| Okagesamade: A Taiko Festival Story
Dear readers of the What's New,
While the Taiko Festival takes place every second Sunday in March, each performance represents a culmination of a year, or even years, of dedication. Many students begin their journey with Sensei Jay Toyofuku even before they enter high school. By the time they arrive at Pacific Buddhist Academy, Zachary Agcaoili meets them as freshmen, recognizing potential they may not yet see, and guiding them toward becoming future members of Hyaku Sen Ki Kai. Fundraising for the show is also a year-round effort, sustained by the generosity of the community. New happi coats from Japan were made possible for the 20th Annual Show through a grant awarded by the Japanese Women’s Society Foundation.
| And throughout the school year, thoughtful individuals continue to give in support of the taiko program, their donations quietly sustaining each practice. Weekly training for the all-school Soran Bushi begins after winter break. I learned from Pieper Toyama that students once physically pulled on ropes during practice to develop their form and embody the spirit of the choreography (an idea for next year). | | | So when news of school closures arrived the Friday before the festival, questions arose from parents, ticket holders, students, and even faculty about what would happen if the storm continued. We were grateful to still get one last dress rehearsal in and asked students to come to PBA despite the closure to pack the U-Haul in the pouring rain, a stressful day as the drums should not get wet. | | | Thankfully, the storm at the Moanalua High School Performing Arts Center had subsided by Sunday afternoon. The 20th Annual Festival featured the PBA Rock Band led by Jake Lui, member of Oubaitori Miyaka Nishihira on the sanshin, alumnus Chad Okawa ’23 on the fue and atarigane, and touching tributes to the Hyaku Sen Ki Kai seniors Maya Galvez, Emmalie Hernandez, Lyla Onishi, and Kent Sekine. | | Hyaku Sen Ki Kai alumni also performed on stage to celebrate the milestone. “Getting the opportunity to play taiko for Jay Sensei again was truly an amazing experience,” said Lia Sutton ’21. “It was so much fun reconnecting with fellow alumni-practicing together, catching | | up, and reminiscing about our time at PBA. I was also really impressed by this year’s senior players! They are incredibly talented, and after attending their practices throughout the semester, it’s clear they’ve dedicated a great deal of time and effort to their performances.” Kiana Tom ’14 said, “It was an honor to get to play at the 20th Annual Taiko Festival. I had so much fun getting together with other alumni and I loved being able to play again!" | 
| | “I am very proud of all the students involved in the 20th Annual Taiko Festival, both past and present,” said Sensei Jay Toyofuku. “I am grateful for the team of staff who helped make | | | this event possible and for the sponsors who supported this year’s show, many of whom are long-time supporters of the taiko program. I would also like to thank Dojun Baba for flying in from the Big Island to perform with us and his family for letting us borrow him for the weekend. Okagesamade-I am who I am because of you. Thank you for coming to our show, supporting our program, and for 20 years of sharing taiko at PBA.” | | We hope you enjoyed the show this year just as much as we enjoyed preparing for it. We sincerely thank everyone who came out and braved the weather to support our students. They work incredibly hard and are always excited to see supporters in the crowd. Most importantly, they continue to build lifelong memories with one another, carrying on the traditions of taiko and community. We look forward to next year’s show and to continuing these traditions for many years to come. | Warmly,
Megan Lee
Director of Advancement | Mahalo to our Sponsors! 
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March 26 - Prince Kuhip Day | | |
