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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
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 1, 2019
The SG Club: Where the curry is as creative as the cocktails
Sometimes genius rears its head in the unlikeliest of guises. Or perhaps it's only to be expected that two of the most creative curry recipes in recent memory have been dreamed up by one of Tokyo's most innovative cocktail specialists, Shingo Gokan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
May 25, 2019
Rebekah Wilson-Lye: Raising a glass to the wonders of sake
One of Japan's emerging leaders in the sake world talks about the delight of discovering Japan's renowned beverage.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 18, 2019
Akomeya: Kagurazaka branch puts the kitchen first
Few visitors bother to climb right to the top of Kagurazaka's hill, though. Fewer still venture further, down the other side. Until recently there was little incentive to do so. There is now: Akomeya has arrived.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 18, 2019
Raku: Squeeze past the other customers to get your gyōza fix
Raku is not the absolute tiniest restaurant in Tokyo. But it certainly feels that way once you've squeezed past a couple of cramped tables and several people's posteriors to shoehorn yourself in at the seven-seat counter. So why bother? One word: gyu014dza.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 4, 2019
Hiyori: Oden crosses over to wine country
Few restaurants capture the Shinsen neighborhood feel better than Hiyori. Looking in from street level, you can tell that it's easygoing and convivial, the sort of place where you drop in for a quick drink, strike up conversation with your neighbors and end up staying the rest of the evening.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 4, 2019
Kashiyama Daikanyama Cafe and Coteau: From Basque cheesecake to rooftop vistas of Daikanyama
The Daikanyama district continues to mushroom new developments, most of them notable more for their architecture than their carefully curated content. It would be tempting to lump the new Kashiyama building in that category, but there is definitely gastronomic substance to be found along with its undeniable style.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 20, 2019
Sio: Confident, modern cuisine making up for lost time
Located in the quiet backstreets of Yoyogi-Uehara, Sio is compact and simply furnished. But it boasts a sense of style that would be the envy of many places in far buzzier parts of town.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 20, 2019
Kurocyodo: Specialty eel, but not for the squeamish
With its old-school wooden frontage and bold white noren curtain, the chances of you missing Kurocyodo are slim. No prizes for guessing what the specialty is here: The calligraphy for unagi (freshwater eel) is unmistakable.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 6, 2019
World Breakfast Allday: Global dining, morning till night
Hands up, who likes breakfast? Just about everyone, right? The only thing is, not all of us like the same thing for our first meal of the day. Some like it hot and spicy; others cold and drenched with milk. And there are even a few who go straight to beer. No problem: World Breakfast Allday is ready for all comers.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 6, 2019
Schmatz Nakameguro: From food truck to prime premises
Timing and location are everything. For the Tokyo-based German beer pub Schmatz, both were in perfect alignment when its latest branch opened in Nakameguro, overlooking the sakura (cherry blossom) trees lining the river just as they were about to blossom.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 6, 2019
Japan dominates 2019's Asia's 50 Best awards
Japanese chefs and their restaurants continued to dominate at the seventh Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards. But once again they fell short when it came to the ultimate prize, the number one position on the list.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 30, 2019
Le Dessin: How did such refined ramen come to be?
Among the mundane family restaurants, gritty gasoline stands and unlovely strip malls that line National Route 1 in Shizuoka Prececture there are places that catch the eye and justify a detour. None more so than Le Dessin.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 16, 2019
Narisawa: Celebrating 15 years of gastronomic genius
In the closing days of 2018, there was one celebration in particular that stood out. No ordinary bu014dnenkai (year-end) party, this was an event held to congratulate one of Tokyo's best-known chefs, Yoshihiro Narisawa, on the 15th anniversary of his eponymous restaurant.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 2, 2019
Katsuo Shokudo: Celebrating the umami tradition
When it comes to seafood, we all have our favorites. It might be maguro (tuna) sushi, charcoal-grilled unagi (eel), a salmon steak or a nice fillet of batter-fried plaice. For Mai Nagamatsu, though, there's no question: Her fish of choice is katsuo (skipjack tuna).
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Feb 16, 2019
Alter Ego: Synergy and creativity, from Italy to Japan
In Italy, they say, all roads lead to Rome. But in Tokyo's Jinbocho district there's a quiet pedestrian alley that now faces squarely toward Milan and the innovative restaurant there run by Japanese chef Yoji Tokuyoshi. The reason? Alter Ego, his eagerly awaited first project back in his homeland, is...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Feb 16, 2019
Aldebaran: The burger debate isn't over yet, but it could be
Quick: What's Tokyo's best burger joint? Cue heated discussion ad nauseam. Ultimately, the question is so subjective it's not worth the argument. But if you want a premium burger with lashings of atmosphere and setting, then look no further than Aldebaran.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Feb 2, 2019
Yaumay: An elegant fix to Tokyo's dim sum shortage
Is there a more satisfying way to spend a couple of hours at table than a leisurely session of good dim sum? In years past, Tokyo has been poorly served in this department, at least when it comes to the classic, laid-back, yum cha (tea-drinking) Hong Kong approach. Thankfully, that deficiency is now being rectified in style at Yaumay.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 26, 2019
Five Japanese restaurants on the shortlist for new culinary award
A legendary Kyoto restaurant serving kaiseki, Japan's exquisite multicourse haute cuisine. A traditional grilled-eel specialist in Tokyo with roots dating to the days of the shoguns. An irreverent fast-food joint where fish burgers rule. The newly opened offshoot of one of Scandinavia's most innovative...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jan 19, 2019
Ginza Kagari Honten: The tori paitan classic is reborn
...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jan 19, 2019
Lakan-ka: Light, wholesome and not a speck of sugar added
From the outside, you might take Lakan-ka for just another of the smart-casual cafe-dining establishments that proliferate on the Aoyama-Jingumae side of town. But behind the sleek, modern facade with its pet-friendly terrace, this new arrival is doing things a bit differently.
Who needs AI when you have Hatsune Miku?
Over the first six months of 2024, a handful of songs using Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku’s voice have enjoyed widespread attention, underlining a global interest in the character and the technology she represents.
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.
Shooter came within inches of killing Trump, but left few clues as to why
An aerial view shows the stage where Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump had been standing during an assassination attempt the day before, and the roof of a nearby building where a gunman was shot dead by law enforcement, in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
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.
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.

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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