Baldwin High School Wins Mikoshi Design Contest

Baldwin High School’s winning mikoshi design. BHS photo.

Baldwin High School is the winner of the 13th Annual Maui Mikoshi Design Contest.

The BHS students credited in creating the winning design will travel to O‘ahu for the 22nd annual Honolulu Festival. The winning design will be displayed before tens of thousands of residents and visitors in Honolulu from March 11 through 13.

A mikoshi is a decorative float unique to specific prefectures in Japan that is carried by groups of celebrants during festivals.

High schools on Maui were invited to submit a mikoshi design based on this year’s Honolulu Festival theme—“Cultural Harmony, Journey to Peace.”

Under the guidance of BHS Japanese language teacher Rory Sato, students drew inspiration from the festival theme, connecting both Hawaiian and Japanese culture in an elaborate way, tying in symbols that represent forms of “cultural harmony and peace” and worldwide unity.

The BHS mikoshi will be displayed at the Hawai‘i Convention Center on Saturday, March 12. It will be carried through Waikiki in the Grand Parade on Sunday, March 13.

The students’ design includes a canoe to represent the synergy and teamwork that is needed to achieve cultural harmony and peace, turtles to help as guides through the rough seas, lei to express a welcoming sense of aloha and mats to represent how communities and cultures harmoniously intertwine.

The four panels illustrate the ocean, which connects Pacific cultures. The front panel depicts rough waves showing the difficult journey to achieving peace, while the back panel is decorated with calm waters and a rising sun, symbolizing the goal of peace. The side panels have polynesian tribal symbols swirling like ocean currents, representing how cultures will need to work together to achieve peace.

Honolulu Festival logo.

Supported by the Honolulu Festival Foundation, Hawaii Tourism Authority and corporate sponsors, the 22nd annual Honolulu Festival features a weekend of free arts and cultural displays and entertainment performances for all to enjoy, March 11–13.

Under the banner of “Pacific Harmony” and the theme “Cultural Harmony, Journey to Peace,” the Honolulu Festival’s goal is to help perpetuate the strong cultural and ethnic ties between the people of Hawaii and the Pacific Rim.

The Honolulu Festival Foundation supports educational and cultural programs for the benefit of Hawai‘i’s school children and the community-at-large through public outreach and charitable efforts.

For more information, visit HonoluluFestival.com.

Baldwin High School’s winning mikoshi design, right panel.

Baldwin High School’s winning mikoshi design, left panel.

Baldwin High School’s winning mikoshi design, back panel.

Baldwin High School’s winning mikoshi design, back panel.

Baldwin High School’s winning mikoshi design.