In the West, Japanese culture is often portrayed as reserved when it comes to open displays of emotion. Nowhere have I seen this oversimplification more clearly disproven than during the Shimukappu Exchange Program in Aspen. From the welcome at Sardy Field to the farewell dinner, the delegation’s heartfelt enthusiasm for all things... read more →
Jan
23
Jan
23
What do Shimukappu, Japan and Aspen, Colorado have in common? They offer world-class skiing, spectacular mountain vistas, and have students willing to take risks, cross borders, and explore new cultures. Four middle school students from the small mountain town in Northern Japan came to Aspen earlier this month, as did... read more →
Dec
04
Winter Sports and Climate Change: What's the Plan Please join us for the inaugural session of the Sister Cities Challenges series, a platform for open dialogue on shared challenges facing our communities with partners: Aspen Chamber Resort Association, Queenstown Lakes District Council, City of Aspen, Queenstown Chamber of Commerce, Destination... read more →
Oct
09
Special for The Aspen Times. Here in Shimukappu, Aspen’s Sister City in Hokkaido, Japan, my classroom schedule was greatly diminished after the summer break, as English class got bumped for the annual gakkousai (school festival) preparations. Unlike Aspen’s array of parent nights, art shows, science fairs, band recitals, school plays, and forensics competitions,... read more →
Aug
18
Greetings from Aspen’s Sister City of Shimukappu, Japan! My name is Grayson Bauer, and after having lived in the Roaring Fork Valley since 2015, I was lucky enough to become the English Exchange Teacher here this past spring. In the event that you just learned that Aspen has a sister... read more →
Jul
01
This week, the Aspen Institute New Zealand hosted its inaugural Aspen Sister City Youth Seminar at Wakatipu High School, Queenstown. This event brought together visiting exchange students from Aspen High School and their hosts from Wakatipu High School to delve into the concept of regenerative tourism. Moderated by Dr. Susan... read more →