Finger Lickin’ Chicken on Sticks – Nagoya’s Best Yakitori Restaurants
Feb 28, 2022 By Bert Wishart
When you think about Japanese food, it is probably sushi that most readily comes to mind, followed by rice and miso soup, with knife-wheeling teppanyaki chefs serving up wagyu completing the triumvirate. However, perhaps one of the most varied - not to mention popular - is 'yakitori,' and that it...[ Click to read more ]
I Heard it Through the Grapevine: Sera Winery and Yume Park
Feb 24, 2022 By William Farrow
As the chills of winter give way and the warmth of spring begins to return to Japan, people find themselves willing to venture into the great outdoors again. Those with smaller children will also quickly search for places where the little ones can run around and burn off energy. What...[ Click to read more ]
Some Pep(per) in Your Step: Spice in Hiroshima
By William Farrow
After being in Japan for a while, foreign residents often opine that the local food culture does not offer options that cause flop sweat three bites into the meal. So let's go ahead and search Hiroshima prefecture for restaurants that bring the heat! Ramen and Yakisoba: Akazō The exterior of...[ Click to read more ]
Looking for Snacks? Leaf it to Me!
By William Farrow
In Japanese, the word momiji usually refers to the leaves of the maple trees in Japan. A popular symbol representing autumn, it should come as no surprise to hear that the Japanese snack on...wait, what? Are people eating leaves? Also, isn't this article being written in late winter?! Okay, no one...[ Click to read more ]
Spring Pickings – Strawberry Picking Around Tokyo
Jan 24, 2022 By Michael Stigall
Japan has a beautiful relationship with fruit. While it tends to be a little expensive (at least to the eyes of foreigners used to supermarkets crammed with the stuff for next to nothing), fruit is revered in status: apples are grown to extraordinary sizes and prized for their taste, mangoes...[ Click to read more ]
Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum
By Michael Stigall
Whether all you only know about ramen is instant, cup-o-noodles, or are a true aficionado who can tell the difference between shoyu and tonkotsu based ramen by smell, perhaps you’ll agree: Ramen is so good, it should be in a museum. Well, you’re in luck — there is a ramen...[ Click to read more ]
Heroes on the Half Shell – Where to get in-season Oysters in Nagoya
By Bert Wishart
For those of us who are used to the climate control comforts of central heating, double glazing, and insulated buildings coming as standard, winter in Japan – where these are mostly alien concepts – can be a time to yearn for other seasons. Fortunately, a few things can make up...[ Click to read more ]
Best Sweet Shops in Kobe
Jan 20, 2022 By Justin Hanus
When it comes to food, Kobe isn't just famous for beef. It has also gained a reputation as the "city of sweets," which is excellent news for those with a sweet tooth. You can find many chocolate shops, confectioners, patisseries, and bakeries all across the city, selling both western and...[ Click to read more ]
Ramen 101: How and What to Order
Jan 15, 2022 By Justin Hanus
Ramen is right up there with sushi for famous must-try Japanese cuisine. The idea of lush noodles bathing in a flavorsome bowl of broth is even more appealing during the cold winter months. So loved are ramen dishes in Japan that there are shops dedicated to ramen where you can...[ Click to read more ]
Noodling about: Nagoya’s Ramen Discoveries
Jan 13, 2022 By Bert Wishart
When I first came to Japan, I answered the standard "what Japanese food do you like?" question with "I absolutely love ramen!" I wasn't sure why I was typically met with a look of disappointment, as if I had let them down in some way. It took me a few...[ Click to read more ]
