The U.S. is uncomfortably stimulating. The U.S. is loud and unruly. The U.S. is foreign. Nine 8th graders from Shimukappu, Japan traveled to Aspen for ten days at the beginning... read more →
On a brisk, sunny January afternoon at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, the clicks of cameras snapping away blended with the sounds of a nature preserve as about a... read more →
Aspen and Shimukappu, Japan have been sister cities for thirty years and for thirty years the student exchange has been creating bonds between families of both communities. It was the... read more →
Generosity in practice. The Buddhist priest moved methodically around the room, instructing us in rhythmically hitting our instruments. He divided us into groups of four: one person beating a taiko... read more →
Last week, Shimukappu, Japan, elementary students ran their annual “marathon.” Teachers set up a sprint course for the first graders, and the distance was increased for each grade until it... read more →
Aspen's past and Shimukappu's present offer lessons for our culture's future Shimukappu is at a turning point. Or that’s the belief of Yoshiharu Hoshino, anyway. He’s the CEO of Hoshino... read more →
Self-care in Shimukappu is part of the way of life. I sensed that the toilet advertisement was a promising sign, but I struggled to grasp the meaning. Two children wearing... read more →
Lessons at school in Shimukappu show how to be a global team player My ninth-grade students recently had a lesson that discussed humanitarian work in Afghanistan. One passage read, “Have... read more →
Peace and harmony in Shimukappu highlight the value of turning down the volume on life. Studying Japanese is easier on some days than on others. It’s been a series... read more →
Timbah Bell, a former Aspen High School English teacher, heads to sister city of Shimukappu, Japan, to teach English. “Beauty Noted” is a new bimonthly column by Timbah, which will... read more →