Our Picks for the Weekend Star-Bulletin staff

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CULTURE
Wahiawa cherry blossom festival ready to bloom

The season of the pretty little cherry blossom is upon us. This means it's time to head for Wahiawa.

The 19th Annual Sakura Matsuri, hosted by the Wahiawa Nikkei Civic Association, takes place 7 p.m. Saturday at Wahiawa Hongwanji Hall, 1067 California Ave. The evening will include karaoke singing, Japanese dancing, shakuhachi (bamboo flute), taiko drumming and an appearance by the Cherry Blossom Court.

Admission is $5, with proceeds to benefit Kaala Nippon Go Gakko and other Japanese-language schools. Children get in free. Call 621-3659.

Coming up: The annual cherry blossom trolley tours of Wahiawa will be held Feb. 3, leaving from Wahiawa Ryusenji Soto Mission, 164 California Ave. Reservations are required; call 306-1876, The 90-minute tours depart at 9 and 11 a.m. Cost is $10. A Japanese show and bon dance follow at 12:45 p.m.

FAMILY
Feeling old? Meet some real dinosaurs

The Bishop Museum's "Dinosaurs Alive!" exhibit closes on Sunday, so if you haven't stopped by yet to see the prehistoric, you had better get a move on.

Meet an Ankylosaurus, a baby Apatosaurus, a Utahraptor, Dilophosaurus or Velociraptor. Teach a baby Triceratops to walk using a joystick controller.

Also featured: a claymation video about how dinosaurs lived and dinosaur costumes for some prehistoric role-playing.

Museum hours are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. Kamaaina admission is $7.95; $6.95 youth and seniors. Museum members and children are free. Bring a nonperishable Kraft food product, to be donated to the Hawaii Foodbank, and receive $3 off keiki admission. Call 847-3511 or visit www.bishopmuseum.org.

MOVIES
Judge Oscar nominees before the awards

Now that the Oscar nominations have been announced, film lovers can lay plans to see all the best-picture nominees before the awards ceremony Feb. 25. With the exception of "Little Miss Sunshine" (available on DVD and digital cable movies-on-demand), the nominees are all in theaters.

Martin Scorsese's police thriller "The Departed" is back, and "Babel," "The Queen" and "Letters from Iwo Jima" are also worth your time and money. Nominated actors' performances to watch for are Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi, both in "Babel," Helen Mirren in "The Queen," Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland," and Kate Winslet and Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children."

Also worth a DVD rental are "United 93" (for director-nominee Paul Greengrass), "Half Nelson" (to see Ryan Gosling, nominated for his role as a drug-addicted teacher) and "The Devil Wears Prada" (for nominee Meryl Streep's great acting turn as a fashion magazine editor).

LAST CHANCE
Antiques, appliances dishes and dolls

The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii's Things Dis-N-Dat Sale ends Saturday, so it's your last chance to browse through a selection of antique furniture, glassware, children's craft activities, small appliances, Japanese animation videos, fabrics, dolls, home-decor items, dishes and more.

The items have been collected at the center's Gift Shop and Community Gallery through the years.

Center members receive a 50 percent discount.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 945-7633.

FOOD
Kyoto Ohsho

Ala Moana Center Ho'okipa Terrace | 949-0040

Take time to consider your circumstances before making a trip to Kyoto Ohsho.

Consideration No. 1: How hungry are you?

You'll want to make sure you have an appetite if you want to get your nearly $40 worth of food at dinner time.

Consideration No. 2: Are you a big on talking and hanging out?

With a 60-minute limit enforced at lunch, and a 90-minute limit in the evening, that's enough time to stuff your face but not enough for a civilized dinner with conversation.

Granted, we live in a short-attention-span society, and dinner in 90 minutes is doable, but imposing a time limit can result in much worrying, rushing and clock-watching, the last thing one expects when pursuing a relaxing end-of-day treat.

For $39.80 at night, you get the equivalent of two dinners -- the buffet plus kami (paper) nabe. This beef, meatball and vegetable shabu shabu is filling in itself and will likely prevent you from gobbling up more costly sushi and seafood offerings.

Among the choices are teriyaki pork and chicken, assorted tempura and 3-ounce portions of grilled misoyaki butterfish and teriyaki salmon, a little drier than ideal due to the circumstances.

Desserts include cheesecake, tiramisu and fresh fruit and marshmallows awaiting a dip in a chocolate fountain.

Open daily from 11:30 to last seating at 2:30 p.m. for lunch, and 5:30 p.m. to last seating at 8:30 p.m. for dinner. Dinner is $39.80 for adults, $32 for 60+, $20 for ages 6 to 12, and free for 5 and younger. Lunch prices are, respectively, $19.80, $16.50, $14.50 and free. Soft drinks are extra.