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Owen Ziegler
Owen Ziegler is an editor at The Japan Times in charge of Lifestyle and Food. For pitches, contact him at [email protected].
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 21, 2023
Three in Japan break into World’s 50 Best Restaurants rankings
The top accolades of the evening went to Central (Lima, Peru), but Japan’s influence can be found up and down the list.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 7, 2023
In-N-Out opens one-day-only pop-up in Ebisu
Today only from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., In-N-Out returns to Tokyo.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 3, 2023
At Grace Choy’s table, a tantalizing portal to Cantonese cuisine
A rising culinary star, Choy considers it a mission to evangelize authentic Chinese flavors across Tokyo.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Reviews
May 18, 2023
Tears of the Kingdom soars thanks to its journey, not its destination
The latest Zelda release emulates 2017’s Breath of the Wild in many ways, but that doesn’t mean it lives entirely in its shadow.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
May 12, 2023
‘Zelda holiday’: Tears of the Kingdom is a blitz of merch and exploration
The latest entry to the venerable Zelda franchise has bigger shoes to fill than any game in the series before it.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Apr 22, 2023
Zelda and legal battles show Nintendo's dueling gaming ‘freedoms’
Tears of the Kingdom releases in three weeks, but one of Nintendo's biggest targets in the fight against piracy was released from prison first.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 30, 2023
10 in Japan — and 7 in Tokyo — named among Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants
This year is a slight step backward for Japan's culinary scene, but how long will that dip last?
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Mar 25, 2023
High-tech 'sassen' duels are an active otaku's dream
In a world of endless options for virtual entertainment, could this be the perfect marriage of tech and athletics?
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Mar 4, 2023
We hardly played ye: A bittersweet eulogy to E3
Once the Super Bowl of the gaming world, it’s time to remember E3 for what it once was instead of what it now unfortunately has come to be.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 26, 2023
Lamp Bar: Majestic cocktails befitting Japan’s ancient capital
Many visits to Kyoto include a day in Nara, and every trip to Nara should include a stop at Michito Kaneko’s exceptional cocktail bar.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Feb 4, 2023
Hogwarts versus transgender rights, Blizzard versus Beijing
Can you truly separate the art from the artist? For many gamers, Hogwarts Legacy is their first such test.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 29, 2023
Drinking with purpose at Bar Nayuta, a covert Osaka speakeasy
No sign, no menu and a trick room for an entrance — if you can find this bar, you’ve earned every sip.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Dec 31, 2022
Elden Ring's artful cruelty set the bar for gaming in 2022
FromSoftware's ambitious, brutal high fantasy RPG was by far the best game to come out of Japan in the last five years.
Japan Times
LIFE
Nov 22, 2022
Your guide to watching the World Cup from Tokyo
Tuning into games from Qatar looking more complex than a Messi dribble? Here's how to make sense of all of Tokyo's World Cup watch parties, streaming options and more.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 18, 2022
Michelin awards 200 Tokyo restaurants a total 263 stars for 2023
Between Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, nearly 400 restaurants in Japan proved worthy of at least one illustrious Michelin star.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 13, 2022
The Americans going where no miso has gone before
Eleana Hsu and Kevin Gondo don't just break the rules with their homemade miso and shoyu — they create their own.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 23, 2022
With Hokuriku’s fermented foods, tasting is believing
From sake starter and soy sauce ice cream to fish fermented in a uniquely regional way, these prefectures hold plenty of culinary secrets just begging to be discovered — and devoured.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Oct 15, 2022
‘Undesirable consequences’ may await Japan’s well-meaning tourists
The return to full-scale tourism may be much more of a slog than previously thought — for tourists and Japan alike.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 9, 2022
Just one bar in Japan named to World’s 50 Best Bar list
This year's rankings represent a bit of a decline for Japan's elite cocktail scene.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Oct 1, 2022
Grand Theft Auto suffers a stunning blow as Netflix plots an unlikely rise
Rockstar deals with a massive theft of its own while the streaming giant announces plans for its own internal game studio.

Longform

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