58th Cherry Blossom Festival Essay Contest
Since 1995, the Cherry Blossom Festival has encouraged Hawaii's high school students to participate in the annual Essay Contest. This contest helps promote an understanding and appreciation of how Japanese culture has influenced the lifestyle in Hawaii. All students in grades 9 to 12 attending a school in Hawaii are eligible for entry.
Students addressed how various Japanese cultural influences essentially have inspired many of the things that we believe are truly "local." Essay topics ranged from reminiscence of the Japanese sugar cane planting issei who influenced Hawaii's pidgin English dialect; to traditional Japanese foods which have inspired "local" taste buds what was once a simple ball of rice or "musubi" has become Hawaii's one and only "spam musubi." This year, the Essay Contest received over 300 well composed and creative essays.
Essay Question
What one facet of Japanese culture in Hawaii has had the greatest evolution over the past 100 years? How does it reflect the everchanging needs of the Japanese people of Hawaii? How will it continue to evolve in the future?
Finalists
First Place: Geraldine Anne Agag, Sacred Hearts Academy
First Runner Up: Roanne Deabler, Sacred Hearts Academy
Honorable Mention: Cathy Lee, Sacred Hearts Academy
The 57th Cherry Blossom Festival congratulates our top three essay finalists and extends our appreciation to every student who submitted their work. Without the participation of all the creative students and their teachers who gave of their guidance and time, and the judges who donated their expertise, the Essay Contest would not be as successful as it is today.
Judges
A distinguished panel of judges volunteered countless hours to review and evaluate the essays submitted on content (originality/creativity and relevance to topic), style (organization), and conventions (grammar and spelling.)
Jon Riki Karamatsu
Representative Jon Riki Karamatsu graduated from Pearl City High School, and received his B.A. from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law. He was elected to the Hawaii State House of Representatives in 2002, representing Waipahu, Waikele, Village Park, and Royal Kunia. In the past, Representative Karamatsu's leadership positions included Chair of the House Economic Development and Business Concerns Committee and Vice Speaker of the House. He is currently the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee. Representative Karamatsu is also the owner of JRK Enterprises LLC, an Internet retail business and Chair of the Peace Day Hawaii Committee.
Caprice Itagaki
Caprice is an attorney based in downtown Honolulu. Caprice’s practice focuses on general litigation, including contract, construction, labor and employment, collections, family, personal injury, landlord/tenant, misdemeanor criminal matters, and trust disputes. Her practice also includes business and commercial work, business entity formation, and development. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and has previously studied law at Oxford University. She is a Director with the Young Lawyer’s Division of the Hawaii State Bar Association and the Honolulu Academy of Arts’ Art After Dark program, and is actively involved with the Hawaii High School Mock Trial Competition, American Heart Association, Punahou School Alumni Association, and the University of Pennsylvania Alumni Association.
Scott Kamiya
A 2009 inductee into the Hawaii Pacific Business News’ 40 under 40, Scott Kamiya is a burgeoning star in Hawaii’s budding entrepreneurial scene as well as a top producing real estate agent for Coldwell Banker Properties and was previously awarded the International President’s Circle designation. Furthermore, Scott is extremely civic minded and aware of community issues. In addition to his hectic work schedule, Scott has numerous memberships and chairs in organizations including: the Honolulu Board of Realtors, the National Association of Realtors, the Boys and Girls Club of Honolulu, and the Aiea Community Association. His volunteer work is extensive beyond what could be listed. A graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Anthropology and Sociology, Scott has truly employed the lessons learned in nurturing a stronger community.