Have you heard of the Honolulu Festival?
It’s one of the largest international cultural exchange events in Hawaiʻi, held every March in Honolulu on the island of Oahu.
And this year, NIUHI made its debut!
You might be thinking, “Why are you talking about this now?”
Well, this week’s blog is all about our experience participating in that event.
The Honolulu Festival connects Hawaiʻi and Asia-Pacific cultures
For the past 30 years, the Honolulu Festival has been connecting Hawai’i with cultures all around the Asia-Pacific Region. And this year, thanks to some amazing partnerships, we had the opportunity to showcase NIUHI for the first time.
I’m Japanese, and this was not only my first time in Hawaiʻi, but also my first time managing an overseas event—so yes, I was pretty nervous.
The venue was lined with booths offering local Hawaiian products and dishes from around the world
The festival featured a wide variety of cultural performances, from Japanese traditional dances and taiko drumming to hula shows.
Visitors could enjoy food from different countries and shop for local Hawaiian goods.
And on the final night, there was a spectacular fireworks show sponsored by Nagaoka City in Niigata, Japan!
The day before the event, local elementary and middle school students visited the venue.
They quickly figured out how to use NIUHI’s bubble tap feature, predicting what characters would say next and tapping the speech bubbles like a quiz.
We were genuinely surprised and moved by their unexpected but super creative way of playing.
Then came the big day!
Of course, there was the usual last-minute booth tweaking chaos—but we also held a raffle and had so many people stop by and check us out.
People in Hawaiʻi are so warm, cheerful, and full of positive energy.
Even when I was tired, their kindness and bright smiles lifted me up.
And during my break…
I made sure to pick up some Hawaiʻi-only goodies like sunglasses and dog toys.
I also snuck in some Japanese food when I started missing home—I couldn’t resist!
To top it off, there were even sake breweries from Japan, so I got to enjoy premium sake right there in Hawaiʻi. Talk about luxury.
The Honolulu Festival lets you experience both Japan and Hawaiʻi at once
Whether you're curious about Japanese food and sake, or you visited Hawaiʻi from Japan and are fascinated by Hawaiian culture—this event has something for everyone.
When I first started planning, I was nervous and unsure if I could really pull this event off. However, with support from the NIUHI team and the amazing people in Hawaiʻi, I ended up having a great time and the event was a huge success!
If you’re planning a trip to Hawaiʻi in March…
Be sure to add the Honolulu Festival to your schedule.
It just might be one of the most memorable parts of your trip!