From left to right: Omuta Daijayama Vice Chairman Tsutsumi, Adviser Miyazaki, Chairman Kawano, Honolulu Festival Foundation Secretary Watanabe, Honolulu Festival Japan Executive Office's Okubo. March 13, 2009 Hawaii Convention Center
Daijayama is "Omuta's Treasure and Strength,"
we are proud to showcase this Matsuri to the world
Watanabe：I first saw Daijayama in 2003. It was when the dashi (festival cart) participated in the Grand Parade of the 2003 Honolulu Festival. I was overwhelmed by its intensity and the very upbeat rhythm of the music. We call it "the Fire Spitting Dragon" in English and true to its name, watching the fire spit out impressed me to the point that I shed a few tears. That's how emotional it was for me. Having lived in Hawaii since I was a child, I thought I knew all about Japan's Matsuri, but then realized that I didn't. I was given the opportunity to go to Omuta in 2008 to actually see the Daijayama Matsuri. And that is when I knew that I had witnessed the true Daijayama.
Kawano： We feel that this Matsuri is "Omuta's treasure and strength." Since 2008 we have changed the name of Honolulu Festival's Daijayama from "Omuta Daijayama" to "Honolulu Daijayama." Our goal is to seize this opportunity that we have in Honolulu to launch Daijayama throughout the United States and then to the world. We want our Daijayama to be "the World's Matsuri."
We are confident that Daijayama can be proudly showcased to the world because of its "form," "action," and "sound." And at night the Daijayama spits fire. It is very rare to find a Matsuri even in Japan with all these elements combined. Some have action but no brilliance, some have light but no movement, or no form, or no dashi. We should be doing more to showcase Daijayama. It is our responsibility that we have neglected such a magnificent Matsuri as Daijayama until now.
Tsutsumi： I consider Daijayama as the "Uncrowned Emperor." We may fall short when comparing our Daijayama to other nationally known festivals in regards to degree of familiarity or popularity. However, once you have seen it, it will grasp the spectators' hearts like an eagle seizes its prey and never let go. The value is in the fusion of its luminous beauty, its sound and its intensity. It is beauty created by the unification of excellent materials.
Miyazaki： In Japan, there are many Matsuri that have been well-branded and are widely known. As the other two have mentioned before me, perhaps Omuta Daijayama has not been a match until now compared to the other Matsuri. However, when you look back into the origin of Daijayama and its development, we have a rich history that can compete with the other brands. And now with the passing of time, Daijayama has crossed the ocean to Honolulu. We hope to nurture Daijayama with the support from all of you and make it into something wonderful. I believe that this enthusiasm and passion that we all have will be the source of the future development of Daijayama.
I may be digressing a bit but within our long history there is a period known as the "Shimabara Rebellion" when Omuta was ruled by the Yanagawa Tachibana Clan. The Omuta troops that were dispatched by the clan were praised for their meritorious deeds by the Shogun at that time. They were given many praises and rewards. It was a great historical period. And it is reflected in the music that we play during Daijayama Matsuri. The sound that is heard at the beginning when we leave with the Daija is heroic and brave. The sound that is heard when we return is music to mourn the dead and those injured at battle. The music may be the same but there is a slight difference to the sound. The Matsuri was interrupted during World War II and then revived. We have come this far. Our history should not be forgotten. We must learn from our past and strive towards the future. Let's step up to the challenge of developing Daijayama and make it "the world's Daijayama."
Tsutsumi： We are trying to put on a magnificent performance in Honolulu. The Honolulu Daijayama is like a huge blossomed flower and the spectators only see the part of the flower that is above the soil's surface. The spectators only appreciate the showy part, the part that makes everyone feel the intense energy. However, when we are in Japan, at the same time, we have certain Shinto rituals that we must abide. These are spiritual and cultural traditions of the Omuta area that are closely intertwined to our way of living and honoring our deities. These rituals can be considered the part of the flower that is beneath the soil's surface. They include local community functions and children's events. These are opportunities for the elder to train the young on how to cut bamboo, how to paste paper together, and all the other tasks involved in making the Daijayama. The parents teach their children, grandparents pass it down to their grandchildren. This process is all happening beneath the surface. It would be nice for those that are interested in Honolulu Daijayama to visit Omuta on the last Saturday of each July. There you will able to see the entire process of things happening both above and below the surface, see the flower and the roots. I would really like for you to come and visit Omuta at the time of our Matsuri.
