blocky concrete buildings reach outwards in an organised jumble of unbroken monochrome until it reaches another neighborhood, another station. It is Saturