author

 
Menu
Search
 
November 22, 2024
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

Meta

Twitter

@tokyofoodfile

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
Oct 19, 2019
Tama: A finessed fusion of Chinese and Okinawan cooking
For more than a decade, Tama has been the place to come for one of Tokyo's more unusual menus, a unique and stylish hybrid that it calls Ryukyu-Chinese. It's a blend of Okinawa specialties, such as ashitebichi (pig's trotter) and chanpuru016b (stir-fried tofu, meat and vegetables), interspersed with Chinese classics like yodare-dori.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 12, 2019
For Kure's fishermen, skipjack tuna remains king of their catch
"No katsuo, no life." The words emblazoned on Takahiro Tanaka's T-shirt are more than just a catchy slogan; they are the literal truth. Without katsuo (skipjack tuna), life would be very different for him and the rest of the fishing folks in the port town of Kure, Kochi Prefecture.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Oct 5, 2019
Il Ristorante Luca Fantin: 10 years to perfect, 10 courses to celebrate
Since Luca Fantin first arrived 10 years ago at Bvlgari's then newly opened Ginza Tower, he has won and retained a Michelin star every year since 2011, and Il Ristorante is now making its way up the ladder of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. Reason to celebrate if there ever was one.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Oct 5, 2019
Two Fingers gets two thumbs up for craft beer and cooking
Two Fingers is a bright little eight-tap, 15-seater pub in the residential streets in northwestern Ikebukuro that was opened in February by two enthusiasts who turned their shared passion for beer into a classic labor-of-love project.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Sep 28, 2019
Wagyu and seafood: At Imari Roaji, Saga sends its finest to Ginza
The further you travel in Japan, the more you discover that each corner of the country has its own character and food traditions. Every region produces its own distinctive strains of rice, seafood products, miso, pickles and sake. And those differences are important: They're expressions of history, culture...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Sep 28, 2019
Kokushu Sakaba: Knock back a glass of Saga kokushu, then try 199 more
In Kyushu, a region famed for distilleries rather than brewing, Saga is the odd prefecture out. More sake is consumed there — and less shōchū — than anywhere else in southwest Japan. And that is all the more reason for discovering Kokushu Sakaba, a sparkling new standing-only bar that has recently...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 14, 2019
KitKat and yuzu help put Kochi sake on the map
Nestle Japan recently released the third in its line of sake-inspired chocolates, the KitKat Mini Yuzushu Bijofu, which uses yuzu citrus liqueur from Kochi Prefecture.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Sep 14, 2019
A sushi dynasty grows: Jiro, Masuda and now ... Wakon
Wakon is the first offshoot in Tokyo of Sushi Masuda, whose chef, Rei Masuda, trained for nine years under legendary sushi master Jiro Ono — the eponymous star of that documentary.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Sep 14, 2019
StandingBar Sanpachi: Squeeze in tight for a pizza and craft shōchū night
With so many contenders, it's impossible to anoint any single bar as the smallest in Tokyo, but StandingBar Sanpachi must surely be in the running.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 31, 2019
Stand Banh Mi: The banh mi sandwich's new home in Meguro
"Not Vietnamese, but Vietnamese." The mission statement at Stand Banh Mi is nothing but enigmatic. That is, until you actually arrive, sit down and order at this buzzy little counter restaurant on the residential fringe of Meguro Ward. Then it all starts to make sense.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 31, 2019
At Che 333, iced desserts to cool you to the end of summer
Had enough of bubble tea, whether Thai or Taiwanese? Bored with the kakigōri (shaved ice) boom? Perhaps it's time to investigate the Vietnamese alternative, known simply as che, which combines tropical fruit, nuts and jellies with plenty of coconut milk in colorful, refreshing blends.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 17, 2019
Toripota Ramen Thank: Noodles to be grateful for
In a city the size of Tokyo, in a country that takes its noodles so extremely seriously, what does a ramen counter need to do to stand out and stay the course? Having a memorable name helps, but the real reason behind the enduring popularity of Toripota Ramen Thank is that it boasts a great recipe for...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 17, 2019
Sushi Shin by Miyakawa: High-end sushi at altitude
When it comes to sushi, Tokyo is spoiled for choice. Whether traditional or contemporary, high-end, local or no-frills market counter, few enjoy a more rarefied setting or more envious vista than Sushi Shin by Miyakawa, up on the 38th floor of the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 3, 2019
An Di, Mymot, Like: Summer's hottest restaurants are undeniably cool
When it's hot and humid enough to feel like you're in the tropics, there's only one solution: Eat like you're there.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 3, 2019
Kyoaji chef Kenichiro Nishi's legacy lives on in Japan's top restaurants
The world of traditional Japanese cuisine has lost one of its luminaries. Chef Kenichiro Nishi, the founder of the renowned Shinbashi restaurant Kyoaji, passed away at the age of 81 on July 26.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 20, 2019
Mu-Hung: Chicken rice, laksa and classic hawker fare
For close on 20 years, this friendly, no-frills diner has been the go-to destination for Singapore street-level cooking — the kind of wholesome dishes you find at hawker centers and food courts in the island state — at least for the lucky people who live in western Tokyo.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 20, 2019
Aoyama Kawakami-an: Sobaya that lets its hair down at night
Arrive at Aoyama Kawakami-an at midday and you'll find a typical upmarket noodle shop. But return after nightfall and it has a very different feel.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 6, 2019
Ginzasa: Washoku refinement, noodle simplicity
When it first opened more than eight years ago, Ginzasa flew in the face of prevailing ramen orthodoxy.But, it's the noodles that really set Ginzasa apart. Or rather, the clear broth they bathe in.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 6, 2019
Utsura Utsura: Food, sake and ambience worth the detour
Set back far enough from the sidewalk that most people give it barely a second look, this welcoming little izakaya tavern has the warm feel of a local watering hole, but it's near enough to the lights of Shibuya to reward a few minutes' walk.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 29, 2019
Il Veliero: Pizza, woodsmoke and a cool sea breeze
With its pizzas and prime location, Il Veliero adds a taste of the Amalfi Coast to Hayama's little enclave of Italian gastronomy looking out on the Pacific.
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Ishiba aggravates his own political failures with diplomatic faux pas
Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba is greeted at the APEC summit in Lima by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. The Japanese leader was criticized for remaining seated while meeting several world leaders at the event.
Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in December 2023. Famous autumn leaf colors contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe and North America, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

Podcast

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

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?
By Kathryn Wortley

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

SWCC keeps changing with keyword ‘new challenges’
SWCC keeps changing with keyword ‘new challenges’

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER