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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
Jul 3, 2015
Kyorakutei: Hand-cut soba for serious noodle connoisseurs
The narrow backstreets of Kagurazaka boast an embarrassment of dining choices. This bustling traditional entertainment district offers great Japanese, a profusion of French and some excellent Italian restaurants, too. When it comes to noodles, though, only one name matters: Kyorakutei.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 3, 2015
Osteria Beverino: Casual vino, cucina and wine bar ambiance
It's an old complaint, but Tokyo really doesn't have enough good, easy-going wine bars. Not enough that serve dozens of wines at prices anyone can afford, with quality food and the kind of unpretentious atmosphere that makes you feel comfortable hanging out all evening. Not enough like Osteria Beverino,...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 19, 2015
Deep-fried eel bones at one of Tokyo's more unusual eel restaurants
Restaurants don't get much more traditional-looking than Tamai — not in Tokyo, anyway. Squeezed in between the banal office architecture of its neighbors, this old-school grilled-eel specialist bears witness to a kinder, gentler time when the city was all low-rise residences and shops, with Nihonbashi...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 19, 2015
One of Tokyo's best ramen shops is hidden under Ginza Station
Thick, rich, creamy white soup, delicate noodles, elegant toppings of chicken breast and seasonal vegetables — Kagari serves some of the finest, most seductive ramen in the city. There's only one downside: the wait in line can sometimes take up to an hour.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 5, 2015
Abysse: Seafood rules at one of Tokyo’s best new French restaurants
For a new, high-end restaurant with a young, unsung chef, Abysse certainly has picked a less-than-obvious location. From the nearest subway station, Gaienmae, the walk takes you down winding backstreets and up a flight of stone steps into the heart of residential Aoyama. Print out a map, open up your...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 5, 2015
Pho 321 Noodle Bar brings mountains of coriander leaves and pho to Harajuku
As the heat builds and the city starts to swelter, simple, appetizing foods are called for — in Vietnam, that's the way people eat all year round. Thanks to Pho 321 Noodle Bar, so can we.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 15, 2015
Spring Valley Brewery allows for a glance at its signature suds
When it comes to handing out this year's gongs and plaudits for the best setting and most notable architecture, there are going to be very few restaurants that will rival Spring Valley Brewery. That's because it occupies pride of place at Log Road Daikanyama.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 15, 2015
New York's famed Ramen Burger arrives in its spiritual home
Ramen Burger has come to Tokyo. Its eponymous creation has been one of the hottest new foods in the U.S. in the past couple of years, but here in Japan the arrival has been muted to the extreme, with minimal publicity and a location far from the center of the city. That's just the way the originator,...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 1, 2015
Shinagawa Station's great wall of sake
Finding a new favorite izakaya tavern is always cause for celebration, especially if it happens to be on your way home. Better yet, if it offers good food and a great sake selection. Nurukan Sato Gotenyama Saryo ticks all of those boxes — just as long as "on your way home" involves passing through...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 17, 2015
Kuriya Kashi Kurogi: Tokyo's sweet shop in the shade of Kengo Kuma
The instant you see Kuriya Kashi Kurogi you know it's special. The hidden location, verdant setting and striking architecture are more than remarkable — they are one of a kind. With the Kurogi name, you expect nothing less.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 17, 2015
Magical Animal may have crafted Tokyo's best pulled pork sandwich
Everyone loves food trucks and al fresco snacking — especially now that the weather is warming up. There's nowhere better in the city to combine the two than Commune 246 in Omotesando. This colorful encampment of cafes and food stalls opened last December as the successor to the much-loved 246 Common....
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 10, 2015
Ineffable dining in Kyoto
Spring is here, and Kyoto is calling us. The old capital is ablaze with blossom, fresh foliage and the exhilaration that winter is over. This is a magical time of year — not just for sightseeing, but for eating out, too, with all the produce of the new season. There are great restaurants close to all...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 3, 2015
'Brave and exciting dining' at Florilege
Spring brings new beginnings. It also ushers in restaurant openings galore. This year, few are likely to be as radical and impressive as the rebirth and reinvention of Florilege.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 3, 2015
Riverside restaurants in season for cherry blossom views
The Meguro River is one of Tokyo's most popular blossom-viewing venues, especially the section running through Naka-Meguro. Maybe that's because once you've had your fill of the crowds and street food, there are plenty of restaurants at hand where you can gaze out at the ethereal blooms and the fresh...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 17, 2015
Old-school Izuei Umegawatei a prime spot for new cherry blossom season
Spring always arrives with a rush. One week it can feel like mid-winter; the next, there's cherry blossoms everywhere.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 17, 2015
Unosato's old ways still shine in flashy Shibuya
In a city as rapidly changing as Tokyo, it's a major feat for any restaurant to survive over four decades. To do so on the edge of Shibuya's teenage wasteland is even more remarkable. So let's raise a cup — of premium sake of course — to the one and only Unosato.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 3, 2015
Takazawa adds Akasaka bar to his name
Great news: Chef Yoshiaki Takazawa has opened a bar. This is fantastic for all those who know the beautiful bijou, high-end restaurant in Akasaka that bears his name. Revered by visiting gourmets, it is one of the hardest tables in town to book. Now, we all can sample his cuisine in a more accessible...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 3, 2015
A long, leisurely lunch leaves no doubts at Chic Peut-etre
Let's hear it for lunch. Long, leisurely sessions at the table, with multiple courses and an equal number of wines to go with them. And then at the end, lingering over coffee and conversation. That's the way it happens every Saturday at Chic Peut-etre.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 24, 2015
Top French chef says fundamentals are key to selling washoku to the world
In December 2013, when UNESCO formally recognized washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine) as part of the World's Intangible Cultural Heritage, the reaction here was mixed.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Feb 17, 2015
Masa's Kitchen 47 defies stereotypes with bold take on Chinese cuisine
Gleaming white tableware, understated decor and not a single dragon or red lantern in sight: Masa's Kitchen 47 boldly defies the stereotype for Chinese restaurants in Tokyo. Which is just as it should be. So does the food.
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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