Photos: 2019 Girl’s Day celebration at UH Hilo

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The event was filled with traditional dance, drumming, music and more.

Taiko drummers, front person is lifting their arm high in the air to beat the drum with large stick.

Photos by Raiatea Arcuri for UH Hilo Stories.

This year, Girl‘s Day at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo was celebrated on the evening of March 1 rather than the traditional third day of the third month. The program was organized by the Japanese Student Association and the Japanese Studies Program with advisor Masafumi Honda, associate professor and coordinator of Japanese studies.

A pamphlet at the event explained that Girl’s Day or Hinamatsuri is the festival which was traditionally known as the Peach Festival (Momo no Sekku), as peach trees typically began to flower around March 3. The original festival was mentioned in the Tale of Genji, written in the beginning of the 11th Century. The festival was to protect people from evil. Everyone made their own paper doll and floated it down as stream hoping evil fortune would float away with the doll.

Taiko Performance by Taishoji Taiko

Taiko drummers with black t-shirts and traditional drums.

Koto Performance by The So-shin Kai Koto Club

Four women in traditional attire, each playing koto.

Piano Ghibli Song Medley by Natsuko Uchida (Pianist)

Natsuko Uchida on keyboard.

Okinawan Dance by The Hilo Okinawan Cultural Club

Woman in green traditional attire doing Okinawan Dance.

Photos by Raiatea Arcuri, a professional photographer majoring in business at UH Hilo.

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