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	<title>The Japan Times &#187; JAPAN LITE</title>
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	<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp</link>
	<description>News on Japan, Business News, Opinion, Sports, Entertainment and More</description>
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		<item>
		<title>FYI: Agricultural World Heritage status</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/27/our-lives/fyi-agricultural-world-heritage-status/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=fyi-agricultural-world-heritage-status</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/27/our-lives/fyi-agricultural-world-heritage-status/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Sep 2013 13:40:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=460697</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After our 3,776-meter-tall friend Fuji-san won the coveted UNESCO World Heritage status this year, many people are wondering what site will win the status next? Only one Japanese site per year can be nominated for the award, and recent reports have said the government is considering a steel works, a dockyard and a coal mine [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/27/our-lives/fyi-agricultural-world-heritage-status/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The ancient pilgrimage routes and the local community</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/20/our-lives/the-ancient-pilgrimage-routes-and-the-local-community/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-ancient-pilgrimage-routes-and-the-local-community</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/20/our-lives/the-ancient-pilgrimage-routes-and-the-local-community/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Sep 2013 13:25:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[As I headed out the door to do some trail running in the national park behind my house, I was surprised to make it only a few hundred meters before I was stopped dead in my tracks. The dead part was a tree that had fallen over the trail over a month ago and had [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/20/our-lives/the-ancient-pilgrimage-routes-and-the-local-community/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The dysfunctional family of Mother Nature</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/13/our-lives/the-dysfunctional-family-of-mother-nature/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-dysfunctional-family-of-mother-nature</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/13/our-lives/the-dysfunctional-family-of-mother-nature/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Sep 2013 13:50:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=454801</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;From now on, I will carry my own water bottle,&#8221; I promised Mother Nature. She had just scolded me as I came around the corner by presenting me with an angry beach covered with garbage. And this was not the first time she has told me off. Hundreds of beaches in the Seto Inland Sea [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/13/our-lives/the-dysfunctional-family-of-mother-nature/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The big and small of it &#8212; slippers that fit the feet of Hibagon</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/06/our-lives/the-big-and-small-of-it-slippers-that-fit-the-feet-of-hibagon/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-big-and-small-of-it-slippers-that-fit-the-feet-of-hibagon</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/06/our-lives/the-big-and-small-of-it-slippers-that-fit-the-feet-of-hibagon/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Sep 2013 13:55:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[I live with Bigfoot. Don&#8217;t tell anyone though, or the media will be all over it. Bigfoot is not as hairy as you might expect. He&#8217;s not even as big as you&#8217;d expect. But he does have a big foot. Bigfoot is my husband. Like many other foreign men in Japan who have a 31 [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/06/our-lives/the-big-and-small-of-it-slippers-that-fit-the-feet-of-hibagon/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Investing in global group home &#8212; while telling kids to &#8216;smile&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/30/our-lives/investing-in-global-group-home-while-telling-kids-to-smile/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=investing-in-global-group-home-while-telling-kids-to-smile</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/30/our-lives/investing-in-global-group-home-while-telling-kids-to-smile/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Aug 2013 13:55:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[As part of the Liberal Democratic Party&#8217;s &#8220;national resilience plan&#8221; to protect against natural and made-made disasters, I noticed one obvious natural disaster missing from the list: aging. Aging is bringing this country to ruins. Not only can the current pension system not support a population with one of the longest life spans in the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/30/our-lives/investing-in-global-group-home-while-telling-kids-to-smile/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8216;Senior moments&#8217; for foreigners &#8212; they could start in your 20s</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/23/our-lives/senior-moments-for-foreigners-they-could-start-in-your-20s/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=senior-moments-for-foreigners-they-could-start-in-your-20s</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/23/our-lives/senior-moments-for-foreigners-they-could-start-in-your-20s/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 Aug 2013 14:00:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[foreigners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[senior moments]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;How do you know if you have Alzheimer&#8217;s?&#8221; said the front of the pamphlet. The answer inside was: &#8220;If you can&#8217;t remember what you ate for lunch, you don&#8217;t have Alzheimer&#8217;s. If you can&#8217;t remember whether you ate lunch or not, that&#8217;s Alzheimer&#8217;s.