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Sister Cities Ep.7: Community Concert w/ Katsuyuki Onodera

By Ben Mirin, CIR

It’s Golden Week in Japan, which means our posting schedule is a little irregular.  The cherry blossoms are finally emerging all over Nanae, and the weather accurately reflects the time of year.

Happy Spring!

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To submit suggestions for future content, please email concordnanae@gmail.com. Thank you for visiting ConcordNanae.org.

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Sister Cities Ep 7 Sneak Peek

By Ben Mirin, CIR

September 25th, 2011: An interview shot during last year’s historic community concert between the Nanae and Concord-Carlisle High School bands. Featuring Susan Erickson and Robin Cicchetti

Stay tuned for the next episode, in which I’ll sit down with beloved Nanae Band Director, Katsuyuki Onodera-sensei. We’ll be talking about the concert, and enjoying a special backstage interview with CCHS Band Director, Al Dentino!

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Sci-Fi Delegation: A Great Success

Hello everyone,

This year’s visit to Nanae by the CCHS Sci-Fi Club was tremendously successful, and here’s some visual proof!

Check out Dr. David Nurenberg’s blog documenting the Sci-Fi trip around Japan: http://cchsjapantrip2012.wordpress.com/

You can also view a compilation of Dr. Nurenberg’s and my photos in the photo gallery, an alternate set of photos exclusively on our Facebook Page (facebook.com/concordnanae), and in a new Flickr Collection (flickr.com/photos/56651982@N08).

We are still working on uploading a series of interviews with student members of the recent Sci-Fi delegation to Nanae. They will be available on the new Sister Schools page (password protected), and a select few will also be published here on the home page.

Stay tuned!
-The CIR

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Sister Cities Ep 6: Dances and Barbecues

By Ben Mirin, CIR

For now, please enjoy the purely English version of this week’s episode.  We’re a little behind in the subtitles, and will upload the final version (with Japanese subs) as soon as possible.

I had a lot of fun making this.  Hope you have fun watching.
Interviewees: Sae Tamura, Hitomi Shihoya, and Riho Ahiko

Please consider leaving a comment on this post in the comment section below, or subscribing to the RSS feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

To submit suggestions for future content, please email concordnanae@gmail.com. Thank you for visiting ConcordNanae.org.

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Sister Cities Ep 5 Minuteman Park with Akiko Tsushima

By Ben Mirin, CIR

Some fun facts:

  1. (Video time: 04:01): Akamatsukaido (Red Pine Street) is Nanae’s central road.  Its name honors the majestic Japanese Red Pines that line both sides for several kilometers.  The trees were planted for two respective visits from the Emperor Meiji, in 1876 and 1881.  Although nonnative to Hokkaido, some 1200 to 1300 trees still stand today.  These trees are featured in “This is Nanae!”, a documentary by former CIR, Bobby Kargula.
  2. (04:13) Nanamitsuki: Nana, meaning seven, refers to Nanae.  Mitsu refers to the sweet, golden flesh at the center of certain apple varieties, such as the Red Gold.
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Science-Fiction and Agriculture: Concord Delegation Finalized for April 2012

By Ben Mirin, CIR

In place of this week’s episode of “Sister Cities,” I bring you an exciting update (the import of which should explain why there will also be no Sister Cities episode on Friday, April 13th, but look for more delegation updates around that time!):

This week, Nanae’s International Relations section has finalized the schedule for its next official delegation visit from Concord. Arriving on April 10th, 30 Concord delegates will tour Nanae (and the nearby city of Hakodate), home-stay with local Nanae families, and attend various cultural events organized specifically for their four-day stay.

This upcoming delegation has a central focus, since 25 of its 30 members will represent the Concord-Carlisle High School Science-Fiction Club. Led by CCHS English teacher and Sister School Coordinator Dr. David Nurenburg, this will be the Club’s second time making an official visit to the Japanese sister city, after a groundbreaking trip in 2009. (click for photos)

Concord’s delegation will also consist of Concord-Carlisle Librarian Robin Chichetti, Concord translator Junko Kargula, Concord-Carlisle Nurse Cary Bestor Williams, and the delegation leader, Concord-Carlisle Vice-Principal Dr. Alan Weinstein. Collectively, their visit will sustain a 15-year tradition of April delegations from Concord to Nanae. It will also mark 2 years of a healthy sister school relationship between Concord-Carlisle and Nanae High Schools, poignantly, at a time when the Japanese school year is just beginning. Continue reading “Science-Fiction and Agriculture: Concord Delegation Finalized for April 2012”

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Remembering March 11th

By Ben Mirin

Nothing reveals the true character and strength of a nation like a disaster. I would never wish such a horrible catastrophe on any people of the world, but as a foreigner living in Japan during the March 11th earthquake, I do consider myself lucky, lucky to have witnessed the incredible resolve of the Japanese people to such a degree as only such a disaster could reveal. Gan-bare Nihon!