By Jon Arizumi, President

Happy New Year! 2013 - The Year of the Snake

Welcome!

As we transition to the half way mark of the fiscal year, I would like to thank our hardworking Executive Assistant Lei Momi Fujiyama, Board Members, and Committee Chairs for working so diligently on planning and presenting programs and events which have been beneficial and inspirational to all of us.

It is with this determination that we embrace the Year of the Snake, greeting 2013 with a renewed and open mind, and a focus on the areas of our lives where we can continue to grow and improve.  Unlike the Western Zodiac which is divided into 12 months, the Asian Zodiac is divided into 12 years.  Each year is named after an animal:  the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and boar.  It is said to have been adopted in Japan in 604 during the reign of Empress Suiko.

It is fairly common that Japanese people know what year of the zodiac they were born in.  The Japanese are likely to ask what your zodiac sign is, instead of asking how old you are.  In this way, you can guess a person's age without asking it directly.  It is generalized that the Japanese believe that people who are born in the same animal year share similar personality and character.  For example, people born in the year of the snake were profound thinkers and have tremendous wisdom.

With 2013 moving along quite rapidly, several wonderful events have taken place in January. The Japanese Community Association of Hawaii held its 42nd Annual New Year's Banquet at the Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin Sangha Hall on January 19th.   It was a privilege to represent our Chamber at this gala event.  Mr. Hiroshi Suga was installed as the 42nd President.  Dignitaries in attendance were Consul General of Japan - Toyoei Shigeeda who was accompanied by Honorary Consul General - Art Taniguchi; Shibukawa Ikaho Hot Spring Tourism Assoc. - President Takahiro Omori & Director Nobuaki Ito; Mr. Sanuemon Chigira - President of Ikaho Spa Chigira Jinsentei; Ikaho Executive Committee International Exchange Director - Kouji Matumoto.

Lincoln Ashida, Art Taniguchi, and Randy Kurohara seated at the head table with dignitaries from Shibukawa / Ikaho

JCAH President Hiroshi Suga and his wife Carolynn (middle) with Jon and Sharyl

On January 27th, I had the privilege to attend the Hui Okinawa Shinnen Enkai & Keirokai (ceremony honoring the elderly).  This year's celebration was highlighted by the acknowledgement of three "Kajimaya" recipients.  Kajimaya is a special Okinawan traditional celebration of a person's 97th birthday.  The characters written in Japanese for Kajimaya are Kaji (Kaze in Japanese) meaning "wind" and Maya (Mawaru in Japanese) which means "to spin".  A special dance using kazeguruma (pinwheels) is used in the celebratory dance.  Mayor Billy Kenoi, Honorary Consul General Art Taniguchi, and other dignitaries throughout the State also participated in the event. 

Kajimaya recipients with Mayor Kenoi & Hui Okinawa President Roy Hokama

JCAH - JCCIH - HUOA Presidents with Kajimaya recipient - Mrs. Miyashiro

Festival occasion

Taiko Drummer - Kenneth Maesato

In the upcoming months, the chamber will be filled with exciting events of interest to you, our members.  The chamber who is the sponsoring organization will be hosting its Sister City - Yurihama in February.  The 14th Annual Chamber Golf Classic Tournament will be on March 6, 2013 at the Hilo Municipal Golf Course, chaired by Mike Kaleikini, Toby Taniguchi, and Kimo Lee.  We are planning to have the honorable Mayor Billy Kenoi speak on the Economic Outlook of Hawaii County.  Mahalo nui to our new County of Hawaii Deputy Managing Director - Mr. Randy Kurohara & Lei Momi Fujiyama and many others for making these events possible  for our members.

Thank you very much for your continued support of the Chamber's activities.  Let's celebrate the New Year 2013 and make it a better year than 2012 through the values:

&
"Okage Sama De"
 I am what I am because of you
 

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu!    