&#8221; But I have a hunch that such &#8220;old timer&#8217;s&#8221; diseases start much [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/23/our-lives/senior-moments-for-foreigners-they-could-start-in-your-20s/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What being a minority allows us to see</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/16/our-lives/what-being-a-minority-allows-us-to-see/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=what-being-a-minority-allows-us-to-see</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/16/our-lives/what-being-a-minority-allows-us-to-see/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Aug 2013 13:24:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[discrimination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[minority]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=430824</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Yeah, yeah, I&#8217;ve heard it all before &#8212; many times. Someone called your child hafu (half) and you take offence. Or your contract is only one-year renewable, whereas your Japanese coworkers have &#8220;lifetime employment.&#8221; Or maybe someone called you a gaijin as you walked by. I&#8217;ve heard these stories dozens of times and while having [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/16/our-lives/what-being-a-minority-allows-us-to-see/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>44</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sounds that stem from quietude &#8212; when a tree falls down</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/09/our-lives/sounds-that-stem-from-quietude-when-a-tree-falls-down/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=sounds-that-stem-from-quietude-when-a-tree-falls-down</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/09/our-lives/sounds-that-stem-from-quietude-when-a-tree-falls-down/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Aug 2013 14:00:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=428479</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Perhaps the best thing about living on a small island in Japan of just 583 people (258 men and 325 women) is that you can walk out your door and kiss the online world goodbye. Here, most people don&#8217;t walk around glued to their cellphones, the majority don&#8217;t even have smartphones, and very few take [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/09/our-lives/sounds-that-stem-from-quietude-when-a-tree-falls-down/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The yellow flag outside the door &#8212; life or death</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/02/our-lives/the-yellow-flag-outside-the-door-life-or-death/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-yellow-flag-outside-the-door-life-or-death</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/02/our-lives/the-yellow-flag-outside-the-door-life-or-death/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Aug 2013 14:00:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=423081</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One thing is as sure as death: You will receive mail long after you die. My mother, who passed away three years ago, still gets direct mail ads and catalogs in the mail even though I&#8217;m pretty sure she&#8217;s not going to buy anything. I&#8217;m guaranteed to get spam in my email inbox long after [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/08/02/our-lives/the-yellow-flag-outside-the-door-life-or-death/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tall tales among the bamboo &#8212; where do babies come from?</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/26/our-lives/tall-tales-among-the-bamboo-where-do-babies-come-from/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=tall-tales-among-the-bamboo-where-do-babies-come-from</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/26/our-lives/tall-tales-among-the-bamboo-where-do-babies-come-from/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Jul 2013 14:00:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[tall tales]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=419301</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Please fill out this information sheet,&#8221; said the nurse. It had been several years since I had been to this hospital for a check-up. I noticed, with glee, they had done away with the plastic slippers at the genkan, where the masses had to leave their shoes in a locker and step into slippers before [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/26/our-lives/tall-tales-among-the-bamboo-where-do-babies-come-from/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The influence of sports on meditation</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/19/our-lives/the-influence-of-sports-on-meditation/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-influence-of-sports-on-meditation</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/19/our-lives/the-influence-of-sports-on-meditation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Jul 2013 14:00:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[meditation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=412600</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Running meditation.&#8221; It&#8217;s almost a cliché. Many people describe their running activity as a form of meditation. There are even articles that will teach you &#8220;how to meditate while running.&#8221; The Tendai-shu monks of Mount Hiei in Kyoto do a walking meditation, called jogyozanmai in Japanese. So if you are someone who views running as [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/19/our-lives/the-influence-of-sports-on-meditation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>The difference between rules and manners on the beach</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/12/our-lives/the-difference-between-rules-and-manners-on-the-beach/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-difference-between-rules-and-manners-on-the-beach</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/12/our-lives/the-difference-between-rules-and-manners-on-the-beach/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Jul 2013 14:00:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[beach rules]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Here on the beach at Shiraishi Island in the Seto Inland Sea, there are few rules. You may swim year-round, even before umibiraki (the opening of the sea ceremony). You may have a bonfire on the beach at night, no problem. You may camp on the beach for free. And by all means, set off [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Japan&#8217;s national obsession with the color