The 61st Cherry Blossom Festival court (from left to right): Miss Popularity Ashley Higa, Princess Misha Maletta, First Princess Lori Higashi, Queen Crystine Ito, Princess Kellene Sasano, Princess Leila Mitsunaga, and Miss Congeniality Eryn Kawamoto. Photo by Sean Nakamura.

This evening, the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Cherry Blossom Festival crowned the new 61st Cherry Blossom Queen and Court at its annual Festival Ball and coronation ceremony at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. For the 15 Queen Contestants, Festival Ball is the culmination of seven months of cultural and professional development classes that include Japanese history and business etiquette, bon dance, aikido, taiko, speech and pageant training, and more.

Queen, First Princess and three Princesses are selected by a panel of esteemed judges for their dedication to perpetuating Japanese culture, commitment to education and passion for community service. Princesses are listed in alphabetical order. Miss Popularity is awarded to the Queen Contestant who has accumulated the most points by raised funds used to support the perpetuation of the Cherry Blossom Festival. Miss Congeniality is awarded to the Queen Contestant who has been selected by her peers as exemplifying the spirit of friendship.

Proudly presenting the 61st Cherry Blossom Festival Queen and Court:

Queen: Crystine Hisae Ito
Crystine is a 2007 graduate of Kapa‘a High School. She is the daughter of Carol Ann and Carlton Ito. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a Minor in American Studies in 2011 from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and currently works as a legislative aide in the Hawaii State Legislature House of Representatives.

1st Princess: Lori Hiroko Higashi
Princess: Kellene Noenoelani Sasano
Princess: Misha Nicole Yurie Maletta
Princess: Leila Tomoyo Mitsunaga
Miss Popularity: Ashley Michiko Higa
Miss Congeniality: Eryn Akemi Kawamoto

This year's theme, Laulima, is a tribute to the legacy of the Festival and its many volunteers, sponsors, donors, contestants, families, and supporters. Without "many hands working together," these 61 years of awareness, education, and preservation of the Japanese culture in Hawaii could not have been possible.

Highlights of the evening included:

• Taiko Performance – Contestants performed a taiko sequence choreographed and instructed by world-acclaimed musician Kenny Endo, and accompanied by members of the Taiko Center of the Pacific.
• Western Phase – Contestants delivered one-minute speeches in evening gowns from Casablanca Bridal & Formals.
• Eastern Phase – Contestants answered one impromptu question while wearing authentic furisode kimono flown in from Japan specifically for this event by Watabe Wedding Hawaii.

Violet Niimi Oishi Scholarship

Tonight, the recipient of the Violet Niimi Oishi Scholarship was also named. Established in 2002 by Dr. Scott Oishi in memory of his mother, the very first Cherry Blossom Festival Queen and a career educator, this $5,000 award is designated for the continued education of one Queen Contestant. The recipient was selected on the basis of her educational excellence, essay submission, and community service involvement.

Violet Niimi Oishi Scholarship Recipient: Leila Tomoyo Mitsunaga

Leila is a 2006 graduate of Iolani School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2010 from Willamette University. She will be attending Argosy University in the fall, where she will be studying to become a clinical psychologist and pursue her dream to help children with mental health problems.

• Download an order form here.

60th Cherry Blossom Festival Queen Erin Morimoto and Princess Nicole Kinney sit down with Tannya Joaquin to discuss the Festival.

Watch the video here:

Honolulu Pulse
January 31, 2013

Photo: Courtesy Jermel-Lynn Quillopo

Social Encore blogger Jermel-Lynn Quillopo reports on the mission of the Cherry Blossom Festival and its cultural impact on Queen Contestants and the community.

Read the full article here.

Hawaii-Arukikata.com
January 22, 2013

The Japanese language website Hawaii-Arukikata.com covers the 61st Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Ceremony.

Read the full article (in Japanese) here.

