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Harima Happenings: Wisteria/Aioi Peron Festival
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Harima Happenings: Wisteria/Aioi Peron Festival

ByEmily Lemmon

Our cherry blossoms may have been here in an instant, gone with a flash, but if you missed out on Yabu’s thousand-year-old sakura blooms, you can still get your ancient (but still going strong) flora on in the Yamasaki (Shiso) area early in May. Shiso’s thousand-year-old wisteria is a beautiful sight to behold. Typically, the…

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.

Born to Love – Taught to Loathe: a review of Hi! My Name is Loco and I Am a Racist
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Born to Love – Taught to Loathe: a review of Hi! My Name is Loco and I Am a Racist

ByEmily Lemmon

The book’s title is a bit surprising, first of all, but don’t be put off!

I downloaded Hi! My Name is Loco and I Am a Racist to my kindle midway through a spring-break workday, partly because it was something I wanted to read, and partly because I thought I “should,” for various reasons, most of them being I’m not sure I understand racism. Having read a bit of Loco’s blog, I expected to laugh and to be challenged, but I never expected to cry…