pink</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/05/our-lives/japans-national-obsession-with-the-color-pink/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=japans-national-obsession-with-the-color-pink</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/05/our-lives/japans-national-obsession-with-the-color-pink/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Jul 2013 14:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[pink color]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=406430</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If the cherry blossom is Japan&#8217;s unofficial national flower, then it should be no surprise that pink is Japan&#8217;s de facto favorite color. Yet I still have a hard time with this national obsession with the color pink. Just as I was easing out of a particularly pink-laden cherry blossom season, the color seemed to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/05/our-lives/japans-national-obsession-with-the-color-pink/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Exploring Japan&#8217;s ancient past through pilgrimage</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/29/our-lives/exploring-japans-ancient-past-through-pilgrimage/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=exploring-japans-ancient-past-through-pilgrimage</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/29/our-lives/exploring-japans-ancient-past-through-pilgrimage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Jun 2013 15:01:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[pilgrimage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=396727</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve been running pilgrimages in Japan since 1997. So far, I&#8217;ve run the Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage, the Mount Hiei Kaihogyo route in Kyoto (of the Tendai-shu monks), and tens of other smaller pilgrimages in Japan. If you are a runner in Japan, you should be running pilgrimages. If you&#8217;re a hiker, you should be walking [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>To be or not to be? &#8212; they simply can&#8217;t decide</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/22/our-lives/to-be-or-not-to-be-they-simply-cant-decide/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=to-be-or-not-to-be-they-simply-cant-decide</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/22/our-lives/to-be-or-not-to-be-they-simply-cant-decide/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Jun 2013 15:01:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=389172</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Japan is often criticized for the time it takes to make decisions. The government drags on making decisions from natural disasters to nuclear power and whether to allow gambling casinos. Ha! You should try to teach English to Japanese university students, where it can take an entire 90-minute class for them to think of something [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A feline confessional — for those who can&#8217;t resist abusive pets</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/15/our-lives/a-feline-confessional-for-those-who-cant-resist-abusive-pets/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=a-feline-confessional-for-those-who-cant-resist-abusive-pets</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/15/our-lives/a-feline-confessional-for-those-who-cant-resist-abusive-pets/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:01:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[You often hear about animals being rescued from abusive owners, but I wonder, is there any help for pet owners who have been abused by their pets? Is there even a support group, let alone a foster home, for all of us owners who have been beaten up by our pets? Dogs bite their owners, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/15/our-lives/a-feline-confessional-for-those-who-cant-resist-abusive-pets/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Encouraging, not comparing, accomplishments</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/08/our-lives/encouraging-not-comparing-accomplishments/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=encouraging-not-comparing-accomplishments</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/08/our-lives/encouraging-not-comparing-accomplishments/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:01:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Aging Japan. We hear this phrase all the time. The question is, what are they talking about &#8212; the infrastructure? The people? Four Roses whisky? Everything ultimately ages. Even newborns age. So perhaps to defy &#8220;aging Japan,&#8221; we need people who age younger, or at least slower. Maybe we should look to the insect world. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/08/our-lives/encouraging-not-comparing-accomplishments/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Everyone&#8217;s own path to enlightenment</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/01/our-lives/everyones-own-path-to-enlightenment/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=everyones-own-path-to-enlightenment</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/01/our-lives/everyones-own-path-to-enlightenment/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 31 May 2013 15:01:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Buddhism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[enlightenment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=374426</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What is Buddhism? In Australia, Buddhism can be found in a cup of coffee. So waste no time and start your journey to awakening at Buddha Espresso, a cafe in Perth. If you haven&#8217;t reached enlightenment by the end of the cup, accept this with equanimity. And try a double shot of macchiato next time. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/06/01/our-lives/everyones-own-path-to-enlightenment/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>English education and English sheepdogs</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/25/our-lives/english-education-and-english-sheepdogs/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=english-education-and-english-sheepdogs</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/25/our-lives/english-education-and-english-sheepdogs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 May 2013 15:01:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=370443</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Prime Minister Shinzo Abe aims to globalize Japan&#8217;s workforce and says that Japan must become more competitive in the English language. This has touched off a debate among native English teachers, Japanese who teach English, Japanese speakers who don&#8217;t speak English, and English sheepdogs owned by both Japanese and English speakers. On one hand, you [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/25/our-lives/english-education-and-english-sheepdogs/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