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Urasenke Hilo Association celebrated the Year of the Snake with their annual New Year's Tea ceremony held on Sunday, Jan. 27th at the beautiful Shoroan at Lili'uokalani Gardens. Guests included Russ Oda from the Urasenke Hilo Association; Art Taniguchi, also from the association and Honorary Consul General of Japan; Larry Isemoto from the Japanese Community Association; Carol VanCamp from JCCIH; and Delbert Nishimoto.

The activities included preparation and presentation of Matcha (powdered green tea) served with a special mocha, followed by a beautiful luncheon featuring a variety of symbolic "New Year" foods and sake.  The ladies of the Urasenke Hilo Association, dressed in silk kimonos, presented the significance of all of the foods and drinks served in the annual celebration of the New Year. 

 
Throughout the year, the Urasenke Hilo Association offers classes to the public at the Shoroan about the preparation and significance of tea in the Japanese culture.   

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The County of Hawai'i mourns the passing of U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, a war hero, distinguished president pro-tempore of the United States Senate, and an effective advocate for the people of Hawai'i for more than five decades.

  

Because of Sen. Inouye, our infrastructure has been strengthened and our natural resources protected and restored. Our economic base has been widened by the support of small business and diversified through agriculture and high technology. Our Native Hawaiian community has also benefited from increased community health care, job training and employment opportunities.

  

His achievements will benefit the people of Hawai'i Island for generations to come. The realignment and improvement of the Saddle Road brings our island community closer. The prestige of our elite astronomy program has been further enhanced by the Thirty-Meter Telescope and Imiloa Astronomy Center, and alternative energy opportunities are symbolized by the Gateway Center at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai'i. Neighbor Island bus service, expansion of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, nene goose recovery and protection of Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, Hawaiian crow and coral reefs are all part of his legacy.

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 Now that the Ravens are the NFL Champions for the 2012-2013 season, we can turn our undivided attention to the next most exciting event that is fast approaching us.  Our Chamber will be sponsoring the 14th Annual Golf Classic Tournament at the Hilo Municipal Golf Course on Wednesday, March 6, 2013.

As of February 1, 2013, eighty four golfers have signed up.  We anticipate a sell-out, so please contact the Chamber or a Golf Committee member if you are interested in participating.

Mahalo's are well deserved in many areas.  First, to Title Sponsor-Big Island Candies for their continued and much appreciated support of our Chamber.  This is Big Island Candies second year in a row as Title Sponsor.  The next mahalo goes out to all of the Golf Committee members who lead the charge in getting this event accomplished.  Committee members are Allan Onishi, Art Taniguchi, Chad Ogata, Craig Shiroma, Deborah Shigehara, Dwayne Mukai, Eugene Nishimura, Ivan Nakano, Jon Arizumi, Ka'iu Kimura, Kaloa Robinson, Kimo Lee, Kyle Wada, Marvin Min, Mike Kaleikini, Mike Miyahira, Owen Nakatsu, Pearl Kang, Russell Arikawa, Sam Araki, Shannon Takabayashi-Johnson, Shelly Ogata, Stephen Ueda, Toby Taniguchi, Tommy Goya, Tracey Miura and Tracy Yamaguchi.  The dedication and unselfishness from all our members truly exemplifies Okage Sama De and Kahiau.

  

This year, the co-chairs Kimo Lee, Toby Taniguchi and Mike Kaleikini would like to send out an additional and much deserved "thank you" to one committee member that has been a Superman at garnering corporate support.  Ivan Nakano of Kamaaina Nissan has been truly amazing.  Besides securing our Title sponsor, Ivan has been one man dynamo, having secured twelve different Ozeki sponsorships as of February 1, 2013.

  

Hilo Muni, Wednesday, March 6, 2013.  The format is individual stroke play, and there will be a Shotgun start at 11:00 A.M.  With your continued and valued support, we can continue to provide educational scholarships as well as community and commerce projects in East Hawaii and the entire Big Isle.  For more information, please contact Lei at the Chamber Office at 934.0177 or any one of the Golf Committee members.