Kawano： As Mr. Tsutsumi said the last Saturday of July is when we have Omuta's Daijayama Matsuri. Mr. Okubo and Mr. Watanabe attended our Matsuri last year and I am sure they were both surprised by our event. I don't think that you can understand the energy that is involved in having such a festival as Daijayama Matsuri unless you actually see it for yourself. We want all of you from Hawaii and also those from other parts of the United States to visit Omuta so we can show you what it's all about. What is shown in Honolulu is just one dashi. We have six ancient shrines in Omuta and each has their own dashi. Six dashi perform together. It is very spectacular!
Tsutsumi： Daijayama is a Gion Matsuri, and Gion Matsuri do not keep the dashi after the Matsuri. It is our belief that the dashi must perish at the end of the Matsuri. What took us many months to construct, we destroy in one moment. Each shrine has its own way of destroying the dashi. Some have the children climb the dashi and tear it down, others burn it. There are many ways for the dashi to perish and this again is another wonderful form of Japanese spiritual traditions. We'd like for you to come and see this Shinto ritual of destroying something in one moment, something that took us forever to make.
We would like for Omuta Daijayama and Honolulu Daijayama to perform together five years from now
Watanabe： As you all know the Daijayama has always been the heart of Honolulu Festival's Grand Parade. The people of Honolulu look forward to it each year. The spectators were disappointed two years ago when the Daijayama did not appear in the Grand Parade. Comments like, "What, no Daijayama this year?" were heard throughout the parade route. The spectators expect Daijayama to appear in the Honolulu Festival. There are many who believe that Honolulu Festival equals Daijayama!
Now that Daijayama will be appearing each year we have a new problem. Actually it's a pleasant challenge. And that is the fact that the spectators get so excited by the high energy of the Daijayama and the fireworks that they tend to gather close to the dashi, running out on to the street. It is our job to keep the area safe and that has become a challenge. I guess it goes to show how much the people enjoy Daijayama each year.
There are a few parades in America that are also well known throughout the world such as New York's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Just as Mr. Kawano said, no other dashi can compete with the Daijayama's intensity and magnitude. We want to enforce that in the future, that Honolulu has a wonderful event and that Honolulu Festival equals Daijayama. We want to strive towards that so people all over the world know about it.
Kawano： It was a great disappointment when Daijayama did not appear in the Honolulu Festival a few years ago. It was awful and lonely. Very lonely. That sadness made us feel like we have to bring it back. We were able to come back. Now we feel like we must continue performing in the Grand Parade for a long time. We feel like we must keep on coming back each year.
Watanabe： Honolulu Festival would like to increase the awareness of Daijayama to those who have never seen it or heard of it. That is our goal. We need to share Daijayama, what it is and its history, to the English speaking audience. We want more people to understand and become familiar with Daijayama.
Okubo： It is our goal to spread the knowledge of Daijayama to the children of Hawaii, get them to know about it from a young age. With that in mind we were able to have the Chibikko Daijayama this time. What a perfect way to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Honolulu Festival, with the debut of Chibikko Daijayama!
Watanabe： We also want everyone to understand the true meaning of Daijayama. Most of our audience are people who were born and raised in Hawaii and cannot speak Japanese. Therefore we need to share our knowledge of Daijayama in English or any other language that they can understand. The number of volunteers will increase if we do that. The number of volunteers will grow steadily. Those who participate will know of our purpose. We will broaden the knowledge of Daijayama through the English language. Once they understand, then we can teach the volunteers how to build the Daijayama and how to participate in the Grand Parade. This is what we think we should do.
