traditional rice bag material.  T-shirts look comfortable to wear.

The Craft Fair section also had booths from Japan showing the attendees how to make all sorts of traditional Japanese art and crafts. Those who came were able to learn how to make items such as temari (balls) and origami. Other arts that were experienced by both adults and children were calligraphy, etegami(drawing-letters) and ikebana (flower arrangement). The hands-on experience shared by the crafters of traditional Japanese arts and crafts was enjoyed by all. As a matter of fact all were having such a great time that the hours simply flew by.

Many of the crafters from Japan did not speak English very well but were able to teach and communicate using easy English phrases, gestures and sign language.    The crafters felt  “I want to teach you” and the attendees felt  “I want to learn.”  And because of these feelings they were able to understand each other, no problem. And when the crafts were completed you could see the joy in the eyes of the participants as well as the crafters. The attendees held their crafts with pride and carefully took them home. It made you feel warm all over just seeing their faces and their look of accomplishment.

The Craft Fair was a special opportunity for Japanese Americans living in Hawaii to experience their roots through the arts and crafts of traditional Japan. Once again the Honolulu Festival was able accomplish its goal to transcend language and cultural barriers, to promote Pacific Harmony and cultural understanding.

Mr. Shiva living in Canada but originally from India is able to experience Fukiya while visiting Hawaii	Eco Cloth Zouri Circle, many were interested in learning how to make slippers using old T-shirts	Children learn Japanese penmanship by viewing the samples
Calligraphy penmanship and art using the writing brush was popular with the adults and the children	Carefully observing the item that you intend to draw is a very important step in Etegami	Look, I was able to draw so well with the writing brush!
Making temari, considering the color combination and winding the thread to make the ball.	A line of attendees waiting to experience the art of ikebana	The Japanese I students of Kamehameha High School, Maui Campus, winners of the Maui Mikoshi Design Contest

An Authentic Tea Ceremony Experience

Honolulu Festival spectators were given a rare opportunity to experience an authentic Japanese tea ceremony on March 15th and 16th at the Hawaii Convention Center as part of the 14th Annual Honolulu Festival program. A stage was beautifully decorated to resemble an authentic tea ceremony room including tatami (straw mats), hanging scroll and a flower arrangement on the alcove. Those who performed the tea ceremony were dressed in their beautiful kimono. Although the tea ceremony stage was located right in the midst of the craft and performance areas, one could feel as though you were in another world, a world of peace and tranquility where the spectators were able to relax and enjoy the making and serving of the tea. It was like being in a different place and time.

The audience was able to view the tea ceremony and try the tea and sweets as well. Cookies were passed around instead of the normal Japanese sweets. The familiarity of the taste of the cookies seemed to go well with the tea and everyone seemed to be enjoying this wonderful experience. There were many who were drinking tea using one hand and taking pictures with their camera in the other hand.  Quite busy, quite enjoyable.