Author Archives: Phyllis Kihara

I recently attended two events that were completely new experiences. To be honest, I accepted both invitations without knowing what to expect. In fact, if anything, I had rather low expectations.

But both experiences blew me away! And since you still have an opportunity to experience one of them, I’ll tell you about that one first.

The Hakuoh University Handbell Choir is performing at three free concerts between tonight and Tuesday. I attended a performance today and it was incredible! Using handbells weighing up to 15 pounds, the students played songs ranging from big band (Glenn Miller) to opera (Carmen) to contemporary hits and Hawaiian music. The choir has the capacity to ring seven octaves of handbells and their performance is nothing short of amazing. Here are details about their three upcoming free performances:

Thursday, February 13, at 7pm at Central Union Church

Friday, February 14, at 10am at Leeward Community College Theatre

Tuesday, February 18, at 7pm at Windward Community College’s Paliku Theatre

Please try to attend one of their performances; you will not be disappointed.

The other event I attended was a celebration marking the 50th anniversary of Sogetsu in Hawaii. (Sogetsu is a school of ikebana, or flower arranging.) To help mark the milestone anniversary, the celebration included a series of demonstrations of flower arranging by Sogetsu Master Instructor Toshiyuki Ohki from Japan. I use the words ”demonstration” here, but “performance” is a better description of what Ohki-sensei did.

Using materials collected mostly from the Lyon Aboretum, he created dynamic, untraditional, and amazing displays that push the definition of ikebana way beyond “flower arrangements”. These were not just flower arrangements; they were exhibitions.

What a treat it was to witness a Sogetsu master at work using untraditional materials for both the vessels and the arrangement pieces. Here are a few samples of his work.

The lesson for me is to always be open to new experiences.

Ja, ne!

The final installment in the Making It Through series — #10 — finished airing on KIKU last May, 2013. This was the culmination of 20 years of Sunday nights of appointment TV on KIKU with the Okakura family. Or so we all thought.

After the series ended, the producers made a four hour special that took up where the series left off. It teased us, squeezing a year’s worth of episodes into four short hours to give us an abbreviated look at what was happening with the different family members’ lives following the series.

And now, they have done it again.

This month, we will air the second four hour Making It Through special produced since the series ended. It’s torture to only have four short hours to catch up with Daisuke, his daughters, and their families.

How are Shin and Takako doing? Do they have children? How is Takako’s father? Is Hinako still interested in cooking? What is Yoko doing? Is she working or raising her twins? What’s happening with Fumiko and her ex-husband? Does Yayoi still have a house filled with a non-related extended family?

Will all our questions be answered? Tune in on four Sundays: February 16, February 23, March 2, and March 9, from 8-9pm for Making It Through 2013. (Although we are in 2014, the series was produced in 2013.)

Ja, ne.

We have a new detective drama beginning next week on Thursday, 2/6. It is titled Doubles, and is about a team of detectives with opposing personalities. If this sounds familiar (think Partners), that’s because it is! These two detectives  have completely different approaches to solving crime. The only thing they have in common is their desire for justice. Oh, there is another thing they have in common: they’re both young and handsome.

Ja, ne!

Next Sunday (January 26th), we begin a new Filipino drama, Losing Heaven. This drama is from GMA Network and is about two women who start off as best friends as children and become sisters when one of the girls — Bridgette — becomes an orphan and Ellery’s father adopts her.

They grow up together and find happiness, each pursuing the career of her dreams. That is, until Jonas enters their lives.

Bridgette meets Jonas first and is instantly smitten. But Jonas only has eyes for Ellery, and after they marry, Bridgitte turns her jealousy and bitterness on Ellery.

When Jonas and Ellery learn she can’t conceive a child, Bridgette volunteers to be a surrogate mother, hoping it will bring her closer to Jonas. But life goes on as usual until Ellery is badly injured in a car accident.

Bridgitte seizes the opportunity to force Jonas to marry her and annul his marriage to Ellery for the sake of the baby.

But what will happen if and when Ellery regains consciousness?

