MEDIA RELEASE

The 21st Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival on Saturday, Feb. 1 is dedicated to Waimea residents Emiko Wakayama and Fumi Bonk.

The women, who both have Japanese heritage, will be recognized at the festival’s opening ceremony. Time is 9 a.m. on the entertainment stage at the rear of Parker Ranch Center.

“Emi” Wakayama, 81, has been involved with the Cherry Blossom Festival since it began, contributing as a member of the organizing committee and performing traditional tea ceremonies to the delight of attendees.

Emi Wakayama

During the festival’s two decades, the 55-year Waimea resident instructed about 20 students in the little known art and will be overseeing their performance during this year’s event in the Kahilu Theatre lobby.

Known as chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony involves the proper preparation, pouring and mannerisms involved in offering tea. Wakayama learned the process, which takes about 10 minutes, while in Japan.

A native of Kurtistown, Wakayama graduated from Hilo High School and studied fashion design at both the University of Hawaii and the Pratt Institute in New York City. Employed by an upscale sportswear line, she worked in the Big Apple for five years before traveling to Japan with her mother.

“I decided to stay in Japan for awhile to learn my Japanese culture,” explains the octogenarian. “I was there for about a year and during that time learned chanoyu.”

Wakayama also met her husband, the late Kinya, in Tokyo. A native of Waimea, they returned to their homeland, married and Emi worked as a seamstress, making Hawaiian muumuus. She also sold her appliqued, Hawaiian-style quilts at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel where the designer’s expertly crafted quilts were popular with both visitors and residents.

You can still see Wakayama’s orange-on-white hibiscus quilt hanging on display at the hotel and her kukui nut pattern quilt is exhibited at North Hawaii Community Hospital (NHCH) in memory of her husband.

No stranger to NHCH, Wakayama volunteered many years in the gift shop, where she sold her yukata, a casual Japanese kimono worn as a robe. Fabric was donated for the garments and Wakayama volunteered her time. She also painstakingly sewed prayer blankets for hospital patients.

“You have to love what you are doing,” Wakayama noted.

The seamstress and quilter is a member of the Kamuela Hongwanji Mission, the Hongwanji Buddhist Women’s Association and its Aloha Committee. In 2008, Wakayama was named the Outstanding Older American for Waimea.

The second honoree, Fumi Bonk, is a native of Oahu who grew up on her family’s dairy in Waialae. She first participated in the festival during its early years as a member of the local chapter of AARP, serving coffee at Church Row Park.

Fumi Bonk

Later, she was involved as a ceramist, where she displayed her functional artistic wares that reflected the beauty and diversity of Hawaii’s unique natural environment.

The 90-year-old is recognized as an artist, educator and advocate for peace and social justice.

Bonk moved to Hawaii Island in the late 1940s where she spent most of her life with her late husband, Bill, and their three children. Her husband was an archeologist and the couple traveled extensively.

Bonk served as co-director of Hilo High School’s alternative “School Within a School,” before moving to Waimea in the early 1980s. She taught art and science at Waimea Intermediate School.

Discussing how Hawaii and the Big Island influenced her art, Bonk once wrote, “Nowhere does the refined and rugged aspects of nature more regularly and dramatically stand next to each other. The rugged texture of lava, overlaid with the smooth texture and color of the sky and water, and the details of foliage and forest have influenced my construction, glazing and firing of ceramic sculpture over the 40 years I have worked with clay.”

In the 1960ʻs the Waimea resident founded the Big Island Art Guild and was involved in the startup of the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Art with artist/architect Alfred Preis.

She was an active member of the Hawaii Craftsmen and participated in more than 30 select exhibitions throughout the state.

Bonk feels “art is a spiritual reflection of our humanity.” She views compassion and reason as the “spirit of the arts” and believes that an artist’s life must also reflect this spirit. “Artists have the responsibility to speak up for those whose voices are not loud or powerful enough to be heard alone,” she adds.

While an octogenarian, Bonk travelled to Washington D.C. to join in the One Nation Rally of educators and other social justice advocates “to stand up for better education, housing and healthcare for all American people.”

The free Waimea Cherry Blossom Festival showcases the 60-year-old cherry trees planted at Church Row Park and the Japanese tradition of viewing them—hanami. The event, held annually the first Saturday of February, includes a variety of activities 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at venues throughout Waimea—look for pink banners identifying site locations from Parker School on Lindsey Road to the Hawaiian Homestead Farmer’s Market on Hwy. 19.

