Tomorrow, the kadomatsu that have been adorning doorways from Japan to San Francisco Japantown will be removed. These traditional pine-and-bamboo arrangements (such as the one pictured here that has been gracing the east entrance to the Kintetsu Mall on the Peace Plaza) symbolize long life (the pine) and strength (the bamboo). At least, that’s what my mom told me, explaining […]
Nichi Bei Natural
Exploring environmentalism across Japanese America and beyond
Reporting from the Chicago Botanic Garden
December 24, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Greetings from Chicago, Illinois, where your blogger for Nichi Bei Natural is braving a chilly week with the help of warm friends and family. Headed out to the Chicago Botanic Garden today for a snowy walk around the grounds, and strolled through the popular Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden. Also known as the Sansho-En (it stretches across three […]
Wrapping it up
December 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment
The holiday season always produces a flood of gifts, brought on in a tsunami of wrapping paper. All that colorful packaging sets a festive tone, but most ends up in the garbage so as we don’t drown in it. Might there be a way to stem this wasteful tide? Enter furoshiki, or decorative wrapping fabric. […]
Explorations in environmentalism
December 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Back in early 2008, in this newspaper’s previous life as the Nichi Bei Times, we took a stab at a fresh idea and published a green issue. We reached out to the experts, advocates and regulators who constantly fight for a healthier planet. We interviewed David Suzuki, world-famous scientist, broadcaster and author (see review). We […]
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