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Amy Chavez

Amy Chavez lives on a Shiraishijima, a small island in Japan's Seto Inland Sea, with 563 other crazy people. She also writes for the Japan Times, blogs for HuffPo, and has authored two books: Japan, Funny Side Up and Running the Shikoku Pilgrimage: 900 Miles to Enlightenment. She loves running really long distances, skiing super steep mountains and sailing the calm waters of the Seto Inland Sea. Her motto in life is: "Surround yourself with beauty and peace."

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RocketNews24’s top 10 Japan Events of 2016: Did your favorite make the list?

Amy Chavez
Dec 28, 2016
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We’ve included some events and scandals that were big in Japan, so be sure to find out what they are!

Japan
(2016 • lists • PAPP • SMAP • top 10 • video)

Is Japanese language becoming less discriminatory towards women?【Women in Japan Series】

Amy Chavez
Nov 17, 2016

The status of women in Japan is changing and the Japanese language is being modified along with it. Let’s see how women are viewed these days by surveying some of the modern Japanese words used to describe them.

Japan
(books • feminism • Japanese language • science girls • women • Women in Japan • Women in Japan Series)

Four more things women are banned from doing in Japan【Women in Japan Series】

Amy Chavez
Oct 21, 2016

We’ve talked before about a few of the discriminatory measures against women in Japan, but there are still a few more. Let’s take a peek!

Japan
(bans • lists • Okinoshima • religion • women • Women in Japan Series)

8 Reasons Japan is so clean: the wa of cleanliness

Amy Chavez
Sep 19, 2016

Japan must be one of the cleanest countries in the world. What’s behind it all? Find out what makes Japan so pika-pika!

Japan
(clean • cleaning • community • environment • lists)

10 things you didn’t know about geisha

Amy Chavez
May 17, 2016

We’ve talked before about geisha as one of Japan’s distinctly female professions, so this time we’re going to share with you a few fun facts about the geisha and their floating world.

Culture, Japan
(floating world • geiko • geisha • Japan • Japanese culture • Kyoto • maiko)

8 Japanese gadgets you wish you had in your country!

Amy Chavez
Apr 29, 2016

The Japanese are known for being incredibly efficient, so you’d expect them to also have the most efficient gizmos. Today, we’re looking at eight Japanese gadgets that we’ve become so dependent on, we can’t live without them!

Culture, Japan
(gadgets • Japan • made in japan • technology • Toilets)

An island-hopping visit to the Setouchi International Art Festival!

Amy Chavez
Apr 22, 2016

The Setouchi Triennale Art Festival takes place every three years on the art islands of Japan’s Seto Inland Sea–and this year is a festival year! Let’s check it out!

Culture, Japan
(art • art islands • exhibits • Naoshima • Seto Inland Sea • Setouchi International Art Festival • travel • Yayoi Kusama)

We spend a night at Shibuya’s new Nadeshiko Hotel—a capsule hotel for women only

Amy Chavez
Apr 12, 2016

We recently visited the new Nadeshiko Hotel and were truly impressed. Find out what this women-only capsule hotel has to offer!

Japan
(accommodation • Budget Hotels • capsule hotels • Japan travel • Nadeshiko Hotel • solo travel • women)

You know you’re in Japan when…【List】

Amy Chavez
Mar 25, 2016

“You know you’ve been in Japan too long when you start bowing on the telephone” is an old classic. But how about those things that, even if you haven’t been here long, still make you stop and think, yup, this is definitely Japan!

Japan
(culture • customs • funny • Japan • manners • opinion)

30 Photos that perfectly capture everyday life in the Philippines【Photos】

Amy Chavez
Mar 12, 2016

We spent a day taking photos from the back of a pick-up truck in the Philippines. This is what we saw…

SE Asia
(Cebu • city life • culture • Philippines • photos)

Should you swim with whale sharks just because you can?

Amy Chavez
Mar 4, 2016

If you’ve ever wanted to swim with whale sharks but weren’t sure if it’s an eco-friendly idea or not, then this article is for you.

SE Asia
(diving • ecotourism • environmental impacts • Oslob • scuba • whale sharks)

Everything you wanted to know about the Ainu, with photos and video【Rocketpedia】

Amy Chavez
Feb 23, 2016

Bear sacrifice, female tattooing and fish-skin boots are all hallmarks of Ainu culture. Join us as we learn about Japan’s indigenous people and watch an intriguing video about their way of life.

Japan
(Ainu • Hokkaido • indigenous people • Japanese history • photos • rocketpedia • video)

5 cultural tips for taking photos in Japan

Amy Chavez
Feb 18, 2016

Believe it or not, there’s a Japanese Way of taking photos. We’ve compiled some cultural guidelines as well as language tips to help you take happy snappies on your next trip to Japan!

Japan
(Japan travel • Japanese culture • Japanese language • photography • privacy • tips)

The 5 phases of adjusting to life in Japan (from a Western expat point of view)

Amy Chavez
Feb 2, 2016

Today, we present five phases Western expats go through, from arriving fresh off the boat to thinking about retirement, when living in Japan.

Japan
(expats • foreigners • Japan • Japanese culture • living abroad • opinon)

Japanese Buddhism in 10 minutes【Rocketpedia】

Amy Chavez
Jan 30, 2016

Today we’re introducing you to the basics of Japanese Buddhism, plus highlighting some of the Buddhist images you’ll see in Japan and help you distinguish them from Shinto ones.

Japan
(Buddhism • Buddhism made simple • enlightenment • religion • religion in Japan • shinto • Zen)

A peek into the world of the Japanese Tea Ceremony

Amy Chavez
Jan 12, 2016

The culture of tea in Japan goes back one thousand years. Today, we’re going to scratch the surface with this short introduction to the wonders of the Japanese tea ceremony.

Japan
(chado • chanoyu • sado • tea ceremony • Way of Tea)

8 Japan-related events to look forward to in 2016!

Amy Chavez
Jan 4, 2016

There’s a lot to look forward to in the Year of the Monkey—Here are just a few of the top Japan-related events you won’t want to miss in 2016!

Japan
(2016 • AnimeJapan • comic con • dolphins • Godzilla • Rurouni Kenshin • Scorsese)

Does the experience of living in Japan make you a better person? The good, bad and ugly

Amy Chavez
Dec 31, 2015

We asked expats living in Japan if they thought that simply living here has made them a better person. Find out the results: the good, the bad and the ugly!

Japan
(expats • japan experience • Japanese language • manners • opinion)

Culture clash: 10 insider tips for visiting Japan

Amy Chavez
Dec 15, 2015

The Japanese are known for their politeness, so it’s only natural that visitors to Japan want to know what to do, or not do, to avoid appearing rude. Check out this list of little behaviors that you won’t find in your guidebook.

Japan
(faux pas • Japanese culture • manners • opinion • tips • visiting Japan)

8 things you should never say to a Japanese person

Amy Chavez
Dec 9, 2015

We asked Japanese people to tell us the things foreigners say or think about Japan that really gets their goat—and they were happy to oblige! How many of these faux pas are you guilty of?