Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival Kick-Off Breakfast

A welcome and kick-off breakfast for the 2024 Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival was held on Friday, July 12, 2024, and hosted by Hula Grill in Waikīkī. Many musicians and dancers from Japan were welcomed to Hawai‘i and the festival by Mary Lou Foley, Community Outreach for TS Restaurants (Hula Grill's parent company) and Michelle Whitton, General Manager of Hula Grill. Hawaiian entertainment was provided by steel guitarists Alan Akaka and Bobby Ingano, NextGen steel guitarist Isaac Woodward, and backup musicians Helene Woodward, David Kekoa Woodward of Walea, and Kaipo Asing.

• Guitarist David Kekoa Woodward.
• David Woodward is a guitarist and vocalist for Hawaiian group Walea.
• Kaipo Asing.
• Steel guitarist Bobby Ingano.
• Helene Woodward, David Kekoa Woodward, Bobby Ingano, and Kaipo Asing.
• Helene Woodward.
• Helene Woodward.
• The Hula Grill provided a nice setting for the welcome and kick-off breakfast for the 2024 Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival.
• Entertainment for the kick-off breakfast was provided by musicians young and old. In this picture, Helene Woodward, David Kekoa Woodward, NextGen steel guitarist Isaac Woodward, steel guitarists Alan Akaka and Bobby Ingano, and Kaipo Asing.
• Helene Wioodward and David Woodward.
• Steel guitarists Kiyoshi ʻʻLionʻʻ Kobayashi and Masami ʻʻMattʻʻ Kobayashi with Mattʻs wife Machiko.
• Steel guitarist Shinichi Kakiuchi, his wife Kumiko Kakiuchi, and Shirley Holu.
• Setsuko Tohma, steel guitarist Paul Okubio, steel guitarist Yukio Katagiri, and his wife Reiko Katagiri.
• Members of Makana. From left: Keiko Izumi, Akemi Mutou, Yasuko Abe, Michiko Makiuchi (in rear), Tomoko Yoda, Kumu Kamaile Sachiko Tanaka, and Masami Sato. Masami Sato and Michiko Makiuchi are musicians and the others are hula dancers from Hula Halau Ona Ona O Kamaile.
• Michiko Akaka and Noriko Tomita.
• Mieko Matsuda, Yoshiko Gohda, and Mariko Aikawa, hula dancers for Shinichi Kakiuchi.
• Mary Lou Foley, Community Outreach for TS Restaurants, Michelle Whitton, Hula Grill General Manager, Shuji Tomita, co-emcee of the Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival, and Alan Akaka.
• Steel guitarist Alan Akaka with David Woodward.
• Steel guitarist Bobby Ingano.
• Alan Akaka.
• Kaipo Asing with Bobby Ingano.
• Helene Woodward.
• Helene, David, Alan, Bobby, and Kaipo.
• Breakfast is served!
• NextGen steel guitarist Isaac Woodward.
• Isaac Woodward.
• Isaac Woodward with dad David Kekoa Woodward looking on. Bobby Ingano provides an assist.
• Helene, David, Isaac, Bobby, and Kaipo.
• Isaac Woodward and Bobby Ingano.

Back to Gallery: 2024 Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival

Photography by Don Rostow ©2024 by Don Rostow and HIMELE.