HONOLULU — More than 200 students from Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Hawaii and Oahu converged at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii on Thursday for a free half-day educational program on traditional Japanese arts and culture.

Presented by the Japan-America Society of Hawaii, Japan Day helps to reinforce school curricula through hands-on activities including bon dance, calligraphy, ikebana and karate.

Following the morning program, students from neighbor island schools learned about Japanese immigrant history through a private gallery tour at JCCH.

Held twice a year, Japan Day is JASH’s longest-running Japanese cultural program that is offered free to Hawaii schools.

On Kauai, Japan Day was celebrated Friday at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall in Matsuri Kauai, an annual gathering that included taiko drumming, live entertainment, crafts, food and more.