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The Okinawan Festival this weekend will get the lion’s share of publicity, but the annual Yamanashi Kyoyukai picnic at McCoy Pavilion deserves a shout-out, too.
The aim of the picnic “is to have everyone enjoy the friendship of one another through food, game-playing and understanding of our heritage, of our first-generation family members from Yamanashi prefecture in Japan,” said Dean Asahina, president of the Hawaii Yamanashi Kyoyukai Friendship club.
The Hawaii Yamanashi Kyoyukai Friendship Club was formed about a century ago for immigrants from Yamanashi prefecture who had settled in Hawaii. The prefecture is west of Tokyo and Mount Fuji in Japan, and is smaller than many prefectures from which Hawaii families of Japanese ancestry originated.
“The basis of our picnic has always been the food,” Asahina said. “We try to provide a very hearty and tasty lunch so members are satisfied and return happily the following year,” he said, adding, “Our games are fun, too.”
YAMANASHI KYOYUKAI PICNIC
>> Where: McCoy Pavilion, Ala Moana Park
>> When: 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Sunday
>> Cost: $5
>> Info: 845-3986
This year’s menu includes always-popular charcoal-grilled meats, including Asahina’s sake-miso chicken, teriyaki beef and grilled sausages, as well as macaroni salad, tossed green salad, rice, soft drinks and bottled water.
The group will prepare shave ice with azuki beans, a popular summertime treat across Japan and Hawaii. Additionally, there will be “lots of desserts brought by picnic participants,” Asahina said.
Admission price for the event is nominal at $5. That has sometimes been a concern for the group’s leadership, but Asahina said in past years the inexpensive admission, generous servings of food and the fun people have playing games outdoors tend to make attendees willing to contribute additional donations.
Proceeds help to fund the club’s participation in community events throughout the year, such as the annual New Year’s Ohana Festival at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii in January. The group’s grilled mochi at that event is popular and generates long lines at its booth at Moiliili Field.
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