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April 04, 2025
 

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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
Nov 20, 2015
Souen: Green tea and traditional sweets in Nishi-Azabu
Remind me again what Japan's national (nonalcoholic) drink is. No, it's not coffee, whether out of vending machines or fastidiously dripped by well-coiffed baristas. It is, of course, green tea — not that you'd realize it in Tokyo. This may be the land where ceremonial tea was perfected, but it's hard...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 6, 2015
The ethical butcher of Paris brings his beef to Tokyo
Being a butcher is hardly a glamorous job in any country — unless you are Hugo Desnoyer. No ordinary meat merchant, his business in Paris counts numerous Michelin-starred chefs among its customers, including Pierre Gagnaire, Alain Passard and Pascal Barbot.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Nov 6, 2015
Kohaku: Horsehair crab, turtle and caviar at this tradition-bending kaiseki restaurant
Tradition looks quite different in Tokyo than, say, Kyoto. Concealed and evolving under constant layers of reinvention, it must be sought out. Where to start? Just head to Kohaku in Kagurazaka, Tokyo's atmospheric nightlife district.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Nov 6, 2015
Na Camo Guro: Nakameguro's duck-centric grill
To guess the specialty at Na Camo Guro, you need to know a little Japanese. Even if you don't, you might still be amused by the wordplay in the name of this sparkling new Japanese-style grill, just a minute's walk from Nakameguro Station.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Oct 16, 2015
Le Sputnik: Out-of-this-world French dining lands in Roppongi
With so much great French cuisine in Japan, what can a hot new restaurant do if it wants to stand out from the crowd? Having a catchy name certainly helps, and so does a good location. Le Sputnik qualifies on both counts. More importantly, it also boasts a very talented chef.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Oct 16, 2015
Japanese Soba Noodles Tsuta: Don't let the name fool you, this is the best ramen in northern Tokyo
Is ramen Japanese or Chinese? That particular question is clearly a non-starter for the good folks at Japanese Soba Noodles Tsuta — whose name stakes out their position. But, to clarify things, you won't find buckwheat noodles in their bowls; what you get is arguably the finest ramen in northern Tokyo....
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Oct 2, 2015
& ecle: An eclectic take on 'neo-bistro' dining
"Coulicious." It's an unlikely, unwieldy name for a signature dish — but not half as improbable as that of the restaurant itself: & ecle. How can you possibly take it seriously? Two good reasons: the man in charge is Olivier Rodriguez; and his food tastes fantastic.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Oct 2, 2015
Camelback: Exceptional sandwiches and flat whites a short walk from Yoyogi Park
A well constructed sandwich is more than just a snack. When it has been put together with prime ingredients, creative flair and artisan skill — the way it's done at Camelback — it is a meal of balance and beauty.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Sep 18, 2015
Ubuka: Where seafood chefs eat seafood
Is there anywhere in the world that consumes as much fish as Japan? And is there a city with as many specialist seafood restaurants as Tokyo? In such a crowded field, how can one small eatery hope to make its mark? In the case of Ubuka, by keeping things simple, flying under the radar — and serving...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Sep 18, 2015
Kamiyama: Soba noodles offer respite from the chaos of the city
Arriving at Kamiyama could hardly be more atmospheric. The entrance is set into a black wooden wall along a quiet residential side street. Ankle-high traditional lamps illuminate a short flight of bamboo-fringed flagstones, leading to a sliding wooden door hidden behind a dark noren (entrance curtain)....
