Maui Matsuri Friday, Saturday

Karaoke contest, cultural festival at MCC set


KAHULUI — A bunkamura, or Japanese village, will preside on the Great Lawn at Maui Community College on Saturday, filling the landscape with the aromas of Japanese food, music from the o-bon dance, and cheers from contests such as natto eating and from the appearance of three Japanese superheroes.

The theme of eighth annual Maui Matsuri, presented by Island Honda, is “Kodomo No Tame Ni”: for the sake of the children. The event will run from 3 to 9 p.m., and admission is free.

The night before, the third annual Maui Matsuri Karaoke Contest will be held at the Iao Theater, beginning at 6:30. Contestants pre-selected statewide will vie for a $500 cash prize, a trophy and the chance to compete in the KZOO Karaoke Taikai on Oahu in the fall.

The contestants are: Ruth Fukushima, Allen Idemoto, Lillian Kiyabu, Wendee Kokubun, Ken Minato, Robert Monden, Alan Oura, Sherry M. Remez, Jeffrey Soga, Ariel Sohn, Annette Takamura, Yumi Takedatsu, Michiko Tallant, Sherry Tamayose, Lynn Yamakawa and Debra Yoshimi from Maui; Hidemi Matsumoto from Kauai; and Joyce Kimiko Henna and Gary Miyata from Oahu.

Maui Taiko will kick off the contest, which will include Japanese dance performers.

Tickets are $10 and may be purchased in advance at Credit Associates of Maui in Wailuku, Omochaya in Pukalani and Goodies ‘n Things in the Maui Mall, and at the door.

The festival will continue the next day. One of the highlights will be the appearances of Kikaida and Kikaida 01 and Inazuman, all Japanese television superheroes who made their debuts in the 1970s.

Ban Daisuke, who played Jiro in Kikaida and Watari Goro in Inazuman, and Ikeda Shunsuke, who was Ichiro in Kikaida 01, will appear in costume at 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. They will be available for autographs after their appearances, which are presented by JN Productions and Central Pacific Bank.

Prospective contestants may sign up Saturday in the bunkamura for four competitions: the Pukalani Superette Happy Bento Bako, Sam Sato Saimin Eating, Iwamoto Natto Eating and Araki-Regan and Associates LLC Children’s Kimono contests.

The contests will be among the activities on the demonstration and entertainment stages that will showcase Japanese and Okinawan talents and traditional martial arts exhibitions.

The Kodomo Korner will offer children free hands-on craft activities, such as origami and gyotaku, or Japanese fish printing. Hello Kitty, sponsored by Omochaya, is scheduled to make an appearance.

There also will be exhibits of antique swords, ikebana, tea ceremony and bonsai. The entries in the manga and art contests will be on display as well.

The festival will end with an o-bon dance at 7:30 p.m. The community is invited to wear a hapi coat or kimono and join in the dancing.

The festival is co-chaired by Kay Fukumoto, Yuki Lei Sugimura, Tiffany Iida and Lynn Araki-Regan. Sponsors inclu-de the Hawaii Tourism Authority, County of Maui, Japanese Cultural Society of Maui, Kiwanis Club of Kahului, Maui Taiko, Dowling Co., MCC, IBEW Local Union 1186, Linn Nishikawa and Associates, KZOO Radio, Hawaii Carpenters Union, Local 745 and Oceanic Time Warner Cablevision.

Donations to support the festival may be made to the Japanese Cultural Society of Maui, P.O. Box 5090, Kahului 96733.

For more information, call the Matsuri Hotline at 283-9999 or see the Web site www.mauimatsuri.com.