Author Archives: Phyllis Kihara

Did you buy a Mother’s Day gift yet?

  By Phyllis Kihara | April 16, 2014 - 4:13 pm |
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If not, here’s a way for you to win a trip for two to Las Vegas for your mom.

For the past few years, KIKU has been running a Mother’s Day haiku contest. People send in a haiku written about their mom, and we randomly select one lucky winner to receive a Vacations Hawaii trip for two to Las Vegas.

We changed things up a bit this year. Instead of  a haiku contest, we’re asking you to tell us why your mom is ichiban (#1). And you have to do it in 30 words of less. As an example, here’s what I wrote about my mom:

“My mom is ichiban because she’s always doing things for other people. She makes intricate, hand-designed, hand-sewn patchwork quilts and gifts them to family, friends, and even strangers.” (Whew…just made the 30 word cutoff!)

If you don’t already have a gift for your mom yet, tell us why she’s ichiban and you might just win her a trip to Las Vegas. There are also five great runner-up prizes — $100 gift certificates to either Hakone or The Prince Court restaurants at the Hawaii Prince Hotel.

Even if you don’t win one of the prizes, wouldn’t your mom just love knowing why you think she’s ichiban?

Ja, ne!

The Shower Scene?

  By Phyllis Kihara | April 4, 2014 - 4:40 pm |
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Last night was the last episode of Doubles. Many people have commented that they really enjoyed this series. But it did not dawn on me until today that maybe the reason they liked it so much was for the shower scene in each episode.  And the only reason I realized this is because one of my cousins has a blog (which I read daily) and in today’s blog, she commented that the thing about the show she looked forward to most each week was the shower scene! (My cousin Jalna is too funny!)

Does anybody else feel this way?

What’s Your Favorite Detective Drama?

  By Phyllis Kihara | March 27, 2014 - 4:27 pm | ,
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Detective dramas are big in Japan, and we normally have one or two on our schedule at the same time (in addition to our Mystery Theatre, which is usually also a detective-type drama). Right now, we are airing Doubles (Thursdays at 8pm) and Partners 9 (Thursdays at 9pm). Partners is a long-time favorite amongst our viewers, but we’ve also heard that a lot of you like Doubles.  You’ve told us that your other favorites are the Asami Mystery Theatre series and our Fat Detective series. (Stay tuned for news about Fat Detective 2.) Do any of you remember the Investigator Mariko series? We are considering bringing new episodes of this back.

Which is your favorite? Are you interested in seeing Investigator Mariko again?

Getting back to the current detective series, both dramas are ending soon. The last episode of Doubles is next Thursday, April 3rd. The following week — on April 10th — we begin a new drama titled “853″. This stars Yasufumi Terawaki as Detective Shinnosuke Kamo. The number 853 refers to the busy precinct where Detective Kamo used to work. That is, before he accidentally (?) shot a criminal in his custody. After the shooting incident, Detective Kamo was reassigned to a smaller rural jurisdiction.

For 10 years, Detective Kamo keeps his nose to the grind despite his demotion to a smaller precinct. But one day, he is called upon to put his excellent detective skills back to work in the 853.

The last episode of Partners 9 airs on April 17th. The following week, we begin airing Partners 10! Did you know that in Japan, they are already airing Partners 12?

Last week, I wrote about jidaigeki, and mentioned a new show we will begin airing on April 4th titled “Mission to Kill”. (This is about assassins who are hired by victims to avenge their crimes.) Although this program is a samurai drama, I would consider it a detective drama, too, because the samurai police are tasked with solving the crimes, just like modern detectives.

Tune in to all our different detective dramas!

Ja, ne.

 

 

Are you a fan of Jidaigeki?

  By Phyllis Kihara | March 21, 2014 - 8:17 am |
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Recently, we’ve been airing more jidaigeki shows. Do you know jidaigeki? Basically, it refers to a genre of programs usually described as samurai dramas.

A popular series that aired on KIKU for many years — Abarenbo Shogun — was an example of jidaigeki. And the program that just finished airing, Ninja Sarutobi III, was also jidaigeki. We just began airing a new show on Tuesday nights at 9pm, Hidamari no Ki, which is also jidaigeki.

Typically, jidaigeki are historical dramas depicting people living most often in the Edo period. And although I described the genre earlier as samurai dramas, jidaigeki is also about the lives of merchants, farmers, craftsmen, and other everyday people.

