Odaiba Hawaii Festival '12

I recently returned from an amazing trip to Japan for an appearance at the Odaiba Hawaii Festival 2012. A huge mahalo again to the organizers of this event, including the luxurious Venus Fort, Hawaiian Airlines, and of course Toyota, for displaying my art on their cool new Aqua Hybrid!

A special mahalo to Jun Yoshimura, the staff at the Heather Brown Gallery (including their friends and family who were kind enough to help out). There were long hours put into this event and I sure appreciate it!

The hospitality of the people of Japan is unmatched in the world. I'm always so overwhelmed by the warmth and kindness shown to me by friends and fans. I was greeted warmly by happy folks, many of whom offered gifts, photos, and warm embraces. I was giddy all weekend from all the love.

Odaiba Hawaii Festival was of course a fabulous event. Aside from the rainy weather on the first day (didn't seem to stop anyone from enjoying the performances inside the Toyota MegaWeb), everything went off without a hitch. There were lots of great dancers and performers, including the cast of the Polynesian Cultural Center's Ha: Breath of Life (making Japanese girls swoon with their braun and fire-twirling skills), local food (malasadas, steak plates and shave ice), and an array of hula dancers strolling about.

It was a great weekend for families and lovers of Hawaiian culture. There was so much aloha in the air it felt like home. My art found a place at the Hawaiian Festival as well, being instantly embraced by new art collectors. It was also nice to see established fans who kindly stopped by for a signed postcard or just to say hello.

By the way, if you ever find yourself in Tokyo and want to see a mall to end all malls, visit the Venus Fort. Seriously, this place is like the Venetian in Vegas and a Mall of America all rolled into one. The fashion is outstanding and the shoes....don't even get my started on shoes! There is a whole level dedicated to pets and their owners. Just a beautiful thing to see.

Well I hope this is my first of many appearances at the Odaiba Hawaii Festival. I look forward to returning again soon. I'm so happy for this experience. Mahalo to everyone!