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Amy Chavez

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Amy Chavez
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
May 28, 2011
Here comes the rainy season boot camp
It's May and Kyushu has already officially entered the rainy season. The rest of Japan is not far behind. What, no spring? Well, we all know what happened to spring this year. It headed to the Middle East: The Arab Spring. Let someone else have some of it.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
May 21, 2011
Sunny today with a chance of margaritas
When I first moved to the "Harenokuni Okayama (Sunny Okayama)" prefecture, I couldn't help but imagine how lazy the weather forecasters must be. I envisioned them laying in hammocks with margaritas in their hand while spewing out the weekly forecast — "Sunny every day!" — and assuring the...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
May 14, 2011
Life as an ambassador
"An American yacht has come into the port. They don't speak any Japanese. Come help."
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
May 7, 2011
Pillow for the fairy tale princess discovered
Breaking news: Pillow belonging to the princess of the tale "The Princess and the Pea" by Hans Christian Andersen has been found.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Apr 30, 2011
The case of the ¥300,000 blanket
My husband is taking me to court.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Apr 23, 2011
Rolling blackouts: The virtue of silence
The rolling blackouts in Tokyo meant interruptions in watching TV, running computers, stereos and electric heaters, not to mention recharging cell phones and electronics.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Apr 16, 2011
Earthquake relief: Little people doing big things
Prime Minister Naoto Kan took out nearly a full-page ad in the International Herald Tribune last week to thank the international community for their kizuna (bond of friendship), regarding Japan's earthquake and tsunami disaster on March 11. It was a stirring tribute to those who have come together to...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Apr 9, 2011
You can have your steak and eat it too
It's almost time for the annual festival we have all been waiting for: the Hanaguri "cow nose ring" festival! Held on the third Sunday in April at the Hanaguri Zuka inside a temple in Okayama Prefecture, this is one of the more unusual religious ceremonies in Japan.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Apr 2, 2011
This earthquake still felt all over Japan
When my friends back home contacted me to see if I was OK after the March 11 disaster, I told everyone the same thing. "We're OK. We live 500 miles (800 km) from the disaster zone. We haven't been affected at all." We didn't even feel the earthquake, not even slightly. We have had no blackouts. We continue...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Mar 26, 2011
Hey, look! No loot!
People around the world have marveled at the lack of mass-looting in Japan among the survivors of the recent earthquake and tsunami. Many people are still asking: Why was there no mass-looting?
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Mar 19, 2011
What it means to be 'prepared'
Japan has repeatedly been referred to as the "most prepared nation in the world" for an earthquake or tsunami disaster. The government has been praised for its readiness via earthquake/tsunami drills, for the prompt organization of the Self-Defense Forces, and for its preparedness to send in doctors...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Mar 12, 2011
A possible cure for memory loss
Gumonji is a Shingon Buddhist practice that is easy to explain, difficult to imagine, and nearly impossible to carry out. You still want to try it? Well, OK.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Mar 5, 2011
Kyudo — hitting the target
Spring is on the way with flying arrows. Which proves that islanders living in Japan's Seto Inland Sea area don't just sit around doing nothing all day (well, not every day anyway). On March 6, Awashima Island (population 300) will host a Japanese archery festival called Momote, a tradition that goes...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Feb 26, 2011
Here's Japan's big, white hope
I read a piece of news the other day that makes me feel that "Japan as No. 3" may finally be headed in the right direction.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Feb 19, 2011
The new pair seat surcharge
My neighbor Kazu-chan recently booked a trip to Bali with her friend on Garuda Indonesia. She said the travel agency she booked through charged her ¥3,000 to sit next to her friend. And her friend also had to pay ¥3,000 to sit next to Kazu-chan. This was called a pair seat.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Feb 12, 2011
How 'bout that sumo?
The March Grand Sumo Tournament has been canceled due to bout-rigging. The May tournament is now in doubt as well. Who knows, sumo may be the world's first canceled sport.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Feb 5, 2011
Lotus — showing the way to enlightenment
We all know that the lotus flower is a symbol of Buddhism, but is that all there is to it?
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jan 29, 2011
O-soji in the year of the dust bunnies
Why is it that we always clean our houses before guests come to visit? If you're like me, it takes guests to prompt me to give things a shine. It just goes to show how low our standards for ourselves really are.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jan 22, 2011
How you twist and shout in Japanese
If you like to twist and shout, you'll love the Japanese language. Even if you don't know any Japanese at all, here are some easy expressions that can launch you into premature scream mode with little effort, with just a tad bit of grunting on the side. Charge on, shall we? Shrills: Kawaii!
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jan 15, 2011
Facing your unlucky years
If you're hoping that 2011 will be your best year yet in Japan, think again. I hate to be the one to drop the bomb here, but the Shinto odds are against you. As a matter of fact, 2011 may be your most perilous year yet. Here is why:
Who needs AI when you have Hatsune Miku?
Over the first six months of 2024, a handful of songs using Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku’s voice have enjoyed widespread attention, underlining a global interest in the character and the technology she represents.
Bloodied Trump survives assassination attempt at political rally
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is surrounded and evacuated by Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. Trump was rushed off stage at the rally after shots rang out.
Shooter came within inches of killing Trump, but left few clues as to why
An aerial view shows the stage where Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump had been standing during an assassination attempt the day before, and the roof of a nearby building where a gunman was shot dead by law enforcement, in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

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