Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival 2

The 3^rd Annual Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival was held on Friday, July 12, 2024, with seven steel guitarists and steel guitar ensembles from Japan performing. The festival was incorporated into the weeklong Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week. Emcees were Masami Sato and Shuji Tomita. The event was livestreamed and featured Yukio Katagiri, Noriko and Shuji Tomita, Paul Okubo, Shinichi and Kumiko Kakiuchi, Masami "Matt" Kobayashi, Masami Sato & Makana, and Kiyoshi "Lion" Kobayashi with his student Hajime Takahashi. Makana group member and steel guitarist Akiko Watanabe was not able to participate due to illness.

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• The number of festival guests grew throughout the day.
• Featured Japanese steel guitarist Kiyoshi ʻʻLionʻʻ Kobayashi.
• Lion Kobayashi with his steel guitar student Hajime Takahashi.
• Japanese steel guitarist Hajime Takahashi, a student of Kiyoshi ʻʻLionʻʻ Kobayashi.
• Lion at the piano.
• Steel guitar duet by Hajime Takahashi and Lion Kobayashi.
• Hajime Takahashi.
• Festival guests.
• Alan Akaka stepped in as emcee for Masami Sato & Makana. From left: Masami Sato, Alan, and Ayumi Kato. Kazuko Tanaka on the steel guitar is behind Alan.
• Masami Sato & Makana. From left: Yoshiko Konno, Michiko Makikuchi, Masami Sato, Kazuko Tanaka, Ayumi Kato, and Kazuko Ishii.
• Michiko Makiuchi on the piano.
• Michiko Makiuchi, Yoshiko Konno, Masami Sato, Kazuko Tanaka, Ayumi Kato, and Kazuko Ishii.
• Masami Sato.
• Kazuko Tanaka and Ayumi Kato
• Kazuko Ishii.
• Yoshiko Konno.
• Michiko Makiuchi.
• Hula dancers Keiko Azumi, Tomoko Yoda, Kumu Kamaile Sachiko Tanaka, and Akemi Mutou of Ona Ona O Kamaile.
• Yoshiko Konno.
• Masami Sato.
• Masami Sato & Makana with dancers from hula halau Ona Ona O Kamaile.
• Masami Sato, Alan Akaka, Ayumi Kato, and Kazuko Ishii.
• Yoshiko Konno, Masami Sato, Kazuko Tanaka, Alan Akaka, Ayumi Kato, and Kazuko Ishii.
• Yoshiko Konno, Masami Sato, Kazuko Tanaka, Alan Akaka, Ayumi Kato, and Kazuko Ishii. Michiko Makiuchi on the piano is behind Yoshiko Konno.
• Kiyoshi ʻʻLionʻʻ Kobayashi celebrated his 91st birthday a week before the festival.
• Lion with his ʻʻLionʻʻ t-shirt.
• Alan Akaka with Masami Sato & Makana. Makama member Akiko Watanabe was not able to participate due to illness.

Back to Gallery: 2024 Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival

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