Hawaii in Japan

I don't think that I'll be given the opportunity to truly miss Hawaii while I'm here in Japan. The Japanese have really taken pieces of Hawaiian culture for their own. I witnessed this when I recently went to Yokohama for the Hawaii festival. As I entered the building where the festival was taking place, I witnessed shop after shop of local style goods. As I walked along the booths, I came to the stage where Hula performance after Hula performance took place. I decided to grab me some mochiko chicken, a Kona Brewing Co. Longboard Lager, and sit and enjoy the performances. After a bit I walked around trying to find a friend's family's booth. I found them and chatted with them for a while. I then proceeded outside where a band played Hawaiian music and several school aged children danced hula. I was very impressed with how even Japanese children have come to love hula. After a while a more mature female began to perform. After the performance, I went to speak with her and come to find out she dances back in Hawaii with a good friend of mine. She stated that there were several dancers out here to perform from Hawaii. While the ocean around the Tokyo area cannot come close to comparing to Hawaiian waters, at least every once and a while I can enjoy Hula, a plate lunch, and beer from the islands I love and call home.