Amy Chavez - The Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Oct 13, 2001

'Kodo': the way of the fragrant tree trunk

You've heard of "chado" (the way of tea) and "kado" (ikebana), but have you heard of "kodo" -- the way of smelling?

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Oct 6, 2001

If life was a construction site, Japan's "obaachans" would be the steamrollers. These old ladies have the ability and authority to conquer anything in their paths.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Sep 29, 2001

Overwork, undersleep fatigue Nappon

You don't get the feeling insomnia is a problem in Japan. As a matter of fact, in Japan, a nation plagued by sleep, I'd say most people have the opposite -- "ainmosni," or the overability to sleep. In fact, one of the most common expressions in Japan is "Tsukareta!" (I'm tired!).

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Sep 22, 2001

Adhering to the law of the Japanese letter

The theme of today's Culture Quiz is "sending and receiving a Japanese letter."

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Sep 15, 2001

On flying futons and other mysteries

I've ushered enough tourists through Japan to become expert on answering strange questions about Japanese culture. Here are some of the most common:

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Sep 8, 2001

Make mine the tow roll floor tortillas

It's time for another column about funny English! This time I bring you an honest-to-goodness menu from a restaurant called Skegs, which specializes in Mexican food. Following the menu items I have inserted explanations.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Sep 1, 2001

In Dog Heaven, pee on the Pearly Gates

There is much talk these days about the first tourists to the moon and Mars. Everyone wants to be the first to go. Except me. I'm not interested in going to the moon or Mars. I have a hankering to go someplace much farther away and much more exciting. I want to be the first person to go to Dog Heaven....

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Aug 25, 2001

The way of using a Japanese-style toilet

The Western-style toilet in my house has illustrated instructions on the lid. For boys, it shows a picture of a man standing facing the toilet. For girls, it shows a picture of a girl sitting on the toilet. The man looks more like he is waiting for the bus, and the girl looks more like she's waiting...

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Aug 18, 2001

Visitors' deep-seated terror: Asian toilets

It's hard to say which culture is more enamored with the Western-style toilet -- the Japanese or the Americans. While in Japan, the Asian-style squat toilet still rules, the Western-style sit-down toilet is making inroads. In fact, most new homes are equipped with the Western "porcelain god."

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Aug 11, 2001

In South Asian taxis, chaos is the rule

It's summer vacation, when many of you will find yourselves clinging to the inside of taxis in South Asian countries as the drivers try to get you to someplace like your hotel as fast as possible, as if it will get up and move to another location any moment. The result is you get the life scared out...

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Aug 4, 2001

Enduring summer's mosquitoes is murderous

It's summer on Shiraishi Island and the mosquitoes are out on their search and annoy missions. There are so many mosquitoes at night, it sounds like Leo Sayer is singing in my bedroom: "You make me feel like dancin' " they sing, "Gonna dance the night awa--" Pssssshhht. In a cloud of insecticide, they...

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Jul 28, 2001

A dictionary by any other name is not so sweet

The Japanese have a curious habit of naming dictionaries. Not names like Taro, Yumi, Pochi, or something that might come if you called it, but names that are meant to conjure up an image. Here is a list of English-Japanese, Japanese-English Dictionaries and possible images they are meant to convey:

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Jul 21, 2001

Ruin yourself in extravagance with food

Today I will give you a tour of Osaka, Japan's third largest city that doubles as the nation's largest pachinko parlor. If you've ever wondered what it's like to walk around inside one of those pachinko game machines, I suggest taking a walk through Umeda or Nanaba at night. With all the neon and blinking...

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Jul 14, 2001

All set ot sail -- and then the wind blew

On July 1, the sea opened in an annual event called "umibiraki" (opening of the sea). My island celebrates umibiraki with the annual Shiraishi Yacht Race. This year, I and a couple of friends decided to enter the race. Since we all had limited sailing skills, we thought this would be a lot of fun. Our...

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Jul 7, 2001

There's no terminating hungry termites

I'm so hungry, I could eat a house! That is the termite's mantra. My neighbor Kazuko is having her house rebuilt, as it has been consumed by termites, which the Japanese call "shiroari" ("white ants").

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Jun 30, 2001

Cracking foreign code

The problem with foreign languages is that they change all the normal rules. Normal language meaning YOUR native language, and not anyone else's. Those people who invented foreign languages changed the rules just so you wouldn't be able to imitate their language easily. Like protecting their secret code....

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Jun 23, 2001

Blame diets for plummeting population

Today we address the problem of Japan's declining student population. If you teach at a university like I do, you are well aware that classes have gotten smaller and smaller over the years. At the women's university where I teach, the classes are half the size they were five years ago.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Jun 16, 2001

No one can replace this man in my life

I admit it -- I forgot about Father's Day. But before all you fathers start wagging your fingers at me and threatening to send me to bed without dinner, I'd like to redeem myself by writing a Father's Day column.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Jun 9, 2001

Variety adds spice to bland English lessons

Tired of teaching the same old English lessons? Tired of drilling students on the same old topics: their hobbies, the weather and food? And getting the same old answers such as, "My hobbies are reading and listening to music"? Do you keep holding out for a truly unique self-introduction?

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Jun 2, 2001

The missing link in your linguistic skills

Sometimes you just can't find the right word to describe something uniquely Japanese. Thus, I have created the following words for the first Japan Lite Dictionary for foreigners in Japan.

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