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June 07, 2026
 

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Robbie Swinnerton
Robbie Swinnerton has been living, eating and writing about food in Tokyo for over 30 years. His column, Tokyo Food File, has run in The Japan Times since 1998.
The signature piece in chef Koji Takahira¡¯s "nigiri" selection is "shiro-amadai" (white tilefish) ¡ª one of the most prized species from the Seto Inland Sea on account of its sweetness, rich umami and firm texture.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 7, 2026
In Matsuyama, sushi more than worth the pilgrimage
When chef Koji Takahira took over Kurumasushi from his father, he also transitioned to serving Edomae-style "nigiri" sushi ¡ª a move that has paid dividends.
At Stanza della Sincerita, wood-fired "amadai" (tilefish) caught on the Sea of Japan coast is served on a "risotto" topped with diced summer vegetables and seaweed ¡ª chef Makoto Harada¡¯s version of traditional Yamagata-style "dashi."
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
May 16, 2026
One of Japan¡¯s best meals is hidden in a Yamagata hot spring town
Chef Makoto Harada combines Italian flavors with the northern region's culinary traditions.
After working at his family's restaurant in Kyoto, chef Koki Watanabe moved to the countryside far north of the city, opening Inaka no Taiho in 2021.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Apr 17, 2026
Chickens go from coop to table at Inaka no Taiho
The talented Koki Watanabe offers a farmhouse-style dining experience in the woods of northern Kyoto.
Yoyogi-Uehara is home to eclectic dining options, such as La Pita de Maison Cinquantecinq, which offers pita sandwiches and other Middle Eastern fare like falafel and hummus.
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 6, 2026
Pitas, parfaits and more in Yoyogi-Uehara
Just a 10-minute train ride away from bustling Harajuku, the calm residential neighborhood is home to several gourmet options that locals would prefer to gatekeep.
Chef Masashi Motooka opened Restaurant Kam in Saitama Prefecture, taking over a property formerly used by his wife's late grandfather. The garden is an extension of his kitchen ¡ª his daily menu is determined by whatever is ready to be picked.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Jan 30, 2026
In Saitama, Kam finds its garden-to-table concept ripe with potential
Chef Masashi Motooka is making a name for himself with his deft execution of French cuisine paired with greens picked from his own backyard.
Sushi, such as this Kyoto-style "saba b¨­zushi" (rolled sushi with vinegared mackerel) at Kibun, stood out in Tokyo's dining scene in 2025.
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Dec 26, 2025
Tokyo dining in 2025 was defined by sushi and cutting-edge fare
The city¡¯s restaurant scene had no shortage of drama this year as culinary stars set up new shops, Italian stalwarts left and iconic establishments reemerged from their renovation.
Chef Taizo Hirokado worked at high-end Japanese restaurants around Japan for two decades before returning to his hometown, Beppu, to open his eponymous restaurant.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Dec 12, 2025
Beppu Hirokado puts the spotlight on Kyushu¡¯s rich seafood
In a town better known for hot springs than haute cuisine, chef Taizo Hirokado is making waves with his bold cuisine that brilliantly showcases the bounty from the region's waters.
No part of the sheep goes to waste at Cuore in Hokkaido. Here, creamy lamb's brain is pan-fried with banana and draped with a sliver of 24-month-aged prosciutto.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Nov 28, 2025
At Cuore in Hokkaido, lamb offal plays more than a bit part
Chef Yuya Urushizaki takes a nose-to-tail approach when cooking, turning typically wasted cuts of sheep into gourmet delicacies.
Chef Shota Itoi¡¯s innovative take on modern French cuisine at Auberge Eaufeu elevates the produce of rural Ishikawa Prefecture.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Sep 26, 2025
Auberge Eaufeu brings French flair to a quiet village in Ishikawa
Housed in a former elementary school, the restaurant is a brilliant showcase of the creative mind of chef Shota Itoi.
Shinji Mizutani opened Tanikoretani in August 2024, after converting a dilapidated shophouse in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa into a retro-look "izakaya" tavern.
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 24, 2025
Behind Tanikoretani¡¯s quiet facade, a lively world of sake-fueled food
A chance encounter with a two-story rental space led Shinji Mizutani to set up a vibrant tavern in Tokyo¡¯s Kiyosumi-Shirakawa neighborhood.
At Himawari Shokudo 2, chef Hozumi Tanaka serves Italian-inspired fare with a focus on Toyama produce, such as this appetizer of lightly blanched "hotaru ika" (firefly squid) served atop mixed wild plants and a crepe prepared from "yamato-imo" yam.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Aug 8, 2025
At Himawari Shokudo 2, Italian food with a Japanese soul
Punching above its own weight, the intimate restaurant is one of the growing number of quality establishments that are helping to cement Toyama's status as a dining destination.
Food Court P. is home to four offshoots of popular Tokyo restaurants, such as Mikkeller Burger, which serves 10 taps of its own beer and occasional guest brews alongside its signature smash burgers.
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 25, 2025
Food Court P.?in Futako-Tamagawa takes communal dining in new direction
The newest dining destination in the Futako-Tamagawa neighborhood offers everything from South Asian curries to smash burgers.