Tsutsumi： I can already see the budding sprouts of the volunteers who support the Honolulu Daijayama. They are the firemen who take time off from their own jobs to help, and the truck driver. There are those who are already supporting our efforts. The members of Hawaii's Fukuoka Kenjin Kai, the Issei, Nisei and Sansei, are the nucleus of our volunteers. We will use them as our core and make the group bigger, just like making a snowman. The Honolulu volunteers will become the two wheels of our dashi. This is how we will make the group larger. They will be the foundation and we will support it from the side or from the front, where ever necessary .
Kawano：I spoke to Mr. Okubo about this last year, that in 5 years when we celebrate Honolulu Festival's 20th anniversary, the vision is for the Daijayama that calls Honolulu its home, the Honolulu Daijayama, to be prepared and manned by the volunteers of Honolulu. We will bring a Daija from Omuta and we will performer together. I hope that we can realize this goal. At that opportunity we will be able to see the differences in each very clearly and we will be able to put on a spectacular Matsuri of the highest intensity. I would like to realize this goal for sure.
Tsutsumi： Well, then we need you to extend your retirement…we need your support. (Laughter by everyone.)
Group members who support the Honolulu Daijayama
Omuta Daijayama, event held each year on the 4th Saturday of July Each summer the Omuta Daijayama Festival attracts over 400,000 people who come to Fukuoka prefecture to celebrate an old legend dating back over a thousand years. Hundreds of volunteers turn out to pull the dashi which are all over 10 meters long. Over ten dragon floats parade through the main streets in Omuta. The crowd is overwhelmed by the high level of energy and intensity of the Matsuri. When the Daija spit their fire, spectators will be energized. There is excitement and joy. Intense emotions are stirred all at once.
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Watanabe：I first saw Daijayama in 2003. It was when the dashi (festival cart) participated in the Grand Parade of the 2003 Honolulu Festival. I was overwhelmed by its intensity and the very upbeat rhythm of the music. We call it "the Fire Spitting Dragon" in English and true to its name, watching the fire spit out impressed me to the point that I shed a few tears. That's how emotional it was for me. Having lived in Hawaii since I was a child, I thought I knew all about Japan's Matsuri, but then realized that I didn't. I was given the opportunity to go to Omuta in 2008 to actually see the Daijayama Matsuri. And that is when I knew that I had witnessed the true Daijayama. 
Kawano： We feel that this Matsuri is "Omuta's treasure and strength." Since 2008 we have changed the name of Honolulu Festival's Daijayama from "Omuta Daijayama" to "Honolulu Daijayama." Our goal is to seize this opportunity that we have in Honolulu to launch Daijayama throughout the United States and then to the world. We want our Daijayama to be "the World's Matsuri."
Tsutsumi： I consider Daijayama as the "Uncrowned Emperor." We may fall short when comparing our Daijayama to other nationally known festivals in regards to degree of familiarity or popularity. However, once you have seen it, it will grasp the spectators' hearts like an eagle seizes its prey and never let go. The value is in the fusion of its luminous beauty, its sound and its intensity. It is beauty created by the unification of excellent materials. 
Miyazaki： In Japan, there are many Matsuri that have been well-branded and are widely known. As the other two have mentioned before me, perhaps Omuta Daijayama has not been a match until now compared to the other Matsuri. However, when you look back into the origin of Daijayama and its development, we have a rich history that can compete with the other brands. And now with the passing of time, Daijayama has crossed the ocean to Honolulu. We hope to nurture Daijayama with the support from all of you and make it into something wonderful. I believe that this enthusiasm and passion that we all have will be the source of the future development of Daijayama. 
Now that Daijayama will be appearing each year we have a new problem. Actually it's a pleasant challenge. And that is the fact that the spectators get so excited by the high energy of the Daijayama and the fireworks that they tend to gather close to the dashi, running out on to the street. It is our job to keep the area safe and that has become a challenge. I guess it goes to show how much the people enjoy Daijayama each year.
Okubo： It is our goal to spread the knowledge of Daijayama to the children of Hawaii, get them to know about it from a young age. With that in mind we were able to have the Chibikko Daijayama this time. What a perfect way to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Honolulu Festival, with the debut of Chibikko Daijayama!
