67th Cherry Blossoms Festival at Kahala Mall

The 67th annual Cherry Blossoms Festival held a public event at the Kahala Mall in Honolulu yesterday. Queen Contestants are given the opportunity to learn about their Japanese heritage, improve their poise and public speaking and develop leadership skills through numerous cultural and training classes.


11 Queen Contestants practiced their public speaking skills, and cultural entertainment was provided by the Hanayagi Dancing Academy. The Cherry Blossom Festival presented awards to three student winners of the Haiku Art Contest.

The Cherry Blossom Festival holds the honor of being one of the longest, continually running ethnic festival in the State of Hawaii – originally started in 1953. While times have evolved, the purpose of the Festival continues to be the perpetuation of Japanese culture, and to enrich the lives of young women of Japanese ancestry.