Hundreds of middle and high school students from across Hawaii are set to spend a day immersed in Japanese traditions, trying their hand at calligraphy, karate, flower arranging and bon dancing as part of the Japan-America Society of Hawaii's twice-yearly Japan Day program. The fall gathering is expected to bring together about 200 students from six schools across four Hawaiian islands, according to the article.
The event is hosted by the Japan-America Society of Hawaii, known as JASH, which welcomes students from Oahu, Kauai, Maui and Hawaii Island to participate, as reported by KITV Island News. Fall Japan Day introduces students to Japanese traditions through hands-on activities, with sessions that include bon dancing, calligraphy, karate, flower arranging and traditional tea ceremonies. Other sessions planned for the day cover ikebana, karate instruction, traditional tea ceremony and lessons in hanafuda, the Japanese playing-card game.
A Longtime Program With Deep Roots
Japan Day is JASH's longest-running educational program, dating back to 1993, according to Cindy Oshima, who serves as the program's coordinator. Oshima's comment, relayed in the KITV report, underscores just how established the effort has become across the islands' school system. The program runs twice a year, in spring and fall, and is built around volunteer presenters who teach traditional cultural activities and share their knowledge directly with students.
That volunteer-driven model was on full display at JASH's spring 2026 Japan Day, held on April 28, which the organization has described as its 65th installment of the program. Roughly 180 students attended that session, where about 40 volunteer instructors and cultural experts led eight different hands-on workshops covering bon dance, calligraphy, go, hanafuda, karate, soroban, tea ceremony and yukata, according to jashawaii.org. Neighbor-island students from Hawaii Island and Maui also received private gallery tours following that spring program, which was sponsored by the Freeman Foundation along with various JASH donors and supporters.
Thousands of Students, Dozens of Schools
Since Japan Day's inception in 1993, students from 71 schools have participated in JASH programs, a figure the organization says now totals more than 8,700 students. An earlier search-result snippet tied to a 2024 JASH posting had put the tally at more than 8,000 students from 67 schools, though that page was not independently reviewed in full and should be treated as a lower, earlier count rather than a contradiction to resolve.
Similar uncertainty surrounds attendance at past fall events. A search-result snippet referencing JASH's fall 2024 Japan Day cited approximately 170 students from schools including Hilo High School, Hongwanji Mission School, Kohala Middle School, Nanakuli High and Intermediate School, and Pahoa High and Intermediate School, among others, though that snippet was incomplete. Separately, JASH's fall 2025 Japan Day page described an invite-only event limited by capacity, offering activities such as ikebana, calligraphy, soroban, tea ceremony, yukata wearing, bon dance and karate.
Beyond the Workshops
Japan Day is meant to help participants discover common ground across cultures, and this year's gathering arrives as JASH marks its 50th anniversary of strengthening Japan-U.S. relationships through Hawaii's cultural perspective. Gina Maeda, who serves as program coordinator for the Japan Wizards Competition and the Hiroshima Peace Program, said JASH's educational programs share culture and heritage with the next generation.
JASH is also preparing its annual Japan Wizards Competition, set for February, a Jeopardy-style trivia contest open to high school students in grades nine through 12. The competition tests teams' knowledge of Japanese culture, history and connections to Hawaii and the United States, with a trip to Japan offered as the prize at stake. Applications for participating teams are currently being accepted.
The organization is also seeking individuals, businesses and organizations to support its broader slate of educational programs. Those interested in Japan Day can reach Cindy Oshima at [email protected], while questions about the Japan Wizards Competition can go to Gina Maeda at [email protected]. More information on JASH's programs is available at www.jashawaii.org.
