J-FESTA 2026 (Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival) Part 2

The 5^th Annual Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival, now branded as J-FESTA, was held on Friday, July 10, 2026, with seven steel guitarists and steel guitar ensembles from Japan performing. The festival was incorporated into the weeklong Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week. Co-emcees were Masami Sato and Alan Akaka. The event was livestreamed and featured Michiyo Fujita, moani ito, YUKIO KATAGIRI, Kiyoshi "Lion" Kobayashi and his Steel Guitar Ensemble, Masami "MATT" Kobayashi and Friends, Paul Okubo, and Masami Sato & Makana.(Stylizations are at the request of the respective performers.)

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• Masami Sato.
• Featured steel guitarist Michiyo Fujita with Kaipo Lindsey.
• Michiyo Fujita with Yoshiko Yokoyama, Kaipo Lindsey, and David Woodward.
• Devin Nakahara, Yoshiko Yokoyama, and Michiyo Fujita.
• Featured steel guitarist moani ito.
• moani ito with Kaipo Lindsey and David Woodward.
• Featured steel guitarist YUKIO KATAGIRI.
• Devin Nakahara.
• Michiko Makiuchi, Toshiko Konno, Kazuko Tanaka, Ayumi Kato, and Kazuko Ishii.
• Michiko Makiuchi and Toshiko Konno.
• Toshiko Konno.
• Kazuko Ishii.
• Ayumi Kato.
• Kazuko Tanaka on steel guitar with Michiko Makiuchi and Toshiko Konno.
• Ayumi Kato.
• Hula dancer Moana.
• Toshiko Konno.
• Michiko Makiuchi.
• Masami Sato.
• Alan Akaka with featival performers: Devin Nakahara, Michiko Makiuchi, Schuyler Woodward, moani ito, YUKIO KATAGIRI, Isaac Woodward, Paul Okubo, Kaipo Lindsey, Toshiko Konno, Ayumi Kato, David Woodward, and Alan Akaka.
• Michiko Makiuchi, Schuyler Woodward, moani ito, YUKIO KATAGIRI, Isaac Woodward, and Paul Okubo.
• Devin Nakahara, Michiko Makiuchi, Schuyler Woodward, moani ito, YUKIO KATAGIRI, Isaac Woodward, Paul Okubo, Kaipo Lindsey, Toshiko Konno, Ayumi Kato, and David Woodward.
• Masami Sato, Schuyler Woodward, and Alan Akaka.
• Masami Sato and Alan Akaka.

Back to Gallery: 2026 Waikiki Steel Guitar Week

Photography by Don Rostow ©2026 by Don Rostow and HIMELE.