Our Lives | JAPAN LITE Oct 31, 2018
The death of a Japanese countryside festival
by Amy Chavez
Ancient rites bend to an aging, shrinking population, but how much longer can local traditions hold out?
Our Lives | JAPAN LITE Sep 23, 2018
'My Year in Japan' books offer reassuring words to armchair travelers, but expats need more
by Amy Chavez
The most successful works remain true to both the author's time abroad and to Japan itself.
Our Lives | JAPAN LITE Aug 29, 2018
In Japan, the most important rule for language translation is often broken
by Amy Chavez
As Japan continues to court more foreign tourists, the nation must learn to respect foreign languages as much as its own.
Our Lives | JAPAN LITE Jul 29, 2018
One man's labor-of-love museum captures Seto Inland Sea island's storied stone history
by Amy Chavez
Build a stone museum and they will come? That's the idea behind the K's Labo museum on Kitagi Island in Okayama Prefecture.
Our Lives | JAPAN LITE Jun 27, 2018
Minpaku law could leave tourists to Japan without beds
by Amy Chavez
Onerous licensing process for private lodging won't stop bad operators, but it will put off honest would-be entrepreneurs.
Our Lives | JAPAN LITE May 27, 2018
Japan's public policy is killing rural entrepreneurship
by Amy Chavez
While big-ticket tourism projects in Japan thrive, those involved in smaller-scale projects can feel starved of government support.
Our Lives | JAPAN LITE Apr 29, 2018
Chichibu: Steeped in tradition, but challenged by industry
by Amy Chavez
The city of Chichibu, about 90 minutes by train from Ikebukuro, Tokyo, has a population of approximately 60,000. The region, which sits in the shadow of Mount Buko and alongside the Arakawa river is steeped in tradition with more than 300 festivals taking place ...
Our Lives | JAPAN LITE Mar 25, 2018
What's behind Japan's enduring love of Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights'?
by Amy Chavez
Emily Bronte's only novel, "Wuthering Heights," set in the moors of Yorkshire in the late 18th century, has long held a special place in Japanese hearts.
Our Lives | JAPAN LITE Feb 25, 2018
High-tech Pyeongchang Olympics needed more low-tech support for foreign tourists
by Amy Chavez
Attending the Pyeongchang Olympics in South Korea reminded me of what Japan still needs to do as it gears up to host one of the world's most prominent sports events.
Our Lives | JAPAN LITE Jan 28, 2018
Launch a tourist-friendly Seto Inland Sea ferry system and they will come
by Amy Chavez
The 250 or so inhabited islands scattered like pebbles between Honshu and Shikoku have been unfairly relegated to guidebook sidebars labeled "Off the beaten track."
Our Lives | JAPAN LITE Dec 17, 2017
What do Western tourists want from Japan? Try asking one
by Amy Chavez
How many other countries would attempt to lure Western tourists without at least having a tete-a-tete with a woman in their target audience who has lived for over 20 years in the very place they're hoping to attract people to?
Our Lives | JAPAN LITE Nov 26, 2017
Edo Period 'post town' in Okayama re-imagines its past and reaps tourism dividends
by Amy Chavez
Yakage is the only preserved town along the Sanyo Road that survives in it's near-original form, and tourists are flocking there.