Kia ora and Greetings from Ngā Hau E Whā.

We are a Maori Kapa Haka Group based in Japan.

Ngā Hau E Whā - originated from a simple concept of like minded New Zealand Maori & Polynesian living in Japan.

Our name, meaning 'four winds', acknowledges our different regional and tribal affiliations in Aotearoa (New Zealand).  Our name also conveys that we have been carried to Japan on the North, South, East and West winds for the purpose of maintaining and sharing our culture and traditions.

キアオラ（マオリ語でこんにちわの意）。私達は

「Ｎｇａ　Ｈａｕ　Ｅ　Ｗｈａ」というグループです。このグループは皆ニュージーランドの先住民族、マオリの出身です。我々のグループ名「Ｎｇａ　Ｈａｕ　Ｅ　Ｗｈａ」は「四つ風」という意味を持っています。

これは我々のニュージーランド（アオテアロア）での異なった出身地域や民族性を超えて、お互いを認め合おうという意味を込め名づけました。その為、我々のグループ名はそれぞれみんなが『東西南北それぞれから集った風』という意をこめ名付けられました。

Our logo consists of two parts.

The first part represents our name, the four winds. This is shown as 4 ‘koru’ or unfurling fern fronds, each frond depicts one of the four winds. The second part is the 'Hinomaru' or ‘Sun Disc’ which can be seen in the national flag of Japan.

In designing this logo we feel it reflects our identity here by unifying symbols from both New Zealand and Japan.

Ngā Hau E Whā formed in 1996.

The founding members of Ngā Hau E Whā created the group with a desire to share and promote Maori culture with the people of Japan through the medium of Maori Performance.

From the inception of Ngā Hau E Whā, the group has been involved in many cultural performances both in Japan and other countries in Asia. The calendar section contains a list of our most recent performances.

Our kaupapa (aim) is to foster a “whānau” or family base for Māori living in Japan while learning, preserving and maintaining all aspects of Māoritanga (culture and heritage) pertaining to tikanga (protocols) reo (language) and performing arts (kapa haka).

Ngā Hau E Whā provides a cultural performance that encompasses traditional song, dance and activities of the Maori. Our performers are skilled in these disciplines and as a group Ngā Hau E Whā strives to provide an exciting, vibrant and unforgettable cultural experience that depicts artforms passed down though generations from our ancestors.

Togetherness or family bonding (Whakawhanaungatanga) is a fundamental aspect of Ngā Hau E Whā. While in Japan it is the philosophy of the group to care (manaaki), support (tautoko) and help and assist (awhina) Ngā Hau E Whā members and their extended family while they are based in Japan.

         “Kia mau ki nga tikanga a kui ma a koro ma-”

At present Ngā Hau E Whā is made up of 18 members who reside in different regions in Japan. All have a strong desire to uphold the Maori culture while living in Japan.

Such is the transient nature of life in Japan, over the years we have seen various members stay for a while and move on. All have left their unique mark on the group and the development of Ngā Hau E Whā as a whole.