The happy sounds of cultural celebration rang out along South Beretania Street yesterday at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i during the New Year's 'Ohana Festival.

There was thumping of taiko drummers, dancing by fan and bon dancers and banging from mochi pounders, who mashed the sweet rice into the traditional New Year's delicacy.

Spread out between the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i and Mo'ili'ili Field, the event drew more than 13,000 people yesterday who ate, shopped at the craft booths, or watched the entertainment.

"A lot of the traditions and customs in Hawai'i are kept alive by festivals like this," said Lenny Andrew, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i president. "Some of these cultural activities would be dying arts unless we keep them alive by demonstrating them."

The festival was the result of a large grant from the state Tourism Authority, the city's Product Enrichment Program and Central Pacific Bank.

Snipping branches of his Surinam cherry tree was Roy Yamashiro. A teacher of the Japanese art form bonsai, Yamashiro was pruning to keep the 16-year-old tree healthy. The tree, shaped like an umbrella, was planted in a shallow clay dish, said the Moanalua resident.

"It's a living art," said Ed Nakanishi, a master in the bonsai field, who was watching Yamashiro. "You have to use what is grown. It is very satisfying. It takes patience."

Upstairs at the cultural center, youngsters were getting dressed in traditional kimono. Their parents paid up to $70 for the treat.

Walking slowly were Elise Sugiyama and her brother, Evan. Their parents and grandmother looked on with smiles as they stood before the professional photographer.

It was 5-year-old Evan's first time in traditional male kimono, said mom Shari Sugiyama.

"It's part of their culture," she said. "We don't have these kinds of clothes around the house. It's important for them to know different aspects of their culture so they can understand where they come from."

Over at Mo'ili'ili Field, mochi pounders took a break and ate lunch. One of the pounders, Lincoln Kada of Honolulu, was getting ready for the second demonstration of the day. Mochi rice is cooked and then pounded to a pulp in a giant stone bowl. Wooden mallets called kine are used to pound the rice into the pulp.

"We make our mochi from scratch," Kada said.

"I really enjoyed the festival," Hilo resident Karen Iwata said. "It reminded me of some of the things from when I was little."

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com.