The three first-place winners and their work were recognized at the 61th Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Ceremony on January 19, 2013. Their winning entries were also published in the 61st Cherry Blossom Festival Souvenir Book.

Congratulations to our winners! View their original haiku and artwork here.

Entries are being accepted for the 1st Annual Haiku Contest. Students in grades 3-12 who attend school in the state of Hawaii are eligible.

Entries must contain an original haiku set within an original piece of artwork that depicts the poem and further exemplifies the contest theme: "Laulima: Bridging Hands Across Oceans."

All entries must be postmarked by Friday, November 16, 2012. LATE ENTRIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Mail entries to:

61^th CBF HAIKU CONTEST
P.O. BOX 1105
Aiea, Hawaii  96701

All entries must include the following:

• Completed application form with signatures of both student and parent/guardian.
• Original haiku and artwork – DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME, TEACHER’S NAMES, OR SCHOOL NAME ANYWHERE ON OR WITHIN YOUR ENTRY.
• SASE (only if requesting the return of student's work)

Entries must be:

• the student’s original work
• legible, inclusive of lettering no smaller than 1/2”
• no larger than 9” x 12”
• securely paper clipped to the contest application

Awards will be given in three age categories: Grades 3-5, 6-8 & 9-12.

• First: $75 US Savings Bond
• Second: $50 US Savings Bond
• Third: $25 US Savings Bond

The three first place winners and their work will be recognized at the 61th Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Ceremony in January 2013 as well as have their winning entries published on the Cherry Blossom Festival website and in the festival Souvenir Book.

For more information, email Howard Chi at howard_chi@notes.k12.hi.us with any questions or concerns.

60th Cherry Blossom Festival Announces New Queen and Court

 Honolulu, Hawai‘i – This evening, the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Cherry Blossom Festival crowned the new 60th Cherry Blossom Queen and Court at its annual Festival Ball and coronation ceremony at the Hawai‘i Theatre. The Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the longest continually running festivals in the State of Hawai‘i, which celebrates Japanese culture and heritage.

Cherry Blossom Festival Queen Contestants are selected for their dedication to perpetuating Japanese culture, commitment to education and passion for community service.  This year’s festival theme, “Kizuna,” translates to “To Bond,” which represents the bonds and relationships created through the years that keep our festival together and strong.

Queen, First Princess and three Princesses are selected by a panel of esteemed judges. Princesses are listed in alphabetical order. Miss Popularity is awarded to the Queen Contestant who has accumulated the most points by raised funds used to support the perpetuation of the Cherry Blossom Festival. Miss Congeniality is awarded to the Queen Contestant who has been selected by her peers as exemplifying the spirit of friendship. Proudly presenting the 60th Cherry Blossom Festival Queen and Court.

Queen – Erin Mie Hi’ileialoha Morimoto
Erin is a 2005 graduate of Punahou School. She is the daughter of Gayle Morimoto and the late Colin Morimoto. She has earned a bachelor of arts in Psychology with a minor in Marketing at the University of Southern California and a Master of Education in Teaching at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She currently is a middle school language arts teacher.

First Princess – Edrea Eri Katsunuma
Princess – Nicole Yuriko Kinney
Princess – Cari Ayako Tasoe
Princess – Tomomi Julia Ida
Miss Congeniality – Heather Leilani Chiyono Smith
Miss Popularity – Teri Leinaala Nakakura

In 2002, Dr. Scott Oishi established the $5,000 Violet Niimi Oishi Scholarship in memory of his mother, the very first Cherry Blossom Festival Queen. In honor of Mrs. Oishi’s career as an educator, this $5,000 award is designated for the continued education of one Queen Contestant. The recipient was selected on the basis of her educational excellence, essay submission, and community service involvement.

Violet Niimi Oishi Scholarship Recipient – Cari Ayako Tasoe
Cari is a 2004 graduate of Iolani School. She is the daughter of Gary and Candace Tasoe. She has earned a bachelor of arts in Psychology and Social Behavior at University of California Irvine and a Master of Educational Psychology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She currently is a Chapter Coordinator. 

