Amy Chavez - The Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Jan 7, 2006

Every four years on our island, we have a New Year's kagura performance. You don't just sit back and watch kagura; you become a part of it whether you intend to or not. All the other events on the island over the past four years seemed like mere practice sessions compared to kagura.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Dec 31, 2005

The year of the dog -- bow-wouch!

It's the year of the dog! Wow! Bow-wow! According to the Koyomi calendar, if you were born in the year of the dog (1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994 or 2006), you possess a sense of duty and obligation. You are fastidious, diligent and make a peaceful, harmonious atmosphere. That's the good part....

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Dec 24, 2005

Christmas dinner -- Japanese style

Christmas in Japan has always left a little to be desired, but you can't blame the Japanese for this -- they're merely importing the parts they like. And why not? They are quite sure God understands this. I imagine the first Japanese importer went abroad to some place like the U.S., held up a Wal-Mart...

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Dec 17, 2005

Nine lives: meditating cats in paradise

Celebrity cat profile

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Dec 10, 2005

Australian home stays: yummy bikkies!

On Tuesdays, I teach a class of high school students who just returned from a monthlong home stay in Australia.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Dec 3, 2005

Divine intervention for shrine epiphany

People always ask, "Amy, what do you do all day long on that island?" I assure them there is never a dull moment. A constant stream of visitors, mostly foreign, come to Shiraishi Island throughout the year. Some come out of curiosity, others to escape the city or catch a glimpse of old Japan. Some want...

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Nov 26, 2005

Gate ceremony: Pomp or circumstance?

"Please come to the opening ceremony for the gate," said the Buddhist priest. I'd never seen a ceremony for a gate before, so my first thought was, "What should I wear?" My second thought was, "I won't even be here for it, so I could probably go naked and no one would notice." I thanked the priest for...

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Nov 19, 2005

Autumn colors: purple, pink

It is said that on Shiraishi Island we don't have much "koyo," or autumn colors. But this is always said by people who don't know the island very well, and who only see the pine trees and evergreens that make up 98 percent of the vegetation on the island.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Nov 12, 2005

Celebrity bull cownters misperceptions

Celebrity profile

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Nov 5, 2005

Holy cow, Genki-kun -- it's a typhoon!

With all the typhoons and hurricanes around the world, I thought it might be time for an uplifting story of storm survival. As I was looking for stories, a "Planet Japan" listener named Ty Cedars tipped me off to an animal who overcame all odds and survived a devastating typhoon. This animal's story...

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Oct 29, 2005

Panty snatching: is it a crime?

It's the change of seasons in Japan and the favorite time of year for TV weather forecasters as they make comments and give advice to their viewers. "It is normal for people to feel hot during the daytime but cold at night," observes one weather forecaster. "Tomorrow people should carry a foldup umbrella,"...

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Oct 22, 2005

Naive 'gaijin' meets Paparazzi Parakeet

Japanese people have a reputation for loving to take photos. In Japan, it's not uncommon for complete strangers to ask you to join in their photo just so they can be in a picture with a "gaijin."

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Oct 15, 2005

Get all animalistic and 'manner up!'

There is no doubt that Japanese people are losing their good manners. Alarmed, the government and private organizations are doing their part to encourage the public to "manner up!" by displaying posters and signs. These signs, probably designed by elementary school teachers with a grudge, seem to be...

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Oct 8, 2005

Festivals: mikoshi, sake and Go! Hey!

It's autumn in Japan, and many cities and towns are holding fall festivals. The Shiraishi Island Fall Festival is a two-day event where we welcome the Shinto gods as if they were the Emperor and Empress.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Oct 1, 2005

Australian home stays -- please be kind

It's October and my students have gone to wrestle crocodiles in Australia for a month. But that's not why I'm worried. Until now, they've wrestled with the English language so much, they should be in good shape to take on any croc. I've warned them about other dangers of Australia, such as kangaroos...

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Sep 24, 2005

Get ready for the Hokkaido steeplechase temple pilgrimage

The Buddhist pilgrimage, a type of holy hiking, is an ancient tradition in Japan that requires visiting temples, bushwhacking through brush and swatting mosquitoes. There are two kinds of pilgrimages: big and small. The big ones like the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage take five to six weeks to walk (six...

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Sep 17, 2005

Shiraishi Little Bo Peep with a scythe

At 6:45 a.m., my neighbor Kazuko appeared in my "genkan." "Let's go!" she said. I abandoned the bread in the toaster and put on my boots. Island cleanup duty is scheduled for 7 a.m., but in the usual island fashion, the day starts 15 minutes earlier here than in the rest of Japan.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Sep 10, 2005

Escape to the land of country bumpkins

So you've decided to escape to the countryside for the long holiday weekend? Well, fine, but if you're wanting to get back in touch with nature, be prepared. If you come to an island like mine, you will have entered a world cut off not only from city life, but from the mainland as well. Without a major...

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Sep 3, 2005

Bringing porn to the people

It has always surprised me how so often in Japan, the beauty of the countryside loses out to the convenience of the city. To most Japanese people, the countryside is backward and just not suited for everyday living. Nature is like a video to be watched for a few hours during your free time, preferably...

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE

Aug 20, 2005

Entertaining spirits during Bon festival

The car ferries to Shiraishi Island are all full. Family compacts drive off and park wherever they can, turning every spare piece of ground into a parking space. Even the small park near the port has added "ing lot" to its name. There are groups of people walking around who I've never seen before.

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