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Sep 4, 2015
Dharmasagara: Vegetarian curries that will transport you to India's sun-baked streets
Uttappam, idli, vada, masala dosa — for me, dinner at Dharmasagara is more than just a roll call of favorite foods. It's an incantation that summons up India's sun-baked streets of Chennai and Tamil Nadu.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Sep 4, 2015
Sumibiyakiniku Nakahara: From raw beef with egg yolk to 'legendary' wagyu tongue
Open the menu at Sumibiyakiniku Nakahara and the first thing you will see is a full-page diagram showing the 22 basic parts of a Japanese cow. It's a simplified chart but the point is clear: You don't just eat well here — you get an education in some of the finest wagyu beef in the city.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 14, 2015
Mori no Butchers: Juicy, grilled meats and homemade sausages
The sizzle of steak on the grill, the clink of wine glasses and the buzz of contented conversation — slide open the door of Mori no Butchers and your ears will reassure you that you're in the right place as fast as your nose will.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 14, 2015
Garden House Crafts: Deli meats and sandwiches on the city's best terrace
The final piece of the Log Road Daikanyama jigsaw is now in place. Well over two months after the rest of this handsome, timber-clad development opened, Garden House Crafts is finally up and running. It was quite a saga getting here (San Francisco bakery Tartine was originally slated to be in the space),...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 31, 2015
Chef Narisawa tackles food waste at Milan soup kitchen
A word of warning if you are planning to attend Expo Milano 2015: Bring water. The heat is punishing, there's not enough shade and you'll be doing a lot of lining up — at the entrance gates, waiting for the shuttle bus, at the food concessions and, as at any theme park, outside the most popular attractions....
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 31, 2015
Motenashi Kuroki: Chilling with summer specials at one of Akihabara's best ramen shops
Any season is ramen season. But when the heat builds and energy levels start to sag, is it really worth trekking across town and waiting in line for noodles that will only make you sweat even more? In the case of Motenashi Kuroki, most definitely yes.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 31, 2015
Mi Choripan: Argentinian street food in Yoyogi-Uehara
It's not hard to track down Mi Choripan, Yoyogi-Uehara's South American asador (grill). Just look for the porch hand-decorated in cheerful, primary colors, listen for the sound of Caribbean beats leaking out onto the street, and sniff the air for the telltale aroma of sizzling meat.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 17, 2015
Fujimaru: A well-hidden riverside wine cellar
You can't call Fujimaru a restaurant. It's not really a wine bar either. Think of it as a large, well-hidden wine cellar with a chic little dining room attached — one where you can wander in, pick out a bottle and then while away the afternoon or evening in an area that is turning into one of the most...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 17, 2015
Little Thailand: Beachside beer and spicy food an hour from Tokyo
The sun, the waves, a sea breeze, the sand beneath your feet — and a nice, chilled beer on the table with good, spicy food, too.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 10, 2015
World's top chefs swap lives and restaurants for a day
Afternoon turns to evening in Tokyo's plush Aoyama district. At Narisawa, one of the city's finest contemporary French restaurants, the final preparations are being made for dinner service. There is both tension and anticipation in the air as the first customers arrive.
As ‘Buy Canadian’ grows, more U.S. firms say retailers turning away products
Empty shelves with "Buy Canadian Instead" signs are seen in the American Whiskey section of the BC Liquor in Vancouver, British Columbia, on March 10.
U.S. tourist arrested after bringing a handgun into Japan
Hyogo police believe the handgun a U.S. tourist inadvertently brought into Japan slipped through security procedures at Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture.
Trump unveils 10% global tariff, with Japan levy set at 24%
Trump tosses a MAGA hat to the crowd during an event in which he unveiled new tariffs in the White House on Wednesday.
Meiji says sayonara to bottled milk, a staple of Japan's bathhouses
Meiji bottled milk lined up in a fridge at Kosugiyu, a bathhouse in Tokyo. The sticker urges patrons to enjoy the milk one last time before it’s gone.
Japan’s leader didn’t read the job description
Prime Minister and ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader Shigeru Ishiba is facing a political funding scandal that has damaged his reputation and sparked speculation that internal efforts to remove him are underway.
Nintendo to launch the Switch 2 on June 5
The controllers for the Switch 2 will attach to the console magnetically rather than sliding on rails as with the original device.
A new human trafficking trend emerges from Myanmar scam centers
Victims of scam centers who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar gather at a compound inside KK Park, a fraud center on the country's border with Thailand, after a multinational crackdown in February.
Meiji says sayonara to bottled milk, a staple of Japan's bathhouses
Meiji bottled milk lined up in a fridge at Kosugiyu, a bathhouse in Tokyo. The sticker urges patrons to enjoy the milk one last time before it’s gone.
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
On defense, Japan may avoid Trump's worst impulses — for now
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth chat after reviewing an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sunday.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan
By Johan Brooks

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