The Best Spots to Sip on Sake in Tokyo
Sake is such an integral part of Japanese culture that its proper name, nihonshu, simply means “Japanese alcohol.” Although sake can be quite complex, it’s also very accessible and best enjoyed in a...
View ArticleHonkai Star Rail Comes to Lawson in New Collaboration
The Astral Express has a new destination and this time it’s headed for a Lawson near you. The role-playing gacha video game Honkai: Star Rail has just announced its latest collaboration with the...
View ArticleFrom Bathhouse to Café: A 70-Year-Old Sento Reimagined
One sunny Thursday morning, I hop on my bike on something of a mission. I’m leaving behind the student-lined streets of Takadanobaba for the calmer, leafier neighborhood of Nezu, in Tokyo’s...
View ArticleThe 7 Best Breakfast Spots in Tokyo
Caught up in our busy quotidian schedules, a lot of us opt for something simple before rushing out of the house. We forget breakfast’s true identity — it being the most important meal of the day. If...
View ArticleThe Best Vegan Restaurants in Shibuya
Shibuya is one of the busiest areas in Tokyo, so it’s likely that you’ll have passed through at some point. With the giant Shibuya Scramble, you scramble your way around, trying to get by the huge...
View ArticleThe 5 Best Ramen Spots To Hit During a Layover at Haneda Airport
Everyone knows that the only thing worse than an airport layover is an airport layover with bad food. For locals and tourists alike, it’s common to head straight to downtown Tokyo upon arriving in...
View ArticleThe World’s Most Expensive Mango: Miyazaki’s ‘Egg of the Sun’
In April 2023, two Miyazaki mangoes sold for ¥600,000. I remember looking at the article in disbelief. How is that possible? Even the “lower” grade Miyazaki mangos sell from ¥5,000 at a fancy...
View ArticleMcDonald’s Partners with Detective Conan in Japan-Exclusive Collaboration
McDonald’s has done it again with another exciting collaboration, this time with the long-running anime series Case Closed, otherwise known as Detective Conan. The collaboration includes a twist on the...
View ArticleDiscover Yame, Kyushu’s Tea Capital
To say that Yame is a city rich with cultural history would be an understatement. In 2023 the city celebrated its 600th anniversary as Kyushu’s tea capital, and its total production of traditional...
View ArticleHow to Find Tokyo’s Secret Nintendo Bar: 84 Hashi Cafe
Welcome to 84 Cafe (pronounced Hashi cafe), a secret Nintendo cafe and bar located within Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward. It’s owned and operated by Toru Hashimoto, better known by his nickname, “Chokan,” who...
View ArticleDen Fujita — Japan’s McDonald’s Man | Spotlight
Masayoshi Son was obsessed. As a teenager, he read a book by the man who brought McDonald’s to Japan and felt he had to somehow meet him. The founder of SoftBank and the third-richest person in Japan...
View ArticleThe Best Tokyo Restaurants for Authentic Filipino Food
The Philippines is a nation whose modern state is largely built abroad. The country is consistently in the top 10 of nations with the highest emigration rates, and over 6 million Filipinos live abroad...
View ArticleOrange Juice is Disappearing from Japan
If you’ve been out shopping in a Japanese store in the past few months, you may have noticed that your favorite juice isn’t there anymore. It isn’t your eyes deceiving you. Several Japanese orange...
View ArticleRat Parts Discovered in Chojuku Bread
Pasco Shikishima Corporation announced on Tuesday that it is recalling around 104,000 units of its Chojuku sliced bread after parts of at least one rat had contaminated the product. On Sunday morning,...
View ArticleIzakaya Owner Defends ‘Japanese Language Only’ Policy
If you happen to walk past the izakaya Kadoya in the Mukojima district of northeastern Tokyo, you’ll notice a sign that reads “Japanese Language Only.” The owner of the establishment caused a bit of a...
View ArticleUnique Tokyo Ramen: Where to Eat the Most Unusual Noodles in the City
Are you in a ramen rut? Why not try something unique? Tokyo has countless ramen shops with mouthwatering limited-edition bowls that push the boundaries of ramen. Here are seven ramen restaurants that...
View ArticleStandout Concept Cafés in Tokyo’s Kabukicho District
More than 50 years have passed since the legendary Club Ai opened in 1971, ushering in the modern age of hostess clubs in Shinjuku’s infamous pleasure district. The core premise has hardly changed — in...
View ArticleThe Okinawa Diet: How to Live Longer and Eat Healthier
Coined by the researcher Dan Buettner, a blue zone is a region where its inhabitants live exceptionally long lives because of the diet, lifestyle and ecology found there. There are five blue zones in...
View ArticleCustomers Continue Eating as Fire Breaks Out at Ramen Jiro
Known for its considerable portions featuring lots of vegetables and garlic, heavy servings of oily soup and ridiculously thick noodles, the chain store Ramen Jiro has garnered somewhat of a cult-like...
View ArticleThe Best Vegan Restaurants in Harajuku and Omotesando
Tokyo’s quirky Harajuku district may be small, but it’s got some great vegan restaurants. In addition to many delicious vegan sweets, such as vegan donuts and wagashi, the area has many options for...
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