Ise Jingu shrine in Mie Prefecture is considered the most important Shinto shrine in Japan with more than 2,000 years of history. Jingu is described in the oldest Japanese texts, “Kojiki” and “Nihinshoki,” which were edited about 1,300 years ago. Rather than a single shrine, Ise Jingu is better described as complex consisting of many…

There is little doubt that Tokyo is a gourmand’s paradise; there are literally thousands of restaurants serving delicious food from all over the world in myriad combinations. While “bottle keep,” in which a customer buys a bottle of whiskey or sake and leaves it at the bar for their next visit, is practiced in some…

Combining dining with sightseeing, modern yakatabune (literally home-style boat) offer people a unique way to see the sights via a leisurely cruise along the rivers of the city and Tokyo Bay. The history of yakatabune Dating back to the Heian Era (794-1185) yakatabune were private boats with a large indoor seating area decorated much like…

As Japan attracts more and more tourists, the number of visitors from Muslim countries is also increasing. As the number of people practicing Islam rises, Japanese restaurants and hotels have worked to provide for the halal needs of their guests. But what is halal and where can it be found in Japan? Halal is an…

On April 7, 2016, together with Wining & Dining in Tokyo, Dassai, Japan’s leading sake brewery, held a collaborative kaiseki traditional Japanese cuisine pairing event: Dassai Dinner Vol. 1 at Kafuka of Azabujuban, a kaiseki restaurant nestled in the quiet streets of Azabujuban. Based in Yamaguchi Prefecture and with a history dating back more than…

Whether you’re a longtime vegan or just a curious omnivore, meat-free dining in Japan is always an adventure Impossible. Depressing. Infinitely frustrating. The worst two weeks of my life. These are just some of the phrases visiting vegetarians and vegans have characteristically used to describe their experiences in Japan. It’s a paradox. The Japanese diet…

Pierre Gagnaire is one of the luminaries of the cooking world. He received his first Michelin star in 1977 and since then his superb cooking skills and artistic talents have been steadily increasing. Today, with seven Michelin stars glowing over his tables, he is still hard at work developing his galaxy of delicious morsels. Gagnaire’s…

Warm up your festive season with our guide to preparing mulled wine ‘Tis the season to be jolly, and there is no better way to celebrate than enjoying a glass of mulled wine (excluding the obvious and more traditional methods of spending time with family, giving/receiving presents and convincing your daughter that Santa /does/ exist)….

The Wonderful Season of Christmas Cakes in Japan To many Japanese, the image of Christmas is a winter wonderland cloaked in a blanket of white whipped cream, accented by shrubs of succulent strawberries. Indeed, without religious connotations, Christmas in Japan is a holiday that centers on serving a special cake for dessert. In 1910, confectionery…

If you were to ask 100 people the first food that pops into their head when they think about Japan, it’s a safe bet most would give you the same answer: Sushi. From its humble beginnings as a street snack during the Edo period, to the evolution of the California roll in Los Angeles during…