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November 22, 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
Jun 29, 2019
Cana: Raising the bar for pizza on the Hayama coast
For a small, coastal community, Hayama always feels like it punches well above its weight when it comes to good dining options. Now, here's another new name to bookmark for when you need a beach getaway: Cana.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 15, 2019
Signature: New chef leads with bold opening gambit
Luke Armstrong recently took over the kitchen at Signature at the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo and has introduced a new menu to the classic dining room.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 1, 2019
Hinomoto Beer Parlor: Drink locally, eat independently
It wouldn't be wrong to call Hinomoto a pub. After all it's a craft beer specialist, with 10 taps all devoted to Japanese beers and a counter where you can sit and drink to your heart's content. But that doesn't tell the whole story by a long way.
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.
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

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