Spend the day to experience an all-day lineup of Japanese and multi-cultural performing arts, plus hands-on demonstrations of bonsai, origami, traditional tea ceremony, fun mochi pounding and a host of colorful craft fairs.

Enjoy free shuttle transportation among most venues.

For further information, 961-8706.

—

A quick rundown of festival activities at various locations follows (times are 9 a.m.-3 p.m. unless specified otherwise).

Church Row Park

• Historical Cherry Tree Display: Waimea Lions’ Club offers a pictorial history of the cherry trees and serves as the festival’s official Lost and Found station. The Lions will also collect used eyeglasses.

• Entertainment: aikido demonstrations throughout the day, Hawaii Chinese Lion Dance Association at 11 a.m.

• Cherry Pie & Dessert Cook-off: Senior clubs from Waimea, Waikoloa and North Kohala vie in cherry dessert competition with judging at noon.

• Bonsai: The Waimea Bonyu Kai Bonsai Club offers a display and sale of bonsai, ongoing demonstrations and a clinic to discuss and work on the art of bonsai.

• Japanese Furoshiki at Kamuela Hongwanji: Learn the time-honored art of gift wrapping.

• Asian Collectibles/Food Sales at Kamuela Hongwanji: Church organizations sell Asian-themed collectibles, lanterns made from recycled beverage cans, cherry tree seedlings and cherry blossoms in mugs; plus Asian foods: Inari sushi, teriyaki chicken bowl, spam musubi, nishime bento, manju, andagi and prune mui.

• Cooking Demos at Kamuela Hongwanji: Big Isle chefs offer cooking demonstrations with free samples.

Parker Ranch Center- Hwy. 19

• Festival Entertainment Stage: In the back parking lot. Opening ceremonies at 9 a.m. kick off continuous entertainment until 3 p.m.: Bon Odori Taiko, Hawaii Chinese Lion Dance Association, Kumu Hula Michael Pang’s Hula Halau Ka Noeau, Michael Strand Band, Darlene Ahuna, Honokaa Jazz Band, Tai Shoji Taiko.

• Craft Fair: Nearly 150 crafters inside Center and in the back parking lot.

• Mochi Tsuki Pounding: Help pound mochi using 500 pounds of rice with the Kona Hongwanji Mission outside the Fireside Food Court starting 10 a.m.; samples.

Kahilu Theatre Lobby- Lindsey Road/Parker Ranch Center

Cultural Demos/Performing Arts: Enjoy ritual Japanese tea ceremony led by Emi Wakayama; art display of woodblock prints, ikebana, origami and feather leis; hanafuda card playing; and ongoing Voyager Exhibit: Hokulea World Wide Voyage by Na Kalai Waa. Entertainment: Japanese and international music by musicians from Japan and the islands.

Mana Christian Ohana Church – (Former Kahilu Town Hall) Behind Parker Ranch Center

• Ka Hui Kapa Apana O Waimea’s Hawaiian and Americana Quilt Show: Extensive quilt display and sale, members offer a “learn how” area and pattern tracing.

• Kamaaina Motors Car Show: Hamakua side of parking lot.

Waimea Historic Corner-Hwys. 19/190 intersection

Firehouse Gallery Art Demos/Exhibition: Waimea Arts Council presents art with a cherry blossom theme, plus event poster sales for $10. Artists demonstrate paper making, painting, plus sidewalk chalk drawings for all ages. Photographers offer digital photo art Q&A session. Food by Kohala Taco & Burger, plus tropical-flavored popsicles.

Parker School-Lindsey Road

Waimea Town Market/Performing Arts: Market with fresh produce, food and artisan booths open 8 a.m.-1 p.m. with performances by Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko Hawaii-Kohala and Hawaii Chinese Lion Dance Association 10 a.m.-noon.

Kamuela Liquors-Hwy. 19

Sake Tasting: Noon-3 p.m.

Kuhio Hale-Hwy. 19

Farmer’s Market: More than 20 members of the Hawaiian Homestead Market offer a variety of products for sale 7 a.m.-noon.

Ginger Farm- (old Anderson Homestead) MM 55 across from Puu Nani St. on Hwy. 19

Japanese Home Tour/Tea Tasting/Keiki Craft: Self-guided tour through traditional Japanese style home and garden with Japanese walking bridge. Island keiki serve cherry tea and show keiki how to make a cherry blossom-hanging scroll.