To celebrate this tradition, the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i this month is holding its fourth annual Kodomo no Hi: Keiki Fun Fest.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 29 in the JCCH Teruya Courtyard and on the fifth floor.

Kids may participate in a cultural scavenger hunt, dress in kimono, ride an antique truck, and learn enameling and basket-weaving.

The event will also feature a mini craft fair, food booths and entertainment — all geared toward children.

Admission is free and open to the public.

Live and colorful koi, or carp, will be swimming in a pool provided by the Hawaii Goldfish and Carp Association. Children can try to catch their own fish with thin paper nets in the Japanese game of kingyosukui.

On display will be a rare collection of children's swords from the Japanese Sword Society of Hawaii. The 18-inch to 24-inch swords, which are hundreds of years old and often mistaken for adult daggers, once belonged to the male children of feudal lords. The swords were bestowed to young boys as a rite of passage from their fathers.

Parents can memorialize this special day by having their child's tegata (handprint) or ashigata (footprint) pressed with ink on shikishi (Japanese paper used for autographs). Provided by Nihon Shuji, the hand or foot print can be accompanied by the child's name written in Japanese characters. Children can also be dressed in traditional kimono by Masako Formals and capture this dressing session with professional photographs. Dressing cost is $70 for non-members; $56 for JCCH members. Photos are an additional cost.

Kodomo no Hi is a national holiday in Japan that has evolved over hundreds of years, said Mandy Westfall, JCCH Programs Director.

Following World War II, Tango no Sekku once again changed to Kodomo no Hi — a holiday that is part of Japan's Golden Week — which celebrates both boys and girls. In May, in honor of Children's Day, many families in Japan and Hawai'i still display the koi nobori outside their homes; however parents are often doing so to show their appreciation and wish for the future success of their young ones, both male and female.

The JCCH is a non-profit organization, strives to share the history, heritage and culture of the evolving Japanese American experience in Hawai'i.

For more information call 945-7633 or visit www.jcch.com.