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		<title>Taking care of an aging smartphone &#8212; until the end</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/18/our-lives/taking-care-of-an-aging-smartphone-until-the-end/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=taking-care-of-an-aging-smartphone-until-the-end</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/18/our-lives/taking-care-of-an-aging-smartphone-until-the-end/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 May 2013 15:01:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=366096</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I thought I had bought a smartphone, but I ended up with a dumb phone instead. It&#8217;s probably my fault for not asking for documentation showing it had passed an IQ test. My phone is not smart enough to pass university entrance exams, the American SAT&#8217;s, the Japan Language Proficiency test, the Eiken test or [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/18/our-lives/taking-care-of-an-aging-smartphone-until-the-end/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>There are plenty more fish jokes in the sea</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/11/our-lives/there-are-plenty-more-fish-jokes-in-the-sea/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=there-are-plenty-more-fish-jokes-in-the-sea</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/11/our-lives/there-are-plenty-more-fish-jokes-in-the-sea/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 10 May 2013 15:01:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=361800</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Go Fish! Foundation is an international organization for the protection of fish, their parents, family and friends. Go Fish! rescues, rehabilitates and gives sanctuary to fish in need. Our services include protection of species, sheltering in state-of-the-art aquariums and access to secret spawning grounds. We are a nonprofit organization opposed to mass commercial fishing, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/11/our-lives/there-are-plenty-more-fish-jokes-in-the-sea/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Off on a spring tangent on the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/04/our-lives/off-on-a-spring-tangent-on-the-shikoku-88-temple-pilgrimage/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=off-on-a-spring-tangent-on-the-shikoku-88-temple-pilgrimage</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/04/our-lives/off-on-a-spring-tangent-on-the-shikoku-88-temple-pilgrimage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2013 15:01:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Shikoku Pilgrimage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=358006</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This week 14 years ago, I finished a five-week, 1,350 km journey running the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage. One of the axioms of the pilgrimage is: &#8220;You will, and must, get lost.&#8221; I envision the great master Kobo Daishi, the patron saint of the pilgrimage, with a huge map of the pilgrimage in front of him, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/05/04/our-lives/off-on-a-spring-tangent-on-the-shikoku-88-temple-pilgrimage/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
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		<title>Welcome to the Japan Jalapeno Hotline</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/27/our-lives/welcome-to-the-japan-jalapeno-hotline/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=welcome-to-the-japan-jalapeno-hotline</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/27/our-lives/welcome-to-the-japan-jalapeno-hotline/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:01:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=354363</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s April, which means new recruits in companies across Japan. And as the new school year starts, new foreign English teachers all over Japan are settling into their positions in Japanese public schools, getting shocked out of their socks. The newbie English teacher social media chatter has begun! Statements riddled with sparks are starting to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/27/our-lives/welcome-to-the-japan-jalapeno-hotline/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Doraemon trumps Hello Kitty for Olympic Games ambassador</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/20/our-lives/doraemon-trumps-hello-kitty-for-olympic-games-ambassador/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=doraemon-trumps-hello-kitty-for-olympic-games-ambassador</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/20/our-lives/doraemon-trumps-hello-kitty-for-olympic-games-ambassador/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:01:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=350557</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Japan&#8217;s most lovable anime character, el gato cosmico (the cosmic cat) has been chosen to be Japan&#8217;s ambassador in Tokyo&#8217;s bid for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic games. It&#8217;s the first time Japan has chosen an anime character for an Olympic ambassadorship. Congratulations Doraemon! I know what you&#8217;re thinking: That&#8217;s a cat? He doesn&#8217;t look [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/20/our-lives/doraemon-trumps-hello-kitty-for-olympic-games-ambassador/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The ration-ality of toilets — trying to change the &#8216;plumbing code&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/13/our-lives/the-ration-ality-of-toilets-trying-to-change-the-plumbing-code/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-ration-ality-of-toilets-trying-to-change-the-plumbing-code</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/13/our-lives/the-ration-ality-of-toilets-trying-to-change-the-plumbing-code/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:01:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Nomura]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[toilets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=347299</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Nomura Holding America Inc., the U.S subsidiary of Tokyo-based Nomura Holdings, Inc. is in the news lately for being the first business to attempt to alter New York City&#8217;s &#8220;plumbing code&#8221; that requires buildings to have an equal number of toilets for both men and women. Oh yay. The building owners, represented by one of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/13/our-lives/the-ration-ality-of-toilets-trying-to-change-the-plumbing-code/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Who turns a company into a &#8216;wonderful place to be&#8217;?