Community Calendar

Spam can harps, rice bag drums, tin can gongs, and other musical instruments made from repurposed rubbish are on display at Hamilton Library Bridge Gallery now through mid-August. All instruments were custom built by Benjamin Fairfield, author of the illustrated children's book Kani Ka 'Opala: How can garbage sing? Fairfield (lecturer at UH and Hawai'i Pacific University) was featured last October on the Conversation as a climate-action-artist-in-residence with the State Commission on Climate Change in 2025. Come view, play, and listen to an assortment of rubbish instruments. A great way to celebrate Earth Day and aloha 'aina.

Meet and shop with local vendors at the next JCCH Craft & Collectibles Fair! Browse a selection of Japanese and Japanese-inspired items while supporting small business owners. The JCCH Gift Shop and Historical Gallery will be open until 3:00 PM. A list of this month’s vendors is now available on our event page: https://www.jcchawaii.org/events/august-2026-ccf. Event highlights include:

OHANA ARTS: An all-youth cast from Ohana Arts will perform songs from PEACE ON YOUR WINGS, a musical inspired by the story of Sadako Sasaki and her one thousand paper cranes. The performance will begin at 10:00 AM. Following the performance, visit their outreach and merch booth near the stage.

FREE GALLERY ADMISSION: Did you know that the JCCH’s Okage Sama De Historical Gallery offers free admission during the craft fair? Learn about the multi-generational history of the Japanese in Hawaiʻi through our self-guided exhibit. Donations are appreciated.

📆 Saturday, August 8, 2026
🕘 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM (Gift Shop open until 3:00 PM)
📍 JCCH 1st Floor Courtyard & Breezeway

*Free event admission. 2-hr parking validation with a JCCH Gift Shop purchase.

POP-ART / CULTURE / COLLECTIBLES / TOYS / ANIME / COSPLAY / KPOP / GAMES / TATTOO / MORE!
Under One Roof!

Join AARP and community partners at Prince Kuhio Plaza for a fun and engaging Brain Health Scavenger Hunt. Stroll the mall and stop by interactive learning stations focused on the six pillars of brain health. Try simple, hands-on activities, connect with local resources, and pick up practical tips for everyday well-being. Enter online for a chance to win a $100 Safeway gift card and let us know if you can attend. Participate in the scavenger hunt for more chances to win prizes, including three $50 gift cards. No need to be present when winners are drawn. Drop in anytime from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Do You Love Sushi?

“I Love Sushi,” a traveling exhibition sponsored by the internationally renowned Japan Foundation, opens on June 27 at the Hawaii Japanese Center in Hilo.

The world-traveling exhibit pays recognition to sushi’s immense popularity all over the world, dating back to its introduction to Japan over 1,000 years ago. “I Love Sushi” artfully tells the story of sushi’s key transformations over time and offers visitors a look into how sushi evolved from its ancient origins into a global culinary phenomenon.

The exhibition is produced by the prestigious Japan Foundation headquartered in Tokyo. The exhibit’s showing in Hawaii is coordinated by the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu in coordination with the Hawaii Japanese Center. The visually stunning presentation includes ukiyo-e paintings, woodblock prints, video installations, and scale models of realistically depicted seafood, reproductions of sushi, and even a replica of a Japanese sushi restaurant.

“I Love Sushi” also touches on broader aspects of Japanese history and culture, as sushi has undergone many transformations as it adapted to the environment, climate, and lifestyle of Japan. Nigirizushi, for example, a small mound of rice topped with raw fish or other ingredients originated about 200 years ago in Edo (Tokyo). Hawaii itself is of course no stranger to its own multiethnic traditions involving raw fish and rice.

“I Love Sushi” opens Saturday, June 27 and closes Saturday, August 22 at the Hawaii Japanese Center (HJC), located at 751 Kanoelehua Avenue. HJC is open Wednesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Admission is free. For more information, email HJC at info@hawaiijapanesecenter.com or call (808) 934-9611.

Spam can harps, rice bag drums, tin can gongs, and other musical instruments made from repurposed rubbish are on display at Hamilton Library Bridge Gallery now through mid-August. All instruments were custom built by Benjamin Fairfield, author of the illustrated children's book Kani Ka 'Opala: How can garbage sing? Fairfield (lecturer at UH and Hawai'i Pacific University) was featured last October on the Conversation as a climate-action-artist-in-residence with the State Commission on Climate Change in 2025. Come view, play, and listen to an assortment of rubbish instruments. A great way to celebrate Earth Day and aloha 'aina.

POP-ART / CULTURE / COLLECTIBLES / TOYS / ANIME / COSPLAY / KPOP / GAMES / TATTOO / MORE!
Under One Roof!

Spam can harps, rice bag drums, tin can gongs, and other musical instruments made from repurposed rubbish are on display at Hamilton Library Bridge Gallery now through mid-August. All instruments were custom built by Benjamin Fairfield, author of the illustrated children's book Kani Ka 'Opala: How can garbage sing? Fairfield (lecturer at UH and Hawai'i Pacific University) was featured last October on the Conversation as a climate-action-artist-in-residence with the State Commission on Climate Change in 2025. Come view, play, and listen to an assortment of rubbish instruments. A great way to celebrate Earth Day and aloha 'aina.

Do You Love Sushi?

“I Love Sushi,” a traveling exhibition sponsored by the internationally renowned Japan Foundation, opens on June 27 at the Hawaii Japanese Center in Hilo.

The world-traveling exhibit pays recognition to sushi’s immense popularity all over the world, dating back to its introduction to Japan over 1,000 years ago. “I Love Sushi” artfully tells the story of sushi’s key transformations over time and offers visitors a look into how sushi evolved from its ancient origins into a global culinary phenomenon.

The exhibition is produced by the prestigious Japan Foundation headquartered in Tokyo. The exhibit’s showing in Hawaii is coordinated by the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu in coordination with the Hawaii Japanese Center. The visually stunning presentation includes ukiyo-e paintings, woodblock prints, video installations, and scale models of realistically depicted seafood, reproductions of sushi, and even a replica of a Japanese sushi restaurant.

“I Love Sushi” also touches on broader aspects of Japanese history and culture, as sushi has undergone many transformations as it adapted to the environment, climate, and lifestyle of Japan. Nigirizushi, for example, a small mound of rice topped with raw fish or other ingredients originated about 200 years ago in Edo (Tokyo). Hawaii itself is of course no stranger to its own multiethnic traditions involving raw fish and rice.

“I Love Sushi” opens Saturday, June 27 and closes Saturday, August 22 at the Hawaii Japanese Center (HJC), located at 751 Kanoelehua Avenue. HJC is open Wednesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Admission is free. For more information, email HJC at info@hawaiijapanesecenter.com or call (808) 934-9611.

Wednesday, August 12 | 2:30–4:00 PM

🎨 Juror’s Public Lecture with Jonathan Yukio Clark

Hear from Jonathan Yukio Clark, Director of Schaefer International Gallery at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, as he shares insights from his work as a curator and multidisciplinary artist, and his role as juror for the Hawaiʻi Craftsmen Annual Statewide Exhibition 2026.

📍 Līhuʻe Library Meeting Room | 4344 Hardy St., Līhuʻe
💛 Free • Open to the public • Potluck welcome
shannonmachine@gmail.com