Portland, Ore. – Grown in Japan since the 8th century, the chrysanthemum is the official flower of Japan, and along with the Japanese maple, it is considered the quintessential symbol of autumn and a constant motif in literature and art. The highest Order of Chivalry is called the Order of the Chrysanthemum, and the Imperial crest features a 16-petalled chrysanthemum. Kiku Matsuri, the Chrysanthemum Festival, honors this beloved flower and is the fifth of the cycle of five annual Go-Sekku festivals in the traditional Japanese calendar. More…

Critical year purification ceremony to purify and dispel misfortune. According to the “Kigaku” (or Shinto divination method) the ages of 16, 24 and 40, 41, 42 for men and 12, 18 and 31, 32, 33 for women are considered Yakudoshi or critical year; the years 41 for men and 32 for women are considered Taiyaku or Honnyaku, meaning grand climactic years, with the preceding year Maeyaku and the following year Atoyaku requiring a special ceremony, also. These ages are according to Kazoedoshi (counting system where a person is 1 year old at birth) those who like to receive YAKUBARAE who cannot attend Taisai can make arrangements anytime by contacting Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America. More…

No one understands the importance of civil rights better than those who were interned because of Executive Order 9066. EO 9066, as it is called, was an action taken by President Franklin D. Roosevelt that sent over 100,000 people “of Japanese Ancestry” to relocation centers during most of World War II. To honor those citizens in our community who paid a personal sacrifice EO 9066, the Portland Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) will hold a Day of Remembrance event at Portland State University’s George C. Hoffmann Hall on Sunday, February 24, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The program will examine historical and current threats to civil rights in America. More…