Isles welcome teens from Japan

A group of 16 teen girls from Sendai, Japan, were all smiles as they skillfully performed hula Wednesday in front of a crowd at the Consulate General of Japan.

The dancers, from Tokiwagi Gakuen High School, won first place in the 2012 and 2013 Hula Girls Koshien Competition in Japan.

In addition to the challenge of hula mastery, for many of the girls, dancing is an escape from the harsh realities tied to damage caused by the magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck the Tohoku region in March 2011.

The performance at the consulate headquarters in Nuuanu was part of a reception to welcome the students to Hawaii and connect them with groups that have supported Tohoku relief efforts. In the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that claimed 15,884 lives, the Japan-America Society of Hawaii, Rainbow for Japan Kids, Nadeshiko Club and Bridge Club Hawaii are continuing to assist victims.

One of the hula performers, Aoi Saito, 16, said she was scared when the earthquake struck while she was at school.

"I’m still shocked because (some of) my friends and family have passed away," Saito said through a translator. "Some of my relatives have suffered physical and mental stress because of this. There’s been some tough days."

The Rainbow for Japan Kids program — comprising members from Japan Airlines, First Hawaiian Bank, Hawaii Senior Life Enrichment Association, Studio Rim Hawaii and Lighthouse Hawaii magazine — has been sending students from Japan to Hawaii three times a year. Tokiwagi Gakuen is the eighth such group.

"We wanted to do something beyond just monetary donations," said Yoshi Tsurumi, assistant vice president for Japan business development at First Hawaiian Bank. "The initial purpose of this project was just to give them some fun and hope."

Tsurumi said he hears many positive stories from the students after their Hawaii visit. In one case, he said, students formed a group of volunteers and cleaned up a closed beach that later reopened.

"It was a very big success," he said. "We don’t expect kids to become a leader in their local community, but they did anyway."

Kristi Kang, Japan-America Society of Hawaii program director, said her group served as the collection point for the statewide Aloha for Japan campaign. By April 2013, it pitched in nearly $4 million to the Japanese Red Cross Society, which provided for food, medical care and counseling in affected areas.

Hiromi Okada, a member of Nadeshiko Club, said her group is continuing to reach out to the elderly and women in Japan who create handmade crafts to sell at events such as the Honolulu Festival.

CORRECTION: Kristi Kang is the Japan-America Society of Hawaii program director. Her name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story.