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From Willamette Week: Welcoming the Year of the Rabbit at Portland Japanese Garden

Visitors to Portland Japanese Garden reach their hands out for a lucky bite during the shishimai. Photo by Portland Japanese Garden.

Willamette Week spent some time at Portland Japanese Garden on January 8, 2023 to cover our O-Shogatsu celebration. The result was a great article by Bennett Ferguson Campbell, complemented by vibrant photos by Chris Nesseth. Campbell writes, “The Japanese new year starts at the usual date—Jan. 1—but the party lasts a little longer. That’s how the Portland Japanese Garden came to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with a ceremony Jan. 8. The festivities in the West Hills began with a lion dance, performed by Portland State University Taiko, that featured some friendly biting from a lion-suited dancer (signifying good luck).”