Honolulu's Okinawan Festival Celebrates the Spirit of a Community

41st Okinawan Festival. Photo by Cliff Kimura.

Guests can purchase Okinawan foods, crafts and bingata (a traditional Okinawan fabric design) clothing at the Okinawan Festival. Photo by Cliff Kimura.

The Hawaii United Okinawa Association (HUOA) was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1951, originally under the name United Okinawan Association of Hawai‘i. The organization consisted of 50 clubs, each organized by the towns in Okinawa from which its members originated, to provide a support system for the Okinawan community.

According to Tamashiro, the catalyst for forming a unified organization was that the U.S. military administration at the time did not want to communicate with each club individually. In 1995, the organization was renamed the Hawaii United Okinawa Association. Today, HUOA continues its mission to promote and preserve Okinawan culture in Hawai‘i.

This year’s Okinawan Festival marks two major milestones: the 125th anniversary of Okinawan immigration to Hawai‘i and the 40th anniversary of the sister-state relationship between Hawai‘i and Okinawa. To commemorate the occasion, Okinawa’s governor and 40 of the island’s 41 mayors will travel to Oʻahu to attend the festival.

Tamashiro is creating a poster series to highlight the achievements of Okinawans in Hawai‘i over the past 125 years. Among the stories she will share is that of Shigeru Serikaku, an uchinanchu from Waipahu, who built and flew an airplane in Hawai‘i just 14 years after the Wright brothers’ first flight in North Carolina.

Proceeds from the Okinawan Festival support several HUOA cultural programs, including the Hawai‘i–Okinawa High School Student Exchange Program and the Children’s Cultural Day Camp, known as Warabi Ashibi.

Photo by Cliff Kimura.

Following the festival, guests can continue to engage with Okinawan culture during the Okinawan FEASTival taking place Sept. 1–15. Participating restaurants on Oʻahu will feature Okinawan dishes and ingredients on their menus. Okinawan-owned Aloha Tofu will offer jimami tofu (Okinawan peanut tofu), a popular item that typically sells out quickly at their booth during the Okinawan Festival.

Festival hours:

Saturday, Aug. 30 – 9:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m., Bon Dance – 5:30 to 9:00 p.m.,

Sunday, Aug. 31 – 9:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m.

Ticket information:

Early Admission: Saturday 8/30 and Sunday 8/31 from 9am-10am
Available for pre-sale (via credit/debit card); quantities limited, sales at the door while supplies
last.

Single-day Early Admission


Adults: $15 / Seniors 65+: $10


Children 12 and under FREE




Two-day Early Admission (valid for early admission on both days)


Adults: $25 ($30 value) / Seniors 65+: $15 ($20 value)


Children 12 and under FREE

General Admission: Saturday 8/30 and Sunday 8/31 from 10am-4pm

Single-day General Admission


Adults: $10 / Seniors 65+: $5


Children 12 and under FREE




Two-day General Admission (valid for general admission on both days)


Adults: $16 ($20 value) / Seniors 65+: $8 ($10 value)


Children 12 and under FREE