Kristine Wada and Devon Nekoba served as mistress and master of ceremonies. The Festival Ball was opened with a taiko performance by the contestants followed by the Taiko Center of the Pacific. During the Western Phase, contestants delivered one-minute speeches in evening gowns. The Eastern Phase featured contestants wearing authentic furisode kimono flown in from Japan specifically for this event by Watabe Wedding Hawaii. The contestants also answered one impromptu question.

The Cherry Blossom Festival is sponsored by: Bank of Hawaii, Fujiyasu Kimono Company, Japan Airlines, Shiseido Cosmetics America, Kyo-Ya Company, Obun Hawaii Group, Pamela Futa Campbell, Gyotaku Japanese Restaurant, Watabe Wedding Hawaii, Kirin Brewery of America, Tori Richard, Marukai Wholesale Mart, Island Insurance, JTB Hawaii, Gyotaku by Naoki, Images by Steven, JHM Productions, Servco Pacific. 

For more information about the Cherry Blossom Festival, visit www.cbfhawaii.com or call 808-949-2255. Visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cbfhawaii or follow our Twitter account at www.twitter.com/cbfhi.

About the Cherry Blossom Festival
The Cherry Blossom Festival holds the honor of being one of the longest, continually running ethnic festival in the State of Hawai‘i – originally started in 1953 by the founding fathers of the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce. The Cherry Blossom Festival was created to celebrate Japanese culture and to enrich the lives of young Japanese-American women. The Festival also has an international reach, partnering each year to host five special sister chapters from Japan: Kobe, Odawara, Kurashiki, Kojima and Tamashima. Over the past 59 years the Cherry Blossom Festival has touched the lives of many, especially the 986 women it has called contestants. 

About the Honolulu Junior Japanese Chamber of Commerce
The Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce (HJJCC) first convened in 1949 with the mission of developing young Japanese-Americans into civic-minded citizens. The HJJCC aims to foster young leaders through professional development, community service, and the perpetuation of Japanese culture. The HJJCC sponsors many community events – including the well-known Cherry Blossom Festival – as well as offering its members numerous opportunities to develop leadership, managerial and organizational skills through participation in community service projects. The HJJCC also fosters business networking and socializing which allows members to establish life-long friendships. 

Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012

Contact: Sean Nakamura
              60th Cherry Blossom Festival, Public Relations Chair
              Email: cbfhawaii@gmail.com

60th Cherry Blossom Festival Queen Contestants make public appearance

On Saturday, Feb. 11, the 60th Cherry Blossom Festival Queen Contestants made their first public appearance at the Windward Mall. The event opened up with a taiko performance by Somei Taiko followed by an appearance and opening speech by the 59th CBF Court.

The 60th CBF Queen Contestants were then presented on the stage one-by-one and was each asked one question to answer to the audience. The questions were picked randomly and asked contestants a variety of general questions about various topics.  

The 60th Cherry Blossom Festival has more upcoming public appearances and special events. Here is a brief list of upcoming public appearances:

Kahala Mall Public Appearance: Feb. 18 at noon.

Ala Moana Shopping Center Public Appearance: March 3. at 3 p.m.

Pearlridge Shopping Center Public Appearance: March 10 at noon.

For more information on other CBF events such as the Contestant Reception, Golf Tournament, and Fashion Show, please visit www.cbfhawaii.com/events.

The Festival Ball will be on Saturday, March 31 at the Hawaii Theatre at 5 p.m.

The Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the longest, continually running ethnic festivals in the State of Hawai‘i, which celebrates Japanese culture and heritage. Sponsored by the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce, the 60th Cherry Blossom Festival will span from Jan. to March 2012.

For the most up-to-date information on events and announcements, "like" Cherry Blossom Festival Hawaii on Facebook and follow us on twitter: @cbfhi.