Amy Loewen

Amy Loewen is a Cultural Specialist with a professional background in cultural interpretation, language education and expedition travel in Japan. After studying anthropology and music at the University of Toronto, she moved to the island nation, where she taught English to thousands of junior high school students in Kanazawa. This early immersion sparked a long-term focus on Japanese culture and language, including continued study of Nihongo.

After returning to North America, Amy worked as a museum exhibit designer and project manager in Hawai‘i and San Francisco before returning to the travel and education field. Her experience spans both operational and guest-facing roles, including managing educational programs in Japan, lecturing aboard expedition voyages and leading land-based tours throughout Honshu and Shikoku.

Amy holds a master’s degree in Language Teaching and continues to work in education when not traveling, teaching English language learners at community colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more than a decade, she has taught at the International University of Japan’s summer program and has developed training workshops for Japanese tour guides.

Amy’s lectures focus on everyday life in Japan and the relationship between language, culture and behavior, supporting thoughtful cultural engagement for guests exploring the region.