Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds Earns Japan Bird Festival Award

The Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds participated in this year’s Japan Bird Festival held in Abiko, Japan.

During the closing ceremony of the Japan Bird Festival, the Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds was given an award for its educational display.

A formal letter from the Japan Bird Festival committee praising HIFB’s exhibition was presented to Rae Okawa, HIFB committee member, by Dr. Takuji Okuno, the director general of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology. After the ceremony, photos were taken with the mayor of Abiko.

Held every year at Lake Teganuma in Abiko City, Chiba, the Japan Bird Festival is one of the largest bird festivals in the country. This year, the Japan Bird Festival had 180 booths and over 40,000 attendees.

The Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds joined other international birding clubs and eco tour organizations from countries including Mongolia, Taiwan, Nepal, Israel, Borneo and the Philippines.

HIFB was in Japan to promote the 2018 Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds event, scheduled for September 14 to 17, 2018, in Kona.

HIFB representatives distributed informational cards, save-the-date stickers and Hawai‘i Island travel information.

In addition to promoting HIFB, representatives also promoted Hawai‘i Island and Hawai‘i’s unique bird species. Featured prominently at the HIFB tables were Hawaiian Honeycreeper sculptures by master carver Haruo Uchiyama. He has many projects in Hawai‘i and is also the founder of the Japan Bird Festival. His work can be seen at the Hawai‘i Wildlife Center Ho‘opulama Science and Discovery Center in North Kohala. He was also a vendor at this year’s Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds, which established the relationship between HIFB and the Japan Bird Festival.

HIFB sends a huge mahalo nui to everyone who helped make this trip possible: Hawaiian Airlines, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau, Kevin Okawa and the Japan Bird Festival.

Much of this trip was possible due to donations and in-kind contributions, including round-trip airfare from Hawaiian Airlines as well as lodging, taxi service and translation services provided by the Japan Bird Festival.

Sponsors of the Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds include Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, County of Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Forest & Trail, Destination Marketing, Hawai‘i Wildlife Center and Alaska Airlines.

The Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds participated in the 2017 Japan Bird Festival held in Abiko, Japan, in September.

The Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds participated in the 2017 Japan Bird Festival held in Abiko, Japan, in September.

The Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds participated in the 2017 Japan Bird Festival held in Abiko, Japan, in September.

The Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds participated in the 2017 Japan Bird Festival held in Abiko, Japan, in September.

The Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds participated in the 2017 Japan Bird Festival held in Abiko, Japan, in September.