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May 17, 2024
 

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Amy Chavez

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Amy Chavez
For Amy Chavez's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Feb 25, 2012
Austerity — we've embraced it in the countryside
Austerity. It's a word steeped in meaning. No one is more aware of a stagnant economy than the Japanese people, who are spending less and learning to relish cheap, imported goods.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Feb 18, 2012
Learning a foreign language: blood, sweat and beers
A recent education ministry survey evaluated Japanese "third-year middle school students" on their attitudes toward learning English. One editorial indicated that the results of the survey showed that students nationwide had an "ambivalent and contradictory attitude toward English." Wow, imagine 14-year-olds...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Feb 11, 2012
A sure way to get rid of a cold
Have you ever thought about where colds come from? Where they start?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Feb 4, 2012
Valentine's Day — the perfect holiday for one
Valentine's Day is coming up, and once again, you may be wondering how to deal with it in Japan.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jan 28, 2012
Watching Nishikori Down Under
All Japan was watching as Kei Nishikori, the first Japanese tennis player to make it to the quarterfinals in a Grand Slam since Shuzo Matsuoka at Wimbledon in 1995, took on the No. 4 seeded Brit, Andy Murray, at the Australian Open Wednesday night. Nishikori, ranked 24th in the world, knew he was up...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jan 21, 2012
Hold the plastic grass — I want the real stuff
...
MULTIMEDIA / JAPAN LITE
Jan 21, 2012
Hold the plastic grass — I want the real stuff
...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jan 14, 2012
Reflections on being an expat
The hairstylist exclaims, "Wow, you live in Japa'an!" — pronouncing the word as if it was a diphthong. I am home for a friend's wedding, and getting my hair cut.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jan 7, 2012
Confessions of a beer lover on the New Year
...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Dec 31, 2011
Year of the dragon — it'll be a hot one
The year of the dragon, (tatsu, ryu or ryo in Japanese) is upon us — and now just hours before the New Year, I can see the dragon peeking out of his lair, counting down the seconds until he is allowed to take over the world for a year. As midnight approaches, he waits . . . 10, 9, 8, 7, ready to...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Dec 24, 2011
Politeness beyond words
We all know the Japanese are "very polite." But being polite goes beyond just saying excuse me or thank you or holding the door open for someone. Let's start with the word "teinei," or "polite," in Japanese. Teinei goes beyond the English word "polite" because it applies to far more than just people...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Dec 17, 2011
Herbivorous men, where's the beef?
My single Japanese girlfriends complain that there are no interesting guys out there. Could they be right? It seems that these days the average Japanese guy is, well, you know, kinda boring. Kinda quiet. Nothing wrong with being quiet of course, especially if you have nothing to say.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Dec 10, 2011
How does 'Come all ye Bodhisattvas' grab you?
Many people know that most Japanese believe in Shinto and Buddhism. Fewer are aware that many also participate in "commercialized Christianity" in order to take advantage of those fun Christian holidays.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Dec 3, 2011
Sorry, please excuse me, thank you
"I hear the Japanese are very polite. Is it true?"
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Nov 26, 2011
Keeping abreast of the bra trends in Japan
Oh fun, time for an annual breast examination. Not that there is any pain involved with the examination. It's finding time to go to the hospital that's tough.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Nov 19, 2011
When are we going to eat udon?
"When are we going to eat udon?" asks our neighbor Rikimatsu-san.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Nov 12, 2011
Meanwhile, on the island where they say hello . . .
"This year we have a class where we introduce the children to their neighbors on the island," said the principal of the Shiraishi Elementary School. "So we'd like you to come and talk to the children and tell them why you like living on the island."
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Nov 5, 2011
What are they thinking?
People in the Japanese countryside do some strange things. It's enough to make you wonder, "What are they thinking?"
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Oct 29, 2011
A hippo goes under the drill
...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Oct 22, 2011
Telling time with animals
There are many ways to tell time: the sundial, the 12-hour clock and the 24-hour clock. But there is a much more interesting way to tell time too, one the Japanese used in ancient times: by animal.
Japanese stripper bids to have her porn movies taken off internet
Plaintiff Miyuki Ariga (left) speaks at a news conference along with her lawyer, Yoshitomo Morohashi, after filing a lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court on Monday.
Kishida defends planned rule to revoke foreigners' residency
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a meeting of the Lower House Judicial Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
Human bone-like objects found at Nippon Steel plant’s molten iron pot, with one worker missing
Police believe it’s highly possible that human bones found in a molten iron pot at Nippon Steel's Oita factory belong to a missing male employee.
Was Onosato's defeat of Terunofuji an era-defining bout?
Onosato (right) defeats Terunofuji at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on May 12. While nothing in sumo is guaranteed, it seems almost inevitable that Onosato is destined for the top of the sport's pyramid.
Man suspected of using smart glasses to cheat on Waseda University exams
The Waseda University campus in Tokyo. An 18-year-old male test-taker is suspected of using smart glasses to cheat during the university's entrance exam.
Japanese billionaire sues Meta over investment scams using his image
Entrepreneurs Yusaku Maezawa (second from right) and Takafumi Horie (third from right) attend a study session on fake social media ads and investment scams at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo on April 10.
Japanese rap creates its mecca in Pop Yours
Tokyo-based artist Jumadiba says he forgoes the label of simply “rap” for his music because the Japanese rap scene isn’t confined to a particular sound.
Who’s toughest on China? Biden’s tariff tactic ups ante as election looms.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about new actions to protect American workers and businesses from China's "unfair" trade practices, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on Tuesday.
Was Onosato's defeat of Terunofuji an era-defining bout?
Onosato (right) defeats Terunofuji at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on May 12. While nothing in sumo is guaranteed, it seems almost inevitable that Onosato is destined for the top of the sport's pyramid.
Ishin struggles to set itself apart from other parties
Nippon Ishin no Kai Secretary-General Fumitake Fujita (right) speaks beside Yui Kanazawa, the party's candidate in the Tokyo 15th district by-election on April 28. Nippon Ishin lost in this by-election as well as another in Nagasaki held on the same day.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Things may look perfect to the outside world, but today's mom is fine with some imperfection at home.
How 'Reiwa moms' are reshaping motherhood in Japan
By Mai Yoshikawa

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