JOHN BERGER / JBERGER@STARBULLETIN.COMJonathan Murai, president of the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce, and 2007 Cherry Blossom Queen Richelle Nakata at the Sheraton Waikiki in March. |
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In search of the next Cherry Blossom queen
Next year's Cherry Blossom festival will need a queen, so the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce is on the hunt.
Candidates may apply through Aug. 15.
The queen and her court serve for a year, participating in cultural events, traveling to sister festivals in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, and taking a two-week Goodwill Tour of Japan.
Applicants must be at least 50 percent Japanese, age 19 to 26, single, a U.S. citizen and Hawaii resident. Finalists will spend several months studying Japanese culture and heritage, public speaking and leadership, as well as participating in community service projects.
The queen and her court will be crowned in March at the Cherry Blossom Festival Ball.
Applications can be downloaded at www.cbfhawaii.com. Proof of Japanese ancestry through a birth certificate and a $25 application fee are required.