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Just Another List: Festivals in Hyogo, August 2015
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Just Another List: Festivals in Hyogo, August 2015

ByDana Warren

    So you want to see a summer festival this year? Chances are that whatever town you find yourself living in will have a perfectly lovely matsuri or three all prepared. However, if you want to venture elsewhere in our fine prefecture here’s a few you may have heard of.     Dekansho Matsuri…

Tōshiya: Archery
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Tōshiya: Archery

ByDaniel Bromberg

The Japanese deem the twentieth year of an individual’s life as the one which signifies the official “coming of age.” In all aspects of Japanese society, the twentieth year marks the age where teenagers are thrust into the world of adulthood, whereby they become morally, and often, economically responsible for their future. Every January, scores of teenagers experience a sudden revolution in their physical and social being, one which is marked by joyous celebrations – and in this case, long, beautifully carved wooden bows and exquisitely designed kimonos.

Happy (Chinese) New Year!
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Happy (Chinese) New Year!

ByHyogo Times Contributor

Festivities in Kobe’s Chinatown during the first weekend of February celebrated Shunsetsu, and the start of the year of the Rabbit. Beginning February 3rd with the new moon (to end January 22nd, 2012), Rabbit years are said to be for catching one’s breath after the dynamism of the Tiger. This year’s Rabbit is associated with the element metal, so the fluffy bunny may have a bit of a sharp edge (perhaps dulled a little by the fact that it’s yin metal, not yang this year)! Nankin-machi was thronged with visitors all weekend long, and on display were performances of dance, acrobatics, tai chi, as well as the famous lion and dragon dances.

Why White Day?
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Why White Day?

ByCJ Stearns

As winter slowly passes and spring edges closer to the hills and valleys of Japan, Valentine’s Day has already come and gone. Perhaps some of us had cause to notice, perhaps some of us didn’t. While Valentine’s Day has never been a holiday of much consequence to me personally, I did find myself very curious…