2025 Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival Lineup Announced

May 17, 2025 • Addison Ching • Festivals and Conventions

Seven Hawaiian steel guitar artists from Japan will participate in this year's Japan-Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival.

The festival will be held at the Royal Hawaiian Center's Royal Grove stage on Friday, July 11, 2025, as a part of the annual Waikīkī Steel Guitar Week. The festival will be livestreamed with performances beginning at 2:30 PM and contunuing through 6:30 PM Hawaiian Standard Time.

Emcees for the event will be Masami Sato and Alan Akaka.

Returning to this year's festival are Japan steel guitarists Shinichi Kakiuchi, Yukio Katagiri, Kiyoshi "Lion" Kobayashi and his Steel Guitar Ensemble, Masami "Matt" Kobayashi, Paul Okubo, and Masami Sato and Makana. New to this year's festival is Moto Suzuki. Suzuki had planned to participate in last year's festival but was not able to do so.

As of the festival date, Lion will have celebrated his 92^nd birthday. He will be accompanied by some members of the Lion Ladies steel guitar ensemble, Masako Wakamatsu, and Sakae Machida. Also accompanying Lion will be Hajime Takahashi, Haruko Ozeki, and Michiyo Fujita.

Masami Sato's group Makana includes Kazuko Tanaka on steel guitar, Masako Wakamatsu on steel guitar, Kazuko Ishii on guitar, Ayumi Kato on guitar and vocals, Yoshiko Konno on ‘ukulele and bass, and Michiko Makiuchi on keyboards, ‘ukulele, and vocals.

Matt Kobayashi will return with musicians and dancers who have performed with him at past festivals, including Leonard Jenkins on ‘ukulele, Hovey Lambert on bass, Poki‘i Vaughan on guitar, Ernie Morikubo on guitar, and hula dancers Caroline Affonso and Kela Cuban.

Backup musicians for some performers include Alan Akaka on ‘ukulele, Kaipo Asing on ‘ukulele, Joseph Zayac on guitar, and Helene Woodward on bass.