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December 04, 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 / Destination Restaurants 2021
Oct 17, 2021
Chimikepp: Modern French cuisine finds a home in Hokkaido
For some, the allure of this remote region is its bracing snowscape or outdoor activities. For others, it's knowing they will dine very well at Chimikepp Hotel.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Oct 2, 2021
An Com: Modern Vietnamese meets modern sake
An Com takes the beguiling flavors of Vietnam and reinterprets them with Japanese inflections, giving its dishes a sophistication that feels entirely suited for its contemporary setting.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants 2021
Sep 18, 2021
Nihonryori Yukimoto: Grounded in tradition, a kaiseki lineage evolves
Chef Takayuki Hagiwara blends Japanese aesthetics with a quietly contemporary cooking style that uses the local bounty of Nagano Prefecture to its fullest.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Sep 4, 2021
Adi: A stylish tribute to comforting Nepalese curry
Its weekday lunch menu is the finest iteration of dal bhat — the Nepalese staple meal of rice and lentil stew, with curries, vegetables and achar pickles on the side — you can find in Tokyo.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants 2021
Aug 21, 2021
Uozen: Where hunting, fishing and nature find harmony
Swapping the concrete jungle of Tokyo for rural Niigata Prefecture, chef Kazuhiro Inoue has created inventive menus starring locally sourced produce, seafood and game meat.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 14, 2021
Tokyo’s restaurants push through another state-of-emergency summer
The Japan Times gives you the lowdown on what new gems opened, what closed and what restaurants are ready and waiting to throw open their doors.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 24, 2021
Kon: Shaved ice and sushi as you’ve never had them before
In summer, we need to slow down, drink up and eat light. Looking for specific ideas? Make your way to Kon and cool off with upscale versions of two of Japan's favorite foods.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants 2021
Jul 17, 2021
Tonoya Yo: Japan's fermentation fundamentals, made modern
Chef, brewmaster and hotelier Yotaro Sasaki takes locally grown Tono rice and traditional fermented fare to new culinary heights.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 3, 2021
Chef Daniel Calvert finally opens Sezanne, and the wait was worth it
Any new high-end French restaurant in Tokyo is big news. But Sezanne's official unveiling on July 1 signaled the arrival of a young chef of considerable accomplishment.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants 2021
Jun 19, 2021
Pesceco: ‘Satohama gastronomy’ rooted in local soil and sea
Creative, seafood-based cuisine inspired by the vista and bounty of Shimabara.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 5, 2021
At Dashin Soan, handmade noodles take pride of place
Expect refined ambience, a selection of elegant appetizers and top-notch soba.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants 2021
May 29, 2021
L’evo: Destination dining that’s worth the journey
Chef Eiji Taniguchi's “avant-garde regional” cuisine showcases the best of Toyama Prefecture's seasonal ingredients and local artisans.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 15, 2021
Sip, snack and stand in style at No. 502
Tucked away in suburban Setagaya Ward, No. 502 is a perfect example of the recent fashion for wine stores with bars attached — plus an innovative plant-forward menu.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 1, 2021
This laid-back tea specialist has flown under Tokyo’s radar — until now
The latest state of emergency in the capital means it's more important than ever to stay safe, which means outdoor dining. Cue the calm, secluded Sakuu.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 17, 2021
Burger Police: Locking in its status as one of Tokyo’s best burgers
This offspring of the well-known Tacubo serves a gourmet burger like no other, pared back to the simplest of no-frills basics.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Food Sustainability in Japan
Apr 3, 2021
When life gave him olives, this Shodoshima farmer made world-class beef
Shodoshima's Olive-fed Wagyu Beef is taking the “Wagyu Olympics” by storm, and putting the island on the gastronome's map.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 20, 2021
Hakko Department: Set meals showcase the breadth of Japan’s fermented foods
It's easy to take Japan's wealth of fermented foods for granted. Hakko Department puts them front and center.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 20, 2021
BGM: Coffee shop’s small size belies big flavor
Chef Yusuke Namai of Ode turns up the volume at his hip spinoff coffee shop in Hiroo.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 7, 2021
Tenoshima: A master chef's tasting menu in the comfort of your own home
While Tokyo diners continue to wait for an end to the state of emergency, the city's fanciest restaurants are finding ways to survive by offering take-out meals.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 7, 2021
Chuka Soba Tomita: 'Ramen of the Year' box sets from Chiba to your door
Fans of ramen who don't want to travel can now order boxes from the award-winning Chuka Soba Tomita in Chiba Prefecture.
Japan’s 2024 buzzword of the year urges a reevaluation of past norms
Sadao Abe, who played the role of a time-traveling Showa Era teacher transported to present day in a popular TV drama, receives the 2024 buzzword of the year award for the word "futehodo," the nickname of the series.
Princess Aiko, only child of emperor, turns 23
Princess Aiko on Nov. 22 ahead of her 23rd birthday on Sunday at the Imperial Palace
Ishiba questioned on political reform, social issues and the economy
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks in the Lower House in Tokyo on Monday.
Nearly 90% in Japan and China have negative views of other
Chinese people's sentiment toward Japan is believed to be impacted by their use of social media platforms such as Weibo and Douyin, as well as whether they have visited Japan.
Bear that attacked Akita supermarket employee captured
A brown bear in Hokkaido. In the city of Akita, a bear that attacked a supermarket employee over the weekend was captured in a box trap on Monday morning.
Can Japan's scientific community rebound from a Nobel nosedive?
The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo is a popular place to foster curiosity in the natural sciences.
Europe eyes 'boots on the ground' in Ukraine as possible peace deal option
A serviceman with the Ukrainian Army's 24th mechanized brigade fires a machine gun during an exercise, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the country's Donetsk region on Friday.
Seven strangers and an algorithm: Can this new dinner app help you make friends?
Timeleft uses an algorithm to match its users with five or six strangers in an effort to prompt “human connection” over dinner at a restaurant. It determines the attendees with the help of a simple personality quiz available when you sign up for the service. 
Don’t worry, you can still use your Japan health insurance card — for now
A My Number card reader at a pediatric clinic in Tokyo. While the government will stop issuing new health insurance cards on Monday, most people will remain unaffected by the move in the short term as existing health insurance cards can still be used for another year.
The Geisha bean is the leading lady of Tokyo's coffee scene
Discovered in the 1930s, the Geisha coffee plant came to worldwide fame in the early 2000s and now represents some of the best coffee on the planet — Tokyo's top cafes included.

Podcast

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

Longform

The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo is a popular place to foster curiosity in the natural sciences.
Can Japan's scientific community rebound from a Nobel nosedive?
By Tomoko Otake

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