Yamanashi Kyoyukai Friendship Club

Annual Shinnen Enkai New Year's Party & Annual Meeting Saturday, March 1, 2003 Treetops Restaurant The Yamanashi Kyoyukai Friendship Club celebrated its 81st annual Shinnen Enkai New Year's Party on March 1st, 2003 at the TreeTops Restaurant at Paradise Park in lush Manoa valley. It was a bright and sunny day, in a valley noted for its frequently misty showers and rainforest-like vegetation. Over 100 members, family and friends joined in the celebration, and enjoyed the wonderful, tasty, and plentiful buffet of island favorites offered by this unique restaurant overlooking the green and peaceful valley high above the University of Hawaii, the Manoa community and away from bustling downtown Honolulu. The Shinnen Enkai also featured a fun "Price Is Right" guessing game, lots of door prizes, a special display of old photographs of our past years, and educational material sent to us from the Yamanashi Prefecture's Tourism Office. Of course, everyone enjoyed meeting and greeting new and old friends, and the delicious food. All the families were also offered special gift bags prepared for this occasion. All in all, a very nice way to start off our new year! Photos Acknowledgements Universal Construction and the Asahina Family for generously donating Longs Drugs gift certificates for door prizes, Gayle Ozawa for many door prizes, Takamasa Kajiwara for 10 beautiful carved wood and seed necklaces that he personally made, Janet Yoda for her wonderful handmade pillow cases and craft items, and to the many varous members who donated financially to the club. A special acknowledgement to Jane Komeiji and family for their very generous donation in memory of the late Toshio Komeiji, patriarch of the Komeji family and long time supporter and director of the Yamanashi Kyoyukai. Thanks also go to Ken Yoda and his family, and George Kajiwara for arranging for the gift bags, the guessing game and help in organizing the Shinnen Enkai. A note of appreciation also to Rev. Daiya Amano for providing us with the blessing of the event, and Mr. Yukio Taketa, President, and his wife Sachi, representing the Hawaii Hiroshima Heritage Study Club for joining us at our Shinnen Enkai.