Crazy for Kendama

They’ve been around for more than two centuries, but it wasn’t until the last quarter of 2013 that kendamas took over playgrounds and shopping malls as children fell in love with the Japanese toy. A sure sign of their prevalence is that schools have begun banning the items due to worries about gambling and misuse.

In this age of iPhones and iPads, it’s surprising that a simple cup-and-ball game would become the rage. But with a vast array of sizes, designs and makes, and an infinite number of tricks limited only by one’s imagination, the kendama is a hot item for kids of all ages. And at just $20 or so a pop, it’s a welcome break for parents weary of the usual demand for high-priced electronics. — Stefanie Nakasone

‘Five-0′ Fridays

Fans feared the worst when CBS announced it was moving "Hawaii Five-0" from Monday night to Friday night for the crime drama’s fourth season. TV critics and the faithful figured this to be sure sign the show was doomed. But ever since the switch, "Five-0" has won its earlier 8 p.m. time slot. Through the first 11 episodes of the season, "Five-0" has averaged 9.5 million viewers. (The Season 3 average was 9.02 million viewers.)

The penultimate episode of the fall season won favorable notice, as the "Five-0" team solved a cold-case murder from the days following the attack on Pearl Harbor, bringing to light the injustice done to Japanese-Americans imprisoned in internment camps. — Mike Gordon

New showcase for Pacific artifacts

The opening of the Pacific Hall in September marked a milestone for the Bishop Museum. Its completion capped a $24.5 million renovation of the Hawaiian Hall complex and was symbolic of the museum’s modernization and greater scope and reach.

Pacific Hall, formerly Polynesian Hall, reveals the deep, historic connections among the peoples of the Pacific with an unprecedented display of ethnological and archival materials alongside contemporary artwork and multimedia displays.

With 42 cases, 12 interactive digital media displays and seven contemporary art pieces, Pacific Hall offers a new perspective on Pacific migration as well.

A new, inlaid wood floor map of the Pacific, a refurbished canoe from southern Fiji and large, double-sided screen with continuously projected images bring the hall to life. — Nina Wu

Long live the King

Elvis Presley fans came to Oahu in January to join Hawaii residents in celebrating the 40th anniversary of the King’s landmark "Aloha From Hawaii" concert. The show, presented Jan. 14, 1973, in what was then the Honolulu International Center Arena (now Blaisdell Arena), was broadcast to more than 40 countries. It was the first live satellite concert by a single performer and one of Elvis’ biggest shows.

The 40th anniversary of that epic entertainment milestone was celebrated with a week of Elvis-themed observances capped by the screening of a dramatically upgraded and remastered version of the original performance video in the arena. At least one member of Elvis’ production team, and a few people who’d been in the audience back in ’73, were there for the anniversary screening. — John Berger

Making Merrie in Hilo

The 50th Merrie Monarch Festival in April was a time of remembrance as well as a time to pay homage to King David Kalakaua, late co-founders Dorothy Thompson and George Na‘ope, and all the generations of kumu who have perpetuated the art and culture of hula.

This year’s festival commemorated Merrie Monarch’s founding in 1963 and its evolution from a small-town event to internationally renowned competition commonly referred to as the "Olympics of hula."

Besides a hoike showcasing some of the original halau that competed at the first competition, organizers held a King Kalakaua beard lookalike contest and coronation ball harkening back to earlier days. Former Miss Aloha Hula title holders spanning 1971 to 2012 performed on stage together for the first time, and kumu hula and Hawaiian musicians were celebrated for their contributions. — Nina Wu