Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii

I had the privilege to accompany my daughter and her 3^rd grade class as a chaperone to this place of business. Although we only stayed for a short 3 hours, it was filled with interesting japanese history along with some fun and games to keep these kids occupied.
* Since we came on a field trip, this review is based on our experience during that time. Not sure how they operate with the general public. *
We were split up into two groups. One group in the dojo, the other in the exhibition center.
Upon entering the dojo, we were asked to take our shoes off and place them into cubby holes provided. We then bowed to show signs of respect before we walked in.
I didnt catch the name of our guide, but he spoke to the kids about what the children of japan used to have fun with in the past. Things that were homemade, like bean bags and others like the kendama were of the few things they got to try. At the end, they got to make and take home something that resembled a kendama. Made using a piece of paper, toilet paper roll, and a penny that was attached to a string. The kids really enjoyed this, as they had the chance to have some fun.
Next was the exhibition center. Kudos to the wonderful volunteer, Val Okihara, who enlightened the kids of the history of old japan. As we walked through the exhibit, she carefully explained the meaning of each display. She explained what the ever so present ‘Maneki Neko’ meant, mentioned what holidays were celebrated, what they wore, their journey to hawaii, and how a home and store looked like. She was very informative, and im sure the kids learned alot from her.
Unfortunately, time constraints kept us from doing a bon dance before we were to have lunch. I would’ve loved to see and take part in this. Im pretty sure kids would also have enjoyed it also. We had lunch in their little courtyard, and had to quickly head back to our side of the island.
Overall, I enjoyed my stay here. Not sure what the general public has the opportunity to see, but if it’s like what I seen today, I would like to come back again!
*side note: because of the homeless in the area, bathrooms are now locked (key needed) this is for the safety of the public and our keiki on field trips.

Nice place to learn about the history of Japanese in Hawaii. Well thought out interactive displays, videos, and audio accompany the exhibits. They also have a small theater that shows short movie clips about the history as well. The gift shop has some very interesting items not found elsewhere. We were really impressed. I highly recommend this place for a visit.

I come here for events, like Taste of Soju and Taste of Korea.
Parking is a bit tight. I usually park along the street. Last time I went here, I parked in the structure. Not too bad. It was $ 5 for validation though. Parking along the street may be the way to go.
There’s stuff on the bottom floor. Japanese stuff. And a dojo. I see people practicing martial arts there on occasion. I think there’s a Japanese museum too.
The ballrooms are a fair size, but most of the events I’ve been too seem to overestimate the amount of people that will show. Then it turns into standing room only.
Overall, the place is clean. And doesn’t smell. That’s good.

Attended a baby birthday party here… I must say the food was actually good… I’ve been to other functions here previously and have not liked the food… but something must have changed because it was pretty good this time.
Other than that… it’s a room… Whomever is throwing the event makes it… all good

here was another place of importance.
Japanese Cultural Center — located by university /​beretania, accross longs, before kokoro is another hawaii exclusive museum. theres dedicated parking for whole complex on the right of the driveway. when walk in, there’s exibits on the left and gift shop on the right. towards the back of the room, there was an additional gallery that leads up to the theatre where they had documentary: Gam Bare playing. overall, i’d say the museum documents local japanese immigration and values during times of ww2. i think they had 3 other movies about the same subject that they rotate, but u could tell each one was scribed thoroughly. there’s a whole bookshelf about the subject and store of collectibles. as far as i can remember, none of the other museums had conflicting facts. in addition to the museum, there’s actual office building maintaining the plaza, and kendo class space next door. sorta like a starting point for hawaii japanese cultural items & practices. get to know the surroundings. there was information about my own background i didn’t even know about! put it on your list!

I came here for the Japanese Immigrant Exhibition. Other than it being very informative, it was very interactive. It wasn’t just a bunch of artifacts on display. The exhibit was literally like walking down memory lane. Love the décor of everything. There were quotes and sayings on the wall like wallpaper. There weren’t just pictures of the schools and shops, there was an actual classroom with chairs, desks, and a blackboard and a market with vegetables (fake of course) and a life size display of the outsides of a barbershop, doctor’s office, and church. The exhibit also ended with the Japanese culture in today’s Hawaii.

It’s a great place for birthdays, business events or events period. I’ve been here a few times and I love how clean the place is.

Just went here today for the Ohana fest.
Its amazing. I was able to see the struggle of the first japanese immagrants to the island. My friend John who had visited the Cultural center before led us to the back room where they had preserved several documents and exhibits of what it was like for the first Japanese immigrants that came to Hawaii in search for a better life. Many of the things which happened were very sad, and it is amazing to see how much has changed over the years. No pictures are allowed in the room with the historical exhibits.
The rest of my experience at the cultural center was a bit brief. there were several art, and craft stands throughout the center which rooted from japanese culture and tradition. It was interesting to see how the Japanese religion of Shinto was practiced, since i am not familiar with many shinto practices around the island today.
During the festival there was a kendo exhibition, a tea ceremony, and mochi pounding. We missed out on all three :/​
There was also a number of food stands at the park across the street. Okonomiyaki was served that day. I just ate so i wasnt very hungry.
I hope to return again next year so i can do all the things i missed out on this year.

Small gift shop… a bit crowded, but they were also rearranging displays too. Has good 442 DVDs, aloha shirts and Journey of Heroes books.

I don’t get what’s so cultural about this place. It’s like just a smaller version of the convention center. I guess people reserve rooms and throw parties (albeit more upscale here than other places). Food is probably catered through whomever is contracted, but the menu was bleh. I was a guest so food was free so I can’t really complain. But we’re at a Japanese cultural center eating dinner with NO RICE? In Hawaii? Absurd. Parking was $ 5. Worth it I guess.

***REVIEW FOR MANOA GRAND BALLROOM***
For the past 3 years I have been coming here to support my university, as they hold a reception for the high school seniors who have recently been accepted. Each year we have had over 175+ students and their parents come for a presentation as well as hold a question & answer session with hopes to see if the university is a good fit for that child.
The Grand Ballroom, located on the 5^th floor, is very spacious and bright. I found the facilities to be decent and it was very humid yesterday but the ballroom’s air conditioning was spot on.
I got there early so I was able to meet some staff but the room was all prepared with refreshments all put on. I was pleased to see several bins dedicated for recyclables. After speaking with the staff at the end when our event was done, it was disclosed she made the scones and they were INCREDIBLE, just like the nut-​less banana bread.
Location of this Center is very convenient as it is near the on and off-​ramps of H-​1.
Overall, a great place to hold events.
NOTE: Parking with validation here is a flat rate of $ 5. I was amazed by how many parents «squawked» when informed the cost to park here.

Review for Manoa Grand Ballroom only:
Grand ballroom is on the 5^th floor of the building. We rented ½ of the ballroom for a party that hosted ~60+ people with alcohol + food. The other half was rented to a wedding reception. I felt a bit bad for them since we were basically having a costume party. Several of the wedding guests said our party looked like more fun: p
We paid a corkage fee, which wasn’t too bad and brought our own alcohol/​mixers all from Costco. They provided the bartender. The food we went with was catered by them and was surprisingly very good (except for the slightly yucky chocolate cake). They also let us bring our own speakers in, which saved us a lot of money. Our DJ was a friend’s ipod.
Parking in the structure was only $ 5 with validation (provided by the JCC). Quite a few of us parked on the street, which was easy and free.
Overall, the ballroom was great! It was easy to coordinate the event with them and they were accommodating to our requests. I had been to one event here prior and found it to have gone similarly well.
Hint: reserve well in advance! Good venues in Hawaii fill up quickly.

I used to go here 5 to 6 days every week for karate practice! This was my second home! I don’t frequent as much anymore, but now I’m a member! So I get all the benefits like 10% off Shirokiya all the time and other great deals.
I also like their museum and museum shop! It’s great to check it out to find great Japanese finds!
Unilocal 365 Challenge #175/​365

I’ve come to this place at least 4 times now for several different events. I have seen Anjela Johnson perform, I’ve come for graduations, and childrens birthday parties. This is a great place to have parties. The parking situation is a little awkward and you do have to pay, however I do not mind. The ballrooms are nice, however very old hotel feeling with the plants and not so contemporary carpet. They also provide a bar and food. If I need a huge space to throw a party, this is someplace I would consider.

Came here recently on a field trip with my class. The exhibit on Japanese immigrants is fantastic! The docents are all volunteers, and they do a wonderful job of sharing information and weaving in their own life experiences. My students were amazed by the cultural artifacts and pictures. Being of Japanese ancestry myself, it was especially touching to see so many things that reminded me of my late grandmother.
Loved learning the bon dance moves and dancing around the dojo. After getting back to school, we were still dancing around and doing the motions together!
Definitely coming back here again. Even thinking about visiting other cultural centers of Hawaii. A really great experience that I was not expecting.
Okage sama de!

Came here on an assignment for a fashion show thingy.
I’ve always noticed this place is really clean, inside and out. Amazing.
The Manoa Grand ballroom was opened for the event, so vendors and dinner tables were spread out. Luckily there was still room to walk around and such.
I didn’t get to eat but I do remember I liked their coffee and I got to have a cup of that.
The temperature was good in comparison to last time I was in here when it was freezing cold.
The sound was pretty good unfortunately there wasn’t a lot of room for the fashion show itself.
I know it’s inevitable that I’m going to come here in the future haha
Unilocal 365 Challenge #46/​365

We went to the exhibit on the migration of Japanese people to the islands. I thought it was fascinating. It really helped me understand some of my family history that has become fuzzy over the years. I was excited to see relics from the 1800“s and could imagine what life might have been like for my great-​grandparents and my great-​great-​grandparents. I really enjoyed reading about the history and what provoked some of the migration. I thought the real personal histories and photographs made the experience very real. It was a great afternoon and we really enjoyed the exhibit.

The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) had its awards banquet at the Manoa Grand Ballroom at the Japanese Cultural Center.
Parking was easy to find, but I absolutely couldn’t believe we had to pay $ 5 (and that was with the validation). Insane.
The ballroom was actually really cold, and it made me wish I had brought my jacket. But the seat was nice. The tables were close enough to each other where we could talk to people on other tables, but they made good use of the space.
The buffet wasn’t great. They had salad, steamed veggies, kalbi, mochiko chicken … and bread. I wasn’t a fan of the mochiko chicken at all. But I must say that the kalbi was pretty darn good. I piled my plate because I love veggies, but others on my table didn’t agree. They weren’t happy with the buffet at all.
But I did eat til I was about to throw up because the kalbi and fried rice/​fried noodles were awesome.
There was cake. Coconut I believe. That was pretty good. Nice and light, so I could still fit it in after I was stuffed from dinner.
When Thomas O. and I were walking back to the car, we saw kids taking a kendo class. It was actually kind of mesmerizing. And I really think the JCC does a good job of promoting the things that reflect the Japanese culture. (if you look at my pictures, you might think I’m Filipino … but I’m not. I’m full Japanese, and I rep it hard).

The Japanese Cultural Center is conveniently located in Moilili and near on/​off ramps for the H1 freeway in both directions. The Center features a fantastic ballroom, tons of parking, and a museum on the first floor.
The rates are very reasonable and the local style food is quite good. It doesn’t wow you but at the same time it definitely does not disappoint and certainly makes you want to eat some more.
The parking lot is really quite nice. No seriously. I never talk about parking lots but theirs is well-​lit, aisles are wide and the stalls are large! WHAT IS NOT TO LIKE ABOUT THAT?!
If you are thinking of hosting an event to cater to the local crowd, This is definitely a great place to consider.

When I had a shopping event business we threw a lot of our large scale events here. The rates are fairly reasonable compared to hotels because there is no union labor involved. My customers really appreciated the fact that they didn’t have to go into Waikiki and almost everyone knew where it was. Best thing is that they have their own parking structure so you don’t have to worry about everyone finding parking or getting charged an arm and a leg. The Catering Manager, Frank, is really great to work with! I’d definitely recommend this venue for prom, reunion, anniversary party, baby luau.