At No. 4, three-Michelin-starred Sezanne took home the title of best restaurant in Japan in this year's Asia's 50 Best Restaurants rankings.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 26, 2025
11 in Japan win Asia¡¯s 50 Best Restaurant honors, but Gaggan is tops
The modern French cuisine of Sezanne was good enough for best in Japan and No. 4 in all of Asia.
Tucked away behind the historic Tsuchida sake brewery, Ventinove's location and sleek, angular architecture make for impressive destination dining.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Mar 16, 2025
At Ventinove, Tuscan specialties taken to new heights
A former Italian favorite in Tokyo now enjoys a renaissance in a bucolic village in Gunma Prefecture.
Chef Kentaro Mura¡¯s favorite way of serving snow crab is as shabu-shabu: The legs are lightly blanched in dashi, then the meat is removed and served with a generous scoop of crab tomalley.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Mar 2, 2025
Toyama¡¯s finest seafood underpins Ebitei Bekkan¡¯s return to greatness
This "kaiseki" restaurant has been making up for lost time with a culinary flair that presents Toyama¡¯s seafood tradition in a contemporary guise.
Together, Shinsuke Yamagai (right) and his younger brother, Ryota, have elevated the cuisine at Shintaku, putting it on the map as one of Niigata Prefecture¡¯s premier gastronomic destinations.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Feb 9, 2025
Brothers¡¯ local focus lifts Shintaku to Niigata¡¯s highest rank
From the ashes of a devastating 2005 fire, Shinsuke and Ryota Yamagai have remade their family¡¯s historic Niigata restaurant into a beacon of Japanese gastronomy.
Of the many new openings in Tokyo in 2024, the elegant Sushi Oya run by Yoji Oya stands out from the pack.
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Dec 29, 2024
From Michelin stardom to humble meals, Tokyo dining had an eclectic 2024
As traditional pubs close and inbound tourism spurs openings, this year saw plenty of new faces make their mark on the city¡¯s dining landscape.
When chef Yoshihiro Kitagawa returned to his hometown of Matsusaka to open Shibousai Kitagawa in 2015, he chose a tranquil location on the rural fringe of the city.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Dec 22, 2024
Shibousai Kitagawa: Creative Chinese in the home of Matsusaka wagyu
Alongside the superlative array of vegetable appetizers, a focal point at Shibousai Kitagawa is the revered local Matsusaka wagyu.
For one night in Tokyo last month, Daniel Calvert (left) and Quique Dacosta brought their wildly different culinary styles together into a remarkable service.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 6, 2024
A meeting of Michelin minds at Tokyo¡¯s Sezanne
Daniel Calvert says no to most requests for pop-ups at two-Michelin-starred Sezanne ¡ª except when the chance to work with three-starred Quique Dacosta came up.
Chef Hironori Fujii moved his restaurant, Oryouri Fujii, to the Iwase district of Toyama City in 2019, finding the ideal setting in its historic surroundings.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Aug 4, 2024
Oryouri Fujii: High-end Japanese cuisine in a picture-perfect Toyama setting
Chef Hironori Fujii will serve according to the seasons: ¡®ayu¡¯ (sweetfish) and ¡®nodoguro¡¯ (blackthroat perch) in summer; snow crab and yellowtail in winter.
A bleak prognosis for Japan¡¯s demographic future
Japan¡¯s population decline continues to accelerate despite some modest positive signs, highlighting the need for broader social, economic and cultural changes to raise the birth rate.
How Japan created its naphtha supply bottleneck
Japan received 93% of its oil via the Strait of Hormuz prior to the Feb. 28 start of the Iran war.
Japan likely sold Treasurys to fund yen intervention
Vice Finance Minister for International Affairs Atsushi Mimura speaks to reporters in Tokyo on May 1 following reports of Japan's possible intervention in the currency market.
Is an honorable U.S. surrender to Iran inevitable?
An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches from the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on Feb. 15, shortly before the start of hostilities on Feb. 28.
J-pop group Arashi takes its final bow at Tokyo Dome
J-pop group Arashi ended its long career with a final nationwide tour and the last concert took place in Tokyo on May 31.
How Japan created its naphtha supply bottleneck
Japan received 93% of its oil via the Strait of Hormuz prior to the Feb. 28 start of the Iran war.
¡®Fujiko¡¯ transforms a mother¡¯s resilience into festival gold
¡°Fujiko¡± stars Yuki Katayama (left) as a scrappy single mother who fights for her autonomy in 1970s and ¡¯80s Japan.
Japan should prepare for an intense typhoon season this year, experts say
Elevated water levels are seen along the Tama River in Kawasaki's Tama Ward as Tropical Storm Jangmi brought heavy rain and strong winds to the Kanto region Wednesday.
The LDP wants another coalition partner. Will it happen?
Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People (DPP), delivers a question during a House of Representatives plenary session on May 25. Making the DPP a coalition member would make it easier for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (above left) to drive forward her legislative agenda.
Japan¡¯s Cannes moment signals a new global push
Tao Okamoto (left) and Virginie Efira (right) shared the Cannes Film Festival¡¯s best actress honor for their roles in Ryusuke Hamaguchi¡¯s ¡°All of a Sudden,¡± a coproduction between Japan, France, Belgium and Germany.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Community programs and tracking systems are expanding across Japan as local governments search for ways to prevent dementia-related disappearances.
He told his wife he was ¡®coming home.¡¯ Then he disappeared.
By Alex K.T. Martin

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