Tune in to Losing Heaven, starting Sunday, January 26th, at 6pm. There are 35 episodes in this series.

Now that the 2014 New Year’s specials are over, we ‘d love to hear from you. Did you like them? Which was your favorite? Do you prefer the dramas or the food and travel shows?

The New Year’s specials may be over, but there are still a lot of special things coming up on KIKU. First of all, the 2013 Taiga drama, Yae no Sakura, is ending. The final episode will air next Tuesday, January 14th, with a re-telecast on Sunday, January 19th.

The next Taiga drama is Gunshi Kanbei, but it does not begin until February 18th. So in between, please watch these two programs on Tuesday nights: Sleeping Beauty and Ninja Sarutobi III.

Sleeping Beauty begins with a half hour episode immediately following the final episode of Yae no Sakura at 9pm on January 14th. The next four weeks following that, Sleeping Beauty will air from 8-9pm on Tuesday nights. It’s a romantic comedy about a woman given an opportunity to re-invent herself after her husband asks her for a divorce.

Ninja Sarutobi III will begin on Tuesday, January 21st, at 9pm. This is about the grandson of a legendary ninja named Sarutobi Sasuke. The grandson lives under his famous grandfather’s shadow without real purpose until he is tasked with escorting a lord’s daughter on her journey to Kyoto. The responsibility forces Sarutobi III to face challenges and in the process, he grows as a man and a ninja. It’s a cheerful samurai drama that will have you in laughter and tears.

Ja, ne!

We are sorry. We have been promoting the Making It Through specials airing this Sunday and Monday nights as part of our New Year’s specials as new episodes. That is what we ordered from Japan. But through an unfortunate mistake, we were sent the same specials which we already aired last May, 2013. By the time we caught the error, it was too late to get the correct episodes in time.

So we apologize, but this Sunday and Monday, we will be re-airing the specials we aired last May.

Our hope is to get the new specials in time to air next month, in February.

Taihen moushiwake gozaimasen.

Phyllis Kihara, General Manager

Did you watch the Red and White Song Contest last night? If you missed it, we are re-airing it today (Thursday) from 11am-4pm so you have another chance to catch it.

Do you like the new(er) acts with their huge stage productions, wild costumes, and dancing? Or are you a traditionalist and prefer enka? I find that as I get older, I prefer the simpler numbers, where the voices of the singers shine. One thing I did find interesting with this year’s Kohaku, though, was how they blended some traditional enka singers with the newer artists. It was a way to appeal to everyone.

Tonight at 7pm, please watch Part 1 of Sore ga Shiritai, followed by Reset at 8pm.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Can you believe Christmas is just one week away? Time flies so quickly. And if Christmas is only one week away, that means 2014 is only two weeks away.

At KIKU, we are busy getting ready for New Year’s week. You will love the specials we are airing. There is something for everyone.

Kicking off the week on New Year’s night will be our traditional airing of Kohaku — the Red and White Song Contest. Amazingly this will be the 64th year this contest has been held!

For people who have been going through Making It Through withdrawals, the producers have created another set of specials updating us on the Okakura family since the series ended. We will be airing four hours of new Making It Through specials during New Year’s week.

There is also a samurai special titled Love or Duty: Samurai Rebellion. In this special, a samurai’s loyalty to his lord is put to the test and he must choose between his lord and his family.

And for all of you who love food and travel in Japan, there are three great specials to look forward to: Sore ga Shiritai, Tokyo vs the 46 Prefectures, and a very special program titled Japan: The Road Less Traveled with JP Lam, starring Hawaii’s very own local singing sensation, JP Lam, from the Dukes of Surf.

Please stay tuned for more information about our New Year’s specials.

Ja, ne!

We previously posted about Kokua for the Philippines, a fundraiser for victims of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). It is happening this Sunday, December 15th, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village’s Great Lawn, from 12 noon to 5pm.

We will be airing the entire event live on KIKU. Here is more information about Kokua for the Philippines.

Please show your support for the people of the Philippines. Thank you.