</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/06/our-lives/who-turns-a-company-into-a-wonderful-place-to-be/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=who-turns-a-company-into-a-wonderful-place-to-be</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/06/our-lives/who-turns-a-company-into-a-wonderful-place-to-be/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:04:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=342439</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Kazuhiro Tsuga, president of Panasonic Corp., addressed his new recruits on Monday telling them that he hopes they will turn the company into &#8220;a wonderful place to be.&#8221; President Akio Toyoda encouraged his recruits at Toyota Motor Corp. to exhibit &#8220;the strength seen in cherry blossoms that can persevere in a harsh winter.&#8221; In the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/06/our-lives/who-turns-a-company-into-a-wonderful-place-to-be/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The sakura season is here, but which one?</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/30/our-lives/the-sakura-season-is-here-but-which-one/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-sakura-season-is-here-but-which-one</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/30/our-lives/the-sakura-season-is-here-but-which-one/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:02:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[sakura]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sakuraniku]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=334737</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The sakura season is here! The question is, does this refer to the horsemeat season or the cherry blossom season? It&#8217;s hard to tell when the Japanese use the word &#8220;sakura&#8221; to describe horse meat, which is pink. Sakura nabe is not nabe made with cherry blossoms, for example, but nabe made with horsemeat. So, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/30/our-lives/the-sakura-season-is-here-but-which-one/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Biiiiig baby! — Japanese get taller and skinnier, but not bigger</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/23/our-lives/biiiiig-baby-japanese-get-taller-and-skinnier-but-not-bigger/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=biiiiig-baby-japanese-get-taller-and-skinnier-but-not-bigger</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/23/our-lives/biiiiig-baby-japanese-get-taller-and-skinnier-but-not-bigger/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:05:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[baby]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[size]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=327724</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;How old do you think those kids are?&#8221; Asked my father, admiring the cute little American tots standing in line at the ski lift. They were dressed in the puffy ski outfits of the latest fashionable shade of kindergarten pastel, making them look like they were wrapped in cotton candy. Snuggly fit around their middles [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/23/our-lives/biiiiig-baby-japanese-get-taller-and-skinnier-but-not-bigger/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Sandman and other gift-bearing creatures</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/16/our-lives/the-sandman-and-other-gift-bearing-creatures/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-sandman-and-other-gift-bearing-creatures</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/16/our-lives/the-sandman-and-other-gift-bearing-creatures/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:04:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Easter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=313774</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Easter is upon us, and you know what that means: chocolate rabbits! Each year on Easter Sunday, a magical rabbit (actually a hare) comes out of the forest and brings baskets full of eggs, candies, toys and chocolate rabbits. The Easter Bunny, as he is called, hides the baskets inside each house, and the children [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/16/our-lives/the-sandman-and-other-gift-bearing-creatures/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sleeping on the train — a rite of passage into Japanese society</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/09/our-lives/sleeping-on-the-train-a-rite-of-passage-into-japanese-society/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=sleeping-on-the-train-a-rite-of-passage-into-japanese-society</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/09/our-lives/sleeping-on-the-train-a-rite-of-passage-into-japanese-society/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:03:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Amy Chavez</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[sleeping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[train]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=community&#038;p=234879</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I first came to Japan, I wondered how people could sleep on the train, a public and completely inappropriate place where you can be assured everyone will be watching you. But then I learned that sleeping on the train is involuntary &#8212; and should be classified as a sleeping disorder. Sleeping disorders encompass anything [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/03/09/our-lives/sleeping-on-the-train-a-rite-of-passage-into-japanese-society/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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