White calla lilies are bursting with meaning: since Victorian times they have represented purity and devotion, to Christians they symbolize rebirth and assist in celebrating Easter, and in Russia they... read more →
The snow in Shimukappu motivates my neighbors to wrap even their sturdiest-looking shrubs in burlap to protect the branches from being snapped by the weight of a February storm. Now... read more →
Katherine Sand, Renee Giles and Megan Monaghan, Growing Community. Aspen Daily News- May 17, 2023 In this column we frequently talk about the challenges of modern parenting, and that’s undoubtedly... read more →
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 →
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