The Hula Girl Spirit: Passing it on to the Next Generation
Passing the baton to my classmate!

The narrator of this story

Spa Resort Hawaiians Dancing Team
Former captain (20th)

Rehiva Yuki

Lehiwa Yuki

Born in Tokyo. She was captivated by the sight of her seniors dancing at the "National Kizuna Caravan" after the Great East Japan Earthquake and decided to become a hula girl. She joined the company in 2018 as a member of the 54th class and was promoted to solo dancer in 2024. In 2025, she became the 20th captain. She retired at the end of June 2026. She is currently pursuing a new career as a public relations officer for ICONIA HOSPITALITY.

Spa Resort Hawaiians Dancing Team
Current Captain (21st)

Puamelia Mayu

Puamelia Mayu

Born in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture. She has been familiar with Hawaiianz since childhood. One day, she happened to see dancers seriously practicing in their practice clothes and was deeply moved, deciding to become a hula girl. She joined the company in 2018 as a member of the 54th class. In 2024, she was promoted to solo dancer. From 2026, she will serve as the new captain, aiming to create a bright team that makes the most of each member's individuality.

The retirement stage was filled with excitement and smiles.

Spa Resort Hawaiians boasts a 60-year history. The "Hula Girls (Spa Resort Hawaiians Dancing Team)," formed at the same time as the resort's opening, are a symbol of the resort.

On the evening of June 27th, a packed audience gazed intently at the stage of the Waterpark Beach Theater, where they perform their shows every day.

The one who delivered the passionate dance was the 20th captain, Yuki Lehiva. After more than eight years as a hula girl, this was her last stage performance.

When the highlight solo dance began, a particularly loud round of applause erupted from the audience. During the final song, the members on stage all shouted in unison, "Go, Yuki!", to which Yuki responded with a beaming smile.
During the subsequent retirement ceremony, the next captain, Puamelia Mayu, presented Yuki with a bouquet of flowers. The two, who had overcome many hardships together, exchanged smiles filled with deep emotion.

Admiration and bewilderment. The encounter between two contrasting individuals.

Let's rewind the clock to 2018. In that year, the two joined the company as part of the 54th graduating class, and initially, they felt that they were very different from each other.

For Mayu, who hails from Fukushima Prefecture, Yuki was someone she admired. Even before joining the company, Yuki had performed at numerous events as a hula dancer, and Mayu had seen her performances on video-sharing websites. "That's the girl I've always watched," she thought, her heart pounding with excitement.

Meanwhile, Yuki, who is from Tokyo, said her first impression of Mayu was "those long arms that suddenly stretched out." During a company tour before joining the company, when asked "Do you have any questions?", Mayu was the first to raise her hand. Yuki was overwhelmed by her enthusiasm and began to feel anxious, thinking, "She might be a different type of person than me. I wonder if we'll be able to become friends."

With feelings of both longing and bewilderment, the two began their journey as hula girls.

The pressure of the first year, the COVID-19 pandemic... A series of trials followed.

A grueling period awaited the new dancers. In addition to the rigorous training that required them to learn new routines one after another, feelings of anxiety began to sprout in the latter half of their first year as they realized that "the juniors will be joining soon."

Unable to bear the ever-increasing pressure, one by one, her classmates went their separate ways... Mayu recalls her feelings at the time with these words.

"I thought that if I didn't stand my ground, our class would disappear."

Having overcome their first hardship with a strong sense of responsibility, they faced further trials: the spread of the novel coronavirus. Following the declaration of a state of emergency, Hawaiianz was forced to close for three months starting in April 2020.

However, the dancing team did not stop their efforts. Even during the closure, they continued to practice their routines on stage, just as they would for the actual daytime and evening shows.

The hall was empty, and as soon as the music stopped, it was enveloped in silence. It's no wonder that the two, who were only in their third year at the company, felt uneasy in such an environment. Nevertheless, supported by the words of their seniors, "Let's give them our best performance when the customers return!", they continued to dance with smiles on their faces towards the empty seats.

Yuki describes the day she was able to dance in front of an audience again as follows:

"Some people even shed tears, and I felt even happier than when we debuted. It made me realize once again, 'This is what we're supposed to be doing!'"

Having overcome numerous trials, by their fourth year, only Yuki and Mayu remained from the 54th class.

The captaincy came suddenly.

