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July 16, 2024
 

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Robbie Swinnerton
Robbie Swinnerton has been living, eating and writing about food in Tokyo for over 30 years. His column, Tokyo Food File, has run in The Japan Times since 1998.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 19, 2020
Episode 61: Tough times for Tokyo, the world's dining capital
With more Michelin stars than any other city in the world, Tokyo is something of a dining mecca. But in 2020, the coronavirus pandemic has turned Tokyo's restaurant and hospitality industry on its head.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 15, 2020
Omnipollos Tokyo: A bold, boozy newcomer to the craft beer scene
Omnipollo is no run-of-the-mill craft beer company, and its first Japanese outpost, Omnipollos Tokyo, lives up to the brand's quirky reputation.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 15, 2020
Chef Kyohei Nishi spreads his wings at Neki
Tokyo's Kabutocho neighborhood is undergoing a much-needed revitalization, and no development is more exciting and welcome than Neki.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 1, 2020
Gracia: Modern Spanish gastrobar dining in Hiroo
At gastrobar Gracia, chef Jerome Quilbeuf is serving up top-notch Catalan cuisine.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 1, 2020
Berg: A classic Shinjuku pit stop, 30 years on
There was already a lot to celebrate about cafe-bar Berg. Now there's two more: Its 30th birthday and new nonsmoking status.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 18, 2020
Kitade Shokudo: ‘Tokyo-Mex’ tacos, with Brooklyn flair
Inspired by the handmade tortillas he tasted in New York, owner Shigeo Kitade recreated his favorite tacos with all-Japanese ingredients.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 18, 2020
Ming-Teng Hao Hao: Cheerful desserts meet Chinatown kitsch
You've got to love a place whose name means “tomorrow will be good.” And if you get one of its Taiwanese-style puddings, odds are so will today.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 4, 2020
Mikkeller Kanda: A killer beer-burger combination
With 12 taps of craft beer, premium burgers and funky environs, Mikkeller Kanda is a welcome addition to Tokyo's dining scene.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 4, 2020
Ayu Ramen Plus: No-frills noodles in central Tokyo
One welcome surprise in the new Toranomon Yokocho is an offshoot of Ayu Ramen, still offering its no-frills sides and namesake noodles.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 20, 2020
Toranomon Yokocho: Tokyo’s hottest restaurants, reimagined
Toranomon Yokocho is the latest scrubbed-up yokochu014d to hit Tokyo, offering diners a la carte options from branches of high-end restaurants.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 6, 2020
Tokyo’s favorite restaurants ease out of the state of emergency
This could be the perfect time to (safely) support your favorite operations, before they get busy again.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 6, 2020
Fakalo Pizza Gallery: New digs, same heartfelt pizzas
Fakalo Pizza Gallery remains a labor-of-love operation with a half-dozen varieties each of red (tomato) and white (cheese) on the menu.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 16, 2020
Ode gets playful with three new takeout brands
Craving classic bistro fare, loaded sandwiches or good patisserie? You're in luck: Yusuke Namai's new menu covers all those bases (and more).
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 16, 2020
Specialty ramen straight from the masters
Ramen shops aren't well suited to COVID times. Fortunately, some top Tokyo ramen specialists have delivery solutions that spare us from cup noodles.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 2, 2020
Japan’s top artisan bakeries are delivering from dough to door
Japan is blessed with a growing number of artisan bakeries around the city that can fill that pain de campagne-sized hole in our diets.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 18, 2020
Locale and Eatrip offer takeout and veggie boxes to support their suppliers
COVID-19 implications are reverberating up and down the food chain, and those with strong links to the restaurants they supply are definitely feeling the effects. Several Tokyo chefs are taking steps to protect their valued farmers, fishermen and other food producers.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 18, 2020
In the face of COVID-19, Narisawa gets busy
Restaurant Narisawa is still operating a full lunch and dinner service, albeit with generous table spacing and curtailed evening hours. But he has also formulated various menu iterations for takeout and home delivery ranging from u00a515,000 to a hefty u00a535,000 a head.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 4, 2020
In Tokyo, self-isolation doesn’t mean you can’t eat well
Self-isolating doesn't have to mean you can't eat well. It also doesn't mean you can't eat food prepared by your favorite restaurants. In fact, if we want to see those restaurants back in action once the worst is over, it is essential that we keep up our patronage, to carry them through this crunch time.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 3, 2020
Japan's restaurants in crisis call for government support
Lockdown or no lockdown? Voluntary restraint or #juststayhome? Tokyo is teetering on the edge of uncertainty. We're urged to avoid bars and nightclubs, live houses and pachinko parlors. But where does that leave restaurants? Two words: In crisis.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 27, 2020
Asia's 50 Best Restaurants is a somber countdown for an industry and continent in crisis
In the latest edition of the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants rankings, Singapore's Odette has retained its No.1 position for a second straight year, ahead of The Chairman in Hong Kong and Tokyo's Den. But the announcement on Tuesday was overshadowed by the escalating coronavirus pandemic that has swept the continent.
Bloodied Trump survives assassination attempt at political rally
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is surrounded and evacuated by Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. Trump was rushed off stage at the rally after shots rang out.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
Amid same-sex marriage ban, LGBTQ couples opt for 'photo weddings'
A lesbian couple, consisting of a 35-year-old woman (left) and 40-year-old woman, cover their faces with bouquets as they pose for wedding photos in Yokohama on Nov. 1.
China and Russia conduct joint Pacific military patrol
The Russian corvette Gromkiy enters the Chinese port of Zhanjiang as part of a joint China-Russia naval exercise on Saturday.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.
How to tweak your diet when temperatures spike
Most people think of hydration as a strictly liquid-based concept, but eating foods with high water content is an essential part of making it through a Japanese summer unscathed.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

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