  

    Click here - Golf Entry Form

  

Click here - Contribution Form

  

  

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Are you getting ready for April Fools' Day?  In the United States, the day passes unnoticed except for the occasional prank.  But in Japan, April First is an important day for ends and beginnings.  It is the change of the fiscal year, the employment contract year and the start of the new school year.

 
In Japan I was able to witness a touching "ritual" in the trains on the First of April. During the morning commute to the central station, there were groups of high school freshmen girls huddled close together.  What made these April First groups different from the rest of the year is that each of the girls was wearing a different school uniform.  Normally, young people sit with other students from the same school.  But on this first day, the students still cling to their intermediary school friends; even those who's test scores have placed them in different high schools.

When the train arrived at the station, people rushed out into the crowd, like a wave drawing back into the ocean.  The tightknit groups of friends dissolved as each one chose the train to her new school.  And each one coincidentally drifted into a crowd of potential new friends wearing matching uniforms.

It is bitter sweet that one chapter in our lives must end before the next can begin.

College students provide a less pleasant reminder of the start of the year. After the first day of classes, many students indulge themselves at one of Japan's famous all-you-can-drink bars.  For some of them, this is the first time, and they have yet to understand the difference between "all-you-can-drink" and "all-you-should-drink."  But this too is part of the cycle of renewal in Japan.

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Aloha,

At Hawai'i Community College we take pride in teaching students timeless skills and values in the trades, culinary arts, liberal arts, nursing and other fields. But as we teach these skills, it's also important that we stay up-to-date with changing practices and technology to prepare students for a job market that is always evolving. One way we are doing that is with the Hawai'i Community College Sustainability Center.

The Sustainability Center has been in place for just over a year and is funded through a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development grant. The Sustainability Center exists within HawCC's Office of Continuing Education and Training (OCET) and is designed to help Career and Technical Education (CTE) and other credit program instructors obtain training and certification in "green" practices, such as:

*LEED

*Photovoltaics

*Permaculture

*The National Association of Home Builders NAHB Green program

The Sustainability Center also helps instructors integrate these concepts and practices into their curricula.

In one recent development, the Sustainability Center obtained equipment that will process used cooking oil from our cafeteria into biodiesel. The biodiesel equipment will be used to teach students Process Technology as part of a noncredit program that we hope to launch this year. The Process Technology program will prepare students for jobs in process technology that include operations of refineries, wastewater treatment plants, renewable energy plants, and facilities maintenance.

In collaboration with the Electronics Program, the Sustainability Center has also acquired equipment that highlights the use of solar energy and also the parts for students to construct solar battery chargers.

At HawCC, we also want to practice what we teach, which is why the Sustainability Center is devoted to helping the college itself operate in a more environmentally friendly way. Last year, our Sustainability Coordinator, Graceson Ghen, identified approximately $20,000 in existing rebates for lighting, air conditioning and motor upgrades made on campus, and we have successfully obtained about $7,000 worth so far.

HawCC also received a $1,000 campus improvement grant from the Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Hawai'i last year. These funds are being used to help support the Hawai'i Life Styles garden, which teaches sustainable traditional Hawaiian agriculture practices.

The Culinary Arts Program has also begun to distribute to-go orders in compostable bio-degradable clamshell containers instead of Styrofoam containers.

"Sustainability" has become a buzzword in recent years, but it's more than just a fad. It is a concept that is transforming certain industries, such as the energy industry, and it's important for HawCC to try to keep up with these changes. Plus, operating in ways that protect our environment is pono - the right thing to do.

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 Words of Wisdom

By Tommy Goya

 "The gift of appreciation should be used often."   

Correction

By Amanda Lee, Editor

We would like to correct information from the December 2012 Oshirase, in the article Goji Kara at Hawaii Fueling Network, Hawaii Petroleum Inc.  HFN has more Big Island sites than was previously shared.  There are 11 Big Island locations, making it more convenient than ever for you to find a site nearby to take care of all of your fueling needs.  Our apologies for the error, and continued THANKS to Joy Madriaga and the staff of Hawaii Fueling Network for the very valuable commitment and service they provide to us!