2008 MAUI MATSURI PRESENTED BY ISLAND HONDA SUMMARY

• 8TH Annual Japanese Festival focuses on the annual theme of “Kodomo No Tame Ni” – for the sake of the children. • The festival is a two day event – with the Maui Matsuri Karaoke Contest starting things off on Friday, May 16th from 6:30 pm at the Historic Iao Theatre in Wailuku where competitors from throughout Hawaii can compete for the coveted trophy, an automatic entry into the KZOO karaoke competition on Oahu and $500 cash prize. It is recommended that $10 admission tickets to this event be purchased in advance due to limited seating. Contact 870-0115.

• The festival continues on Saturday, May 17th at the Maui Community College grounds from 3pm to 9pm. Admission is free. The festival features live entertainment with Japanese Super Heroes Kikaida and Inazuman headlining nine hours of Japanese and Okinawan dancing, singing, taiko drumming, and martial arts demonstrations. Exhibits include a children’s art competition featuring manga and traditional art competition, tea ceremony, sword collection, and ikebana. The passport activity allows participants to get a free gift by getting stamps at the various exhibits. A large children’s zone called Kodomo Korner offers free hands on activities for kids of all ages. Food booths will serve up Japanese and Okinawan dishes. Craft booths will offer asian crafts. New this year is a cosplay (costume play) area with a costume contest. Contestants are also being sought for the Happy Bento Bako contest, the Saimin and Natto eating contests, along with a children’s kimono contest. Festival ends with a community obon dance starting from 7:30 pm. The community is invited to wear a hapi coat or kimono and join in on the dancing.

• The Kikaida Brothers, Kikaida & Kikaida 01, will appear with another Japanese TV superhero of the 1970s, Inazuman, who makes his debut at the 8th Maui Matsuri on Saturday, May 17, 2008, on the great lawn of Maui Community College. Appearances will be at 3:30 and 5:30pm. This appearance is presented by JN Productions. In addition to a photo opportunity with the superhero characters, the Kikaida Brothers’ actors Ban Daisuke (Jiro in Kikaida and Watari Goro in Inazuman) and Ikeda Shunsuke (Ichiro in Kikaida 01) will be available for autographs immediately following the 3:30 and 5:30pm appearances.

• The 4th annual Manga Drawing Contest will be held at the 8th Annual Maui Matsuri on Saturday, May 17, 2008 at the Maui Community College (MCC) campus. What is manga? It’s a mixture of comic book, modern art and literature, which creates a unique and very popular Japanese art form. Participants can enter by submitting a completed 8-1/2” x 11” hand drawn work. All mediums are allowed – pencil, colored pencil, pen, etc.

Entrants must specify Manga Style or Traditional Art category. Entries will be accepted at the Manga & Art Exhibit at the Festival during the Maui Matsuri festival between 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Entries may also be submitted during the week of May 12th – 16th, 2008 at John Henry Photography, Inc.’s photo studio at 59A Kanoa Street in Wailuku (located in the former Hokama’s Music & Color TV building and next to the Wailuku Treats & Sweets). Studio hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Judging will begin promptly at 4:00 p.m. at the festival.

Submissions will be judged in four age divisions for both Manga Style and Traditional Art categories: Kindergarten – 2nd grade, 3rd grade – 5th grade, 6th grade – 8th grade, and 9th grade –12th grade. The top three (3) winning contestants from each category and age division will be awarded cash prizes and/or Omochaya gift certificates. All entries should depict a “Matsuri” (Japanese festival) theme. “Matsuri” theme items can include chochin (lanterns), decorations, etc. Each entry must have an official entry form, along with disclaimer form (parental signatures are required), taped to the back of the artwork to be accepted.

Kirk Kurokawa, award-winning Maui artist, will be the guest judge for this year’s contest. Kurokawa was born and raised on Maui and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with distinction, from the California College of Arts and Crafts in 1997. He worked in Los Angeles and the Bay Area in illustration and graphics before returning home in 2001. His achievements include the Juror’s Choice Award at the 2006 Shaefer Portrait Challenge for his painting of the late artist, Tadashi Sato. Kurokawa’s art work was featured at The Contemporary Museum at the First Hawaiian Center on Oahu and his work was selected for purchase by the State Foundation of Culture and Arts during the 2007 Art Maui exhibit.

Winners will be announced at the Exhibit Area at 5:00 pm during the festival. The Manga & Art contest is sponsored by Omochaya and the Maui Matsuri. For information on the contest, contact Lyndra Okamoto at 276-2995 or Gwen Henry at 250-9666 or download the information from our website here.

• An estimated 9,000 attendees are anticipated to attend this years event.

• For more information about the event, visit www.mauimatsuri.com or call 808-283-9999.