Kamehameha Schools Maui Wins Mikoshi Design Contest

Kamehameha Schools, file photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

Students from Kamehameha School on Maui were named the winner of the Maui Mikoshi Design Contest at the 2013 Honolulu Festival.

The theme this year, and the subject matter of the design was: “Transforming the world; Connect. Discover. Let each experience fascinate you.”

A mikoshi is a decorative float unique to specific prefectures in Japan that is carried by groups of celebrants during festivals. For the past 10 years, the Honolulu Festival has been extending its reach to Maui by asking island high schools to submit designs for the annual event.

The Maui students will display their winning mikoshi design at the Hawaii Convention Center on Saturday, March 2; and then carry the mikoshi in the Grand Parade along Kalakaua Avenue on Sunday, March 3.

The mikoshi was constructed by the Kamehameha Schools Maui students under the guidance of Sensei Jared Mateaki. Their trip to Oahu for the 19th Annual Honolulu Festival mikoshi contest was sponsored by the Honolulu Festival Foundation, Hawaiian Airlines, Outrigger Hotels & Resorts and the Kahili Golf Course.

“The Honolulu Festival is an amazing example of culture within Hawaii and the Pacific Rim, and I am both proud and honored that our students have received this award,” said school principal Jay-R Kaawa. “Our students along with Sensei Mateaki have put forth outstanding effort into their mikoshi design. We are honored to be part of this wonderful festival and I know our students are thrilled,” he said.

The design created by the students of Kamehameha Schools Maui focused on the theme of world culture and incorporated diverse motifs transcending the ideals of cultural unity.

“Kamehameha Schools Maui has designed an intricate mikoshi embodying creative designs that symbolize the importance of bridging the past cultures and traditions with the modern world,” said Keiichi Tsujino, president of the Honolulu Festival Foundation. “We applaud the students and Mateaki Sensei for creating a unique design that sends a message of cultural preservation while integrating advancements of the future.”