On April 4, we will begin another jidaigeki series. This one is called Mission to Kill (Japanese name: Hissatsu Shigotonin). This drama is about assassins who are hired by victims of crime to avenge the crimes committed against them. Hiring an assassin is also a crime, but when you learn about the victims, you come to understand their motivation.

Please watch all our jidaigeki shows and let me know if you’re a fan.

Ja, ne!

 

Nandemo Kantedan – Japanese Antiques Roadshow

  By Phyllis Kihara | March 13, 2014 - 8:50 am | ,
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Are you familiar with PBS’s Antiques Roadshow? Experts knowledgeable in various fields, such as art, furniture, jewelry, ceramics, and many other specialties (even weapons), travel around the country and evaluate items people bring to them. In many cases, the items may have been in their families for years, passed down through generations. In other cases, people purchased the items at garage sales or flea markets without knowing whether the item has true value or is just a piece of junk. And in still other cases, people have consciously collected the item as an investment.

Whatever the case, it’s always interesting to hear an expert’s opinion about the market value of a product that may have just been collecting dust in someone’s home for years.

There is a television show in Japan similar to Antiques Roadshow. It’s called Nandemo Kantedan, which literally translates to ‘experts in anything’.

A film crew from Nandemo Kantedan is in Hawaii this week, along with several antique experts from Japan. They are here to evaluate items — primarily Japanese antique items — that may have been brought to Hawaii from Japan, and to provide their expert opinions about the authenticity and/or value of those items.

If you have something that has been passed down to you by your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents, and you always wondered about its value and authenticity, these experts will be at the Moiliili Community Center this weekend — March 15 and 16, from 10am-6pm in Room 303. No appointment is necessary; just bring your valuables. And good luck!

Ja, ne!

 

Thumb Up or Thumbs Down?

  By Phyllis Kihara | March 5, 2014 - 3:45 pm |
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How do you feel about the Making It Through specials we’ve been airing the past three Sundays? On one hand, isn’t it great having the show back after they stopped production of the series? But on the other hand, it’s only.four.hours. It’s like a tiny little teaser, getting us all back into the Okakura family’s dramas, only to be gone again after this Sunday. If they make more specials, should we air them? What do you think? Thumbs up or thumbs down?

We have several new specials starting this month you need to check out:

Let It Be is about a middle-aged couple that is about to experience an empty nest. Daigo and Aya Nagashima have raised three sons. When their youngest son gets married, Daigo, thinking his wife will be lonely, decides to retire and take his wife on a trip around the world. But his wife has other ideas. She can finally be her own woman and do whatever she wants. Watch this series beginning Sunday, March 9, from 9-10pm, to see what Aya’s plans are and whether they include Daigo.

The next new drama is Otome-san, which begins Sunday, March 16, from 8-9pm. Otome-san is the Japanese term for mother-in-law. Traditionally, relationships between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law are full of tension and strife. At least that’s how Asako Mizusawa’s relationship was with her mother-in-law. She lived with constant nagging and criticism from her husband’s mother, and was determined to have a different relationship with her daughter-in-law if her son ever married. So what happens when her son does marry?

The third new drama is Hidamari no Ki, a samurai drama beginning on Tuesday, March 18, from 9-10pm. This is set in the year 1855, the year following the Treaty of Peace and Amity between Japan and the U.S. A 26-year-old samurai, Manjiro Ibuya, has succeeded his father, and tries to make a name for himself by training more seriously than everyone else. This irritates the other samurai, and Manjiro constantly encounters trouble with other samurai, even his friends.

Catch our three new series starting in March!

Ja, ne!

 

 

 

Are you open to new experiences?

  By Phyllis Kihara | February 13, 2014 - 4:28 pm |
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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.

HakuohHandbell2 HakuohHandbell2014group

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.

Sogetsu 1 Sogetsu 2

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

Ja, ne!

 

 

 

 

Making It Through 2013 Special

  By Phyllis Kihara | February 5, 2014 - 4:26 pm |
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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.

Doubles

  By Phyllis Kihara | January 31, 2014 - 5:21 pm |
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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!

New Filipino Drama!

  By Phyllis Kihara | January 15, 2014 - 4:21 pm |
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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.