The two eventually grew into core members of the team. In 2024, they were both promoted to solo dancers.

Furthermore, in January 2025, Yuki was appointed as the 20th captain. It was a sudden promotion to a position where she had to lead a group of about 40 members. Yuki reflects on it as follows:

"At first I was filled with anxiety... But then my boss said to me, 'Why don't you try taking action to eliminate all that anxiety? Think about how you can make things better and change things,' and that helped me overcome my worries."

"Okay, then I'm going to change everything." With this straightforward declaration to her boss, Yuki's reforms began.

Creating an environment where "dance comes first" and deepening resonance

The driving force behind this was the desire to "create an environment where younger dancers can concentrate more on dancing." For example, they reviewed the division of labor for chores that had traditionally been the responsibility of new dancers, such as cleaning and helping with costumes, and reduced the burden. They pushed forward with reforms with the aim of "increasing the time they can spend thinking about dancing, even if it's just by 10 minutes a day."

The biggest support during the team reform process came from Mayu, who was serving as sub-captain at the same time. Through daily discussions, Yuki realized that Mayu shared the same values as her. At first, she felt that Mayu was "a different type of person," but as leaders, they resonated deeply with each other, and their bond grew even stronger.

Furthermore, Yuki would ask "What do you all think?" at every opportunity, transforming the atmosphere into one where spontaneous opinions were freely exchanged. As Mayu said, "The boundary between the captain and the members disappeared," and the team became one where everyone felt comfortable expressing their opinions.

Watching Yuki, Mayu learned a new kind of leadership.

The spirit of "Hula Girls" is passed down.

As she witnessed the changes within the team, Yuki secretly solidified her resolve to retire.

Yuki had been thinking about when she would have to leave, and had confided in Mayu about her feelings from time to time.

"I've completed the reforms I absolutely wanted to implement, and now we have a more comfortable environment for everyone. That's why I feel confident entrusting the team to the next generation, and I've decided to take a new step forward myself."

Mayu quietly accepted her "comrade's" decision.

For her retirement performance on June 27th, Yuki chose the cheerful Samoan contemporary song "TUTUKI." It was a positive choice typical of Yuki, expressing her desire to "enjoy the show with everyone with smiles until the very end." Starting in August, she has begun a new career as a public relations officer for ICONIA HOSPITALITY that operates Hawaiianz.

"For the past eight years as a hula dancer, I've always danced while thinking about 'how to move people's hearts.' From now on, I'll be challenging myself in a completely different world, but I want to use my unique perspective to convey a lot of charm in this new environment at Iconia."
Mayu took over as the new captain, replacing Yuki, who spoke with such enthusiasm. But what she inherited wasn't just the title.

"All feelings of compassion and gratitude are expressed through dance."

These are words that Yuki repeatedly passed on to her juniors. Professionalism to bring smiles to customers' faces no matter how difficult the times, consideration for respecting and supporting the individuality of one's teammates, and an attitude of expressing gratitude through dance. This is the very essence of the "Hula Girl Spirit" that Yuki embodied. Mayu also intends to cherish and carry on this spirit.

"We must never forget the 'gratitude and consideration' that has been cultivated throughout our history. We aim to be a cheerful and bright team that always keeps a smile on its face. And we want to create a show where everyone can shine by making the most of each individual's unique personality."

A new history begins.

As Spa Resort Hawaiians celebrates its 60th anniversary, various facility renovations are planned for the future.

As part of this initiative, Restaurant" Onoa's Cafe & Grill" has newly opened. In a space that blends the atmosphere of authentic Hawaii and America with the charm of Fukushima, you can enjoy the chef's carefully crafted main dishes and a diverse buffet. The biggest attraction is that you can enjoy the hula dance performed right beside you while you savor Food. The performance, at a distance where you can directly feel the energy and power of the dancers, offers a special experience unique to this restaurant.

Furthermore, in the spring of 2027, the water park stage where the hula girls perform daily will also be completely renovated.

Under the leadership of their new captain, the dancing team, now even more brilliant, is sure to deliver an even more captivating show. Please look forward to Spa Resort Hawaiians becoming even more powerful as they strive to make new history.

Spa Resort Hawaiians

〒972-8326
50 Warabidaira, Joban Fujiwara-machi, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
TEL: +81-570-550-550(Business hours: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM)

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