[ Feature Article ]
Japanese Sub-Culture, Anime and Akiba-kei, alive and well in Honolulu!
15th Annual Honolulu Festival （2009）
Doraemon Comes to Hawaii！
Doraemon, a very popular Japanese anime character who is also Japan's Anime Ambassador, participated in the 15th Annual Honolulu Festival. Doraemon was there to greet those who attended the Honolulu Festival at the Hawaii Convention Center on March 14, Saturday, and March 15, Sunday. He welcomed the crowd at the entrance to the Honolulu Festival. People were excited to see Doraemon, especially the children. Doraemon waved to the kids and posed for pictures with them. What a treat!
The crowd also had a chance to see Doraemon's movie called Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur 2006 - The Movie on Saturday and Sunday. Children and anime aficionados gathered around the movie area before the movie started. People clapped and cheered as Doraemon entered to welcome guests. People took pictures of the cute robotic cat.
Those adjacent at the Craft Fair stopped to see what was going on and decided to stay and watch the feature movie. Everyone in Japan knows Doraemon but there are many children in Hawaii who have never heard of him. This was a great opportunity for Doraemon to make Hawaiian fans.
Doraemon welcomed the audience before the movie was featured. How exciting to have Doraemon right before our eyes!
The area was packed during the presentation of Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur 2006-The Movie.
Honolulu Festival's first Maid Cafe!
This was the first time for Honolulu Festival to present a Maid Cafe. This is the brainchild of Jayson Chun, Assistant Professor of History, Humanities Division, of the University of Hawaii-West Oahu Campus. He and his students put the Maid Cafe together in order to learn about one of Japan's popular cultures, the anime culture. Maid Cafes are popular theme coffee shops that originated in Akihabara, the anime district of Tokyo. These cafes are an important part of the anime culture, inspired by the maids and butlers who are common characters of Japanese comics.
The donations that were collected from the guests for coffee, tea and other services will be used to fund the students' annual summer field trip to Japan. Maids and butlers dressed in their elegant anime outfits served the guests with lavish attention. And what does "lavish" mean? Well, they greeted everyone as if they were coming home rather than as a cafe customer by saying "Okaerinasaimase! Welcome home, Master! Welcome home, Madam!" They poured drinks, stirred the coffee and treated guests like masters and madams. The maids and butlers also played games with the guests and of course, the guests always won! The Maid Cafe, a new feature at the 15th Annual Honolulu Festival, was a huge success. It was just like being in Akihabara!
The maids took the order and cheerfully made conversation with the guests.
The butler played games with the guests.
I volunteered to participate as a maid at the Maid Cafe to collect donations for our field trip to Japan, and I had a great time.
Maid at Maid Cafe, Christina
I volunteered to participate as a maid to collect donations for our field trip to Japan, and I had a great time. It seems that everyone was enjoying themselves.
We played games with our guests and took pictures together. It was neat. I love Japan's anime. Halko Momoi even came to the Maid Cafe!
A Gathering of Anime Lovers in Hawaii
Kawaii Kon is an organization of people in Hawaii who love anime and games. Members of Kawaii Kon organized a manga library and a manga artist workshop at the Honolulu Festival this year. The Anime Corner was constantly busy with the gathering of Hawaii's children and students who share the love of anime. What started out as a Japanese sub-culture of anime and television games is now popular worldwide. It was evident at the Honolulu Festival that many young people love anime and that its popularity will continue to grow.
There were many people that came to the Honolulu Festival in their anime costumes. Crowds gathered to take pictures with them. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about a different culture.
Kawaii Kon members displayed their talents of illustrating anime characters on their PCs.
Many children participated in the manga artist workshop.
I love Japan's anime. My favorite is "Naruto".
Kawaii Kon member, Christian
I got hooked on Neon Genesis Evangelion because of my sister. And now I'm a member of Kawaii Kon.
I love Japan's anime. My favorite is "Naruto". There's action and drama. The plot is good too. I also like Halko Momoi because she is full of energy and she's so cute. I'd like to visit Japan some day.
Momoi, Akiba-kei idol, returns to Hawaii!
This was Momoi's second year to perform at the Honolulu Festival. This popular Akiba-kei idol once again energized the audience by dancing and singing with her fans on stage.
What is impressive about Momoi is that she is a wonderful entertainer. Not only does she excite her fans, but even those who don't know her. She is able to get the entire crowd all worked up. The young children of Hawaii got up on stage and enjoyed dancing with Momoi. Momoi even stepped off the stage and sang with the audience.
Momoi visited the Maid Cafe and signed autographs at Anime Corner before her performance. She spent time with her fans and that is probably why she is so popular. Momoi gave the anime lovers an opportunity to experience the culture of Akihabara…in Hawaii!
The fans lined up to get Momoi's autograph.
Momoi poses for a picture with her loyal fan who came from Japan to attend the Honolulu Festival.
The children of Hawaii perform with Momoi on stage.
Group picture after the stage performance.
【Momoi Halko Interview 】
Momoi Halko is a wonderful Anime Ambassador!
Organizer of Maid Cafe, Hawaii's Professor Jayson Chun
Momoi Halko is so full of energy. I really like her. She is the connection for Japan's anime between Japan and America as well as other countries throughout the world. She is truly a wonderful Anime Ambassador. The students and I were very glad that she came to our Maid Cafe. I took my students to watch Momoi's stage performance. My students and I got on stage and danced with her. That is something that we normally cannot do so it was exciting.
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Doraemon, a very popular Japanese anime character who is also Japan's Anime Ambassador, participated in the 15th Annual Honolulu Festival. Doraemon was there to greet those who attended the Honolulu Festival at the Hawaii Convention Center on March 14, Saturday, and March 15, Sunday. He welcomed the crowd at the entrance to the Honolulu Festival. People were excited to see Doraemon, especially the children. Doraemon waved to the kids and posed for pictures with them. What a treat! 
This was the first time for Honolulu Festival to present a Maid Cafe. This is the brainchild of Jayson Chun, Assistant Professor of History, Humanities Division, of the University of Hawaii-West Oahu Campus. He and his students put the Maid Cafe together in order to learn about one of Japan's popular cultures, the anime culture. Maid Cafes are popular theme coffee shops that originated in Akihabara, the anime district of Tokyo. These cafes are an important part of the anime culture, inspired by the maids and butlers who are common characters of Japanese comics. 
Maid at Maid Cafe, Christina
Kawaii Kon is an organization of people in Hawaii who love anime and games. Members of Kawaii Kon organized a manga library and a manga artist workshop at the Honolulu Festival this year. The Anime Corner was constantly busy with the gathering of Hawaii's children and students who share the love of anime. What started out as a Japanese sub-culture of anime and television games is now popular worldwide. It was evident at the Honolulu Festival that many young people love anime and that its popularity will continue to grow. 
Kawaii Kon member, Christian
This was Momoi's second year to perform at the Honolulu Festival. This popular Akiba-kei idol once again energized the audience by dancing and singing with her fans on stage. 
Organizer of Maid Cafe, Hawaii's Professor Jayson Chun
