author

 
Menu
Search
 
November 22, 2024
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access
Makiko Itoh

Meta

Twitter

@makiwi

Makiko Itoh
Makiko Itoh writes the Japanese Kitchen column, and is the author of the bestselling "The Just Bento Cookbook" and its sequel, "The Just Bento Cookbook 2." A Tokyo native, she runs two Japanese cooking blogs, JustHungry.com and JustBento.com.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / G7 Ise-Shima Summit Special
May 25, 2016
Ise area is known for a wide variety of delicious cuisine
According to the Nihon Shoki, the second-oldest book of Japanese history, around 2,000 years ago Princess Yamato-hime was ordered by her father, Emperor Suinin, to find a new, permanent shrine for the most important deity in the land, the great sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami. The princess, taking her...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
May 20, 2016
A brief guide to dining after a disaster
The earthquakes that hit Kumamoto last month likely have many people in Japan thinking about disaster preparedness. The country is in one of the most seismically active regions of the world, and no stranger to other disasters either.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Apr 15, 2016
Hot in the shade of Japan's tiny pepper-tree leaves
In traditional Japanese cuisine, spiciness and zing are provided through yakumi garnishes — fragrant herbs, spices and vegetables added to a dish after it's plated. Not only do yakumi enhance the flavors and visual appeal of a dish, they're also believed to have health benefits such as aiding digestion...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Mar 25, 2016
A brief but sweet history of strawberries in Japan
It's hard to tell when the real season for fresh strawberries is in Japan, they are even available in December. The actual season, however, goes from spring until early summer, starting with the ones grown in southern Kyushu and ending with the ones grown in the north. In the Kanto region, strawberries...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Feb 19, 2016
'Amazake': The wintertime sake that isn't what it seems
For more than 1,000 years, a sweet, thick beverage known as amazake has been produced in Japan. Amanotamuznake, an early version of amazake, is mentioned in the "Nihon Shoki" ("Chronicles of Japan"), an early history of Japan compiled in 720. While the drink fell out of favor for a while, it has made...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jan 22, 2016
How Japan's saltiest residents came to live the longest
January is a month when many of us resolve to eat healthier. Japan, with its worldwide reputation for health and longevity, is a good place to look. Much of the island nation's health is attributed to the amount of seafood consumed in the traditional diet. However, according to the Japanese Ministry...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Dec 18, 2015
Daikon: The great radish of Japan
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the most popular vegetable in Japan is the daikon radish, beating out onions and cabbage. Both the white roots and green tops are eaten throughout the year in many ways: raw, pickled, as sprouts, dried and simmered. Daikon are available year-round,...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Nov 20, 2015
Before Japan ate raw fish, there was himono
Japan is famous as a nation that loves raw seafood. But dried fish has a much longer history here and has played an important role in Japanese society for hundreds of years. There are basically two kinds of dried fish products in Japan. The first, which goes by various names, is dried (sometimes after...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Oct 16, 2015
An idea simmering for centuries: Japanese 'white stew'
When a Japanese person hears the word "stew," the dish they're likely to think of is a concoction of stewed vegetables and chicken (occasionally pork or seafood) in a creamy white sauce. Called "cream stew" or "white stew" this is a typical yōshoku dish: one with ingredients that have European-Western...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Sep 25, 2015
Sekihan: a recipe for magic beans and good luck
The quintessential festive dish in Japan is sekihan (literally, "red rice"), which is served on special days throughout the year. The dish is made with short-grain or sweet mochi (sticky or glutinous) rice and red adzuki beans — the cooking liquid from the beans is what gives the dish its reddish hue....
Japan Times
BUSINESS / 'SUMMER DAVOS' SPECIAL 2015
Sep 9, 2015
'B-class' cuisine: Food that reflects the soul of the people
From the impressive number of stars garnered by restaurants in Tokyo to heads of state visiting the establishments of famed sushi masters, the high end of the Japanese culinary scene gets plenty of attention worldwide. But eating out in Japan doesn't mean you have to break the bank all the time, and...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Aug 21, 2015
How yakitori went from taboo to salaryman snack
The grilled chicken skewers known as yakitori are good at any time of the year, but they go especially well with ice-cold beer. They also have an excellent chance of becoming the next big Japanese culinary hit worldwide — after sushi and ramen.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jul 17, 2015
History of the vegetable most hated by Japanese children
Shopping for vegetables in Japan can be rather confusing, even if you get past the initial language barrier. For instance, why are green bell peppers called "pīman," and red or yellow ones "papurika?" And then there are the many type of chili peppers, which are known collectively as tōgarashi.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jun 19, 2015
A short history of Japan's long noodles
Soba, udon and ramen noodles are all well-known outside of Japan, but sōmen — the thin, white wheat noodles that are similar to Italian angel hair pasta — is not as famous. Yet these delicate noodles are very versatile, since they can be served either hot or cold, and since they're so thin, they...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
May 15, 2015
Nanban dishes are fit for a barbarian
The first Europeans on Japanese soil were the Portuguese — a handful of passengers on a Chinese ship that got blown off course and washed ashore on Tanegashima, an island off the coast of current-day Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Kyushu, in 1543. For almost 100 years after that, the Portuguese had...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Apr 17, 2015
The holy trinity of the '60s: sumo, baseball and tamagoyaki
Earlier this year, yokozuna (sumo grand champion) Hakuho broke the all-time victory record of Taiho, the yokozuna regarded by many as the greatest sumo wrestler of the postwar period. This reminded me of a well-known saying from the 1960s, Taiho's heyday, which says that Kyojin (the Yomiuri Giants baseball...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Mar 17, 2015
Wild wasabi proves a warrior ingredient in many a dish
The pungent green wasabi is native to Japan, as its botanical name Eutrema japonicum indicates.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Feb 17, 2015
Sushi rice served right adds color to any springtime menu
Sushi rice (or shari) is subtly sour, sweet and salty with a boost of umami.
Japan Times
JAPAN / DAVOS SPECIAL 2015
Jan 21, 2015
Sake: Best drink for 'washoku'
What are good alcoholic beverages to enjoy with "washoku," traditional Japanese cuisine? While beer, shochu and even whisky and wine are popular choices, the best match by far is sake, the national beverage of Japan. After all, washoku has been developed over many centuries as a cuisine to go well with...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jan 20, 2015
Recipe: Spaghetti Napolitan
On Aug. 30, 1945, newly appointed Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers Gen. Douglas MacArthur landed at Atsugi Airport in Yokohama and headed straight to an elegant hotel overlooking the harbor that had escaped destruction during the war. The Hotel New Grand served as his headquarters for three days,...
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