Why Visit the Instant Ramen Museum in Osaka
Mar 22, 2019 By Justin Hanus
It may seem like a strange concept to have an entire museum dedicated to instant ramen, but the Cup Noodles Museum is a must-see destination in Osaka. Much of your time in Japan will be spent exploring the different cuisine. The Cup Noodles Museum allows you to explore the culture...[ Click to read more ]
Ankake Spaghetti, Nagoya’s Italian Treat
Feb 27, 2019 By Bert Wishart
From soba to ramen, udon to somen, hiyamugi to shirataki, Japanese cuisine is blessed with a wide variety of of noodle kinds. But if that wasn't enough, they had to take Italy's greatest export and make it their own in the form of ankake spaghetti. Like miso katsu, tebasaki and...[ Click to read more ]
Do You Know Nags? Nagoya’s Hidden Gems – Part 3
By Bert Wishart
Whether you have been here for a few weeks or know the city like the back of your hand, Nagoya is a city that is full of surprises. New restaurants and bars pop up all the time, and you can be strolling down a familiar street and suddenly notice a...[ Click to read more ]
The Wonderful World of Yakitori – Meat on a Stick Explained
Feb 25, 2019 By Bert Wishart
Japan is famous for its food, but for some reason, 'yakitori' is rarely talked about when we consider classic local cuisine. This is somewhat unfair, as grilled chicken (a pretty literal translation of yakitori) served on skewers いs pretty much ubiquitous at izakayas and yakitori-yas (yakitori restaurants), and goes perfectly...[ Click to read more ]
Partying Nagoya Style: Meieki’s best Izakayas
By Bert Wishart
When it comes to going out for drinks, in Japan, they do things a little differently than back home. Whereas we would most likely head to a bar, the Japanese go to an izakaya. Most translation tools will tell you that an izakaya is like a tavern or a pub,...[ Click to read more ]
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Tokyo
Feb 17, 2019 By Bert Wishart
St. Patrick's Day, the commemoration of the death of the patron saint of Ireland, is celebrated in more countries around the world than any other national festival, and Japan, is of course, no different. As a day in which the abstinence restrictions of lent are temporarily lifted, it has, particularly in...[ Click to read more ]
Mexican Food in Hiroshima
Jan 28, 2019 By Matt Mangham
The rest of the world’s foodies may cast a longing eye toward Japan, but let’s face it, if you live here sometimes you just want a decent taco. Once upon a time, this was surprisingly difficult, but no longer. Hiroshima has at least two good Mexican options now, while an...[ Click to read more ]
The Shopping Underground: Depachika in Hiroshima
By Matt Mangham
One of the best reasons to visit a department store here is to ride the elevator down to the basement, where a food lover’s wonderland lies waiting. ‘Depachika’ combines the first two syllables of "department store" with the Japanese word for "basement." Though they’ve evolved over the decades, depachika have...[ Click to read more ]
Healthy Meals for Dieters in Kansai
Jan 25, 2019 By Justin Hanus
The New Year is traditionally a time when people decide to put their culinary over-indulgences behind them and start a healthy diet. Thankfully for expats living in Japan, the country scores pretty well when it comes to health and nutrition in food and meals so anyone already eating plenty of...[ Click to read more ]
Japan Brewer’s Cup: The Tournament of Suds 2019
Dec 26, 2018 By Jason Gatewood
Please read the following in the voice of one of those monster truck TV spots from back in the day: Thirty-five of the best craft brewers from all over Japan, plus one each from Taiwan and the Czech Republic, and six craft beer importers are thrown in for good measure....[ Click to read more ]
