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Once in Cherry Blossom, always in Cherry Blossom

By Catherine Toth Fox • July 24, 2011 • Musings, The Daily Dish

People often ask me why I participated in the annual Cherry Blossom Festival 10 years ago.

It’s never a simple answer.

Truth is, I didn’t grow up wanting to be part of the annual ethnic festival that, for decades, was more like a beauty pageant than the cultural experience it is today.

I had no business running in a beauty pageant — can’t wear high heels, legs scarred up from run-ins with asphalt, swearing problem — and, besides, the festival didn’t allow half-Japanese women like me to participate.

Until 1999, when Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce, which oversees the festival, decided to open it up to multiethnic Japanese-American women. It was a controversial but necessary (at least in my opinion) move, as the festival better reflected the multiethnic community of which it was a part.

Now I had no excuse.

What sold me was the cultural aspect of the festival. As a contestant, you get the opportunity to learn about the Japanese culture in hands-on classes such as ikebana, calligraphy, sushi-making, tea ceremony, kimono-dressing and — my favorite — taiko drumming.

The surprise was, though, that I gained lifelong friends, the kind you know will always support you no matter how ridiculous your ideas are, who know exactly how to make you laugh, and who, when you see them after months, it’s like you just saw them the other day.

That kind of friend.

And not just with my fellow contestants, either. Since volunteering with the festival after my stint on court, I’ve been fortunate enough to make these same strong friendships with other volunteers, who all believes in this festival, too.

The 60th Cherry Blossom Festival is currently seeking applicants — hence, the blog — and if you know a Japanese-American woman between 19 and 26 who’s interested in learning about their culture, gaining professional development and networking experience, and open to making friends for life, tell her to apply. (Application here. The deadline has been extended to Aug. 15.)

It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Here’s a sample of what the contestants go through during the six months leading up to Festival Ball:

Ikebana class

Ikebana class
Image 1 of 20

The contestant experience involves a lot of cultural classes — all free and held after-work hours. Last year's contestants, like Elizabeth Lee-Tamahana (right), took an ikebana class from Roy Otaguro from MOA Hawaii.

About the 60th Cherry Blossom Festival

Applicants must have at least 50 percent Japanese ancestry, be between the ages of 19 and 26 years old, single, a U.S. citizen and Hawaii resident. A completed registration form, proof of Japanese ancestry through a birth certificate and a $30 application fee is required.

For more information about the Cherry Blossom Festival, visit www.cbfhawaii.com or email [email protected]. Visit the festival’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cbfhawaii or follow it on Twitter @cbfhi.

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About the Author

Catherine Toth Fox

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13 Comments

  • Reply oldshoes July 24, 2011 at 4:24 pm

    awesome! trely an unforgettable experience! they shouls do a “STOMP” routine this year! that would be cool-a-mundo! How about putting up that video again of the lovely and talented contestant who could speed paint Bruce Lee portrait with her toes!! Fabulous!

  • Reply oldshoes July 24, 2011 at 4:27 pm

    typo-truly…an unforgettable experience,- is what i was intending. oops, and another one–they SHOULD do stomp. yes, “cool-a-mundo” is a word….right? haha

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 24, 2011 at 5:51 pm

      There’s no talent portion in Cherry Blossom. Good thing, otherwise I would’ve tanked!

  • Reply Dean Masai July 24, 2011 at 4:54 pm

    It’s tough. Only the most dedicated need apply. Six grueling months of training, then Festival Ball Night. Brush up on your public speaking. If selected as Queen or a Princess, one year of promotional and community activities at least once a week, including travel to L.A., San Francisco, Seattle, and Japan. But what a ride!

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 24, 2011 at 5:52 pm

      Yep, and it’s free. (Most of it, anyway.) We should calculate the value of being a contestant… Wonder how much the entire six-month experience — including classes, professional development, appearance dress, gown, shoes, alterations — are worth…

  • Reply David Jackson July 24, 2011 at 5:28 pm

    OK, had to Google Catherine Toth and Cherry Blossom Festival because that is my nature. According to an article I read you were the 49th Queen and Miss Congeniality. How cool was that? I remember it from when I was living there before and it was kind of fun. Ethnic drumming is indeed cool. I’ve experienced the djembe from Africa, kettle drums in Jamaica man, Bongos, and Congos. A friend at Microsoft in seattle had a store that sold djembe he imported from Senegal. It is sort of natural to beat on drums, all of us seem to do it. Thanks for making sure everyone knows it isn’t just a ‘beauty pageant’ because it is way more than that. Frankly of all the things learned I suspect the networking skills are the most valuable.

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 24, 2011 at 5:53 pm

      Uh, not a beauty pageant — at least not when I ran! LOL! 🙂

      • Reply David Jackson July 24, 2011 at 6:38 pm

        Modest eh? 🙂

  • Reply Terrence Iwamoto July 24, 2011 at 10:05 pm

    Nice Article! As a former Cherry Blossom Festival General Chairman I must also acknowledge that you don’t need money or come from a well to do family to run. Many contestants think that the winners are from well to do families. Only until the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce started to allow women to join that they better understood it. They have even had women become General Chairman of the Festival which is also a tremendous experience as well.

    Once selected as Queen and Court there is a lot of commitment that is required both in Hawaii and abroad and requires a lot of patience and understanding from their families and employers. After all they are representing the State of Hawaii and our Japanese Community.

    The applicants as well work very hard in preparing for the event which is very time consuming as well as hectic.

    As a whole the experience learned by everyone is irreplaceable and will be one of the most memorable time in their lives!

    My Congratulations to the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce for their 60th Year of perpetuating the Japanese Culture for all to enjoy in the State of Hawaii!

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 25, 2011 at 12:18 pm

      Hey, thanks for stopping by! Nice to hear from you! You’re totally right about the assumptions out there. You don’t really know what it’s all about until you’ve done it. Thanks for sharing!

  • Reply WildeOscar July 25, 2011 at 5:58 am

    This is a fantastic celebration of culture and of life itself. Thank’s for the insider’s look at the preparations, event, cameraderie, and legacy.

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 25, 2011 at 12:18 pm

      You’re welcome! Notice I didn’t use photos from my year! LOL!

  • Reply Sydette July 25, 2011 at 2:11 pm

    Great story! The perception out there is that it is a beauty pageant, but its so the opposite. Its been 9 years since I participated and I’m still around because of great people like you! We are apart of the Cherry Blossom sisterhood.

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About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

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