AYUMI NAKANISHI/PHOTO@STARBULLETIN.COM Master woodcarver Mukoyoshi Yuboku works on a carving of the Buddha during a demonstration at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Yuboku came from Japan to participate in "Sacred Treasures of Mount Koya: The Art of Japanese Shingon Buddhism," celebrating the centennial of the Buddhist sect in Hawaii. The Mount Koya works had never been displayed outside Japan before.

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A photo story by Ayumi Nakanishi
Special to the Star-Bulletin

Ayumi Nakanishi's photography internship in Hawaii led to a rediscovery of the culture of her native Japan. Observing the way Japanese traditions have been interpreted in the cultural life of these islands, she realized that she had long taken her own heritage for granted. Nakanishi shares her discoveries here.

AYUMI NAKANISHI/PHOTO@STARBULLETIN.COM A trio of sumo wrestlers, with Hawaii's Akebono in the center, is painted on the wall of the Sumo Connection Hawaii in Waimanalo, a shop owned by Akebono's mother, Jan Rowan. The store carries aloha attire and other goods, some associated with the ancient Japanese sport.

Growing up in Japan, I rarely had the need to define the essence of Japanese culture. I never thought of my experiences or the things I saw around me as being very Japanese; they were just part of life. On top of that, Western influence is so great, we don't always see the lines of separation.

Ayumi Nakanishi

Walking the streets of Tokyo, you'll see people with dyed blond hair and fake eyelashes, in almost identical styles of clothes. In fact, not having your own identity seems to be very Japanese these days.

Living in Hawaii meant rediscovering Japanese culture - or seeing Japanese culture from an entirely different point of view.

I came to Hawaii after seven years on the U.S. mainland. There, about the only things understood about Japan were sushi (as something "healthy") and high technology (as in having a robot dog as a pet).

Beyond that, it was difficult to be proud of my race. Moving to Hawaii gave me a new perspective. Being accepted for who you are is not something special here; it is normal.

No matter where I went, I never felt uncomfortable about my race. It didn't matter, and everyone welcomed me with the spirit of ohana.

Many little things astonished me. One was Spam musubi. Being able to buy musubi at a convenience store in America was unbelievable, but seeing a very American-influenced rice ball was just incredible. Chocolate-flavored mochi was a big surprise, too. Who would have thought those two flavors could go together? I often heard a mom ask her kid, "You wanna go shi-shi?" We don't even use that term in Japan anymore. And the sound of pidgin spoken by the elderly was superb. It showed that people in Hawaii have a history of trying to understand each other better.

More important, I watched both older and younger generations show respect for their own culture without hesitation. That was something beautiful, unique and sometimes hard to believe.

I learned that in Hawaii, not only are outsiders accepted, but foreign cultures are appreciated for what they bring to the islands. When I saw a variety of people in kimonos enjoying a bon dance -- not to mention that they were really good at it -- I gained a real sense of what Hawaii is all about. People here value and share their different cultures. At the same time, each community has a strong will to keep its traditions, so the special nature of each one is always maintained.

As an intern at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, I met an incredible number of different people and was privileged to be allowed into their lives. They all shared their stories as they let me frame the moments of their lives in photographs. And given my background, I couldn't help noticing a strong Japanese connection everywhere. I decided to document what I found to be Japanese in these islands of America, unique images that you cannot find in any other state.

And I truly enjoyed it.

AYUMI NAKANISHI/PHOTO@STARBULLETIN.COM Girls in kimono, right, attend the Rice Festival at the Japanese Community Center.

AYUMI NAKANISHI/PHOTO@STARBULLETIN.COM Dancers of all nationalities are drawn to the nighttime bon festivals, traditionally religious celebrations honoring the departed. Here, hundreds of people of all ages enjoyed the festivities at the Haleiwa Dojo Mission.

AYUMI NAKANISHI/PHOTO@STARBULLETIN.COM Clarence and Karen Murata pray for their ancestors at bon services at the Haleiwa Dojo Mission.

AYUMI NAKANISHI/PHOTO@STARBULLETIN.COM Nine-year-old Jamie Rough, from Texas, helps push lanterns out to sea at the Haleiwa Dojo Mission as part of the annual bon festival. The lanterns are set afloat to guide the souls of the dead to their spiritual home.

AYUMI NAKANISHI/PHOTO@STARBULLETIN.COM Sensei Lee Burton, above, teaches Chozen-ji Ryu Kempo at the Kenshikan Dojo at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii every Sunday.

AYUMI NAKANISHI/PHOTO@STARBULLETIN.COM A great image of "Amitabha-Buddha" was built at Lahaiana Dojo Mission on Maui in June 1968 in celebration of the centennial anniversary of Japanese immigration to Hawaii.

AYUMI NAKANISHI/PHOTO@STARBULLETIN.COM Sekihan - steamed rice mixed with red beans -- and mochi were served at a reception following the Japanese Women's Chorus Concert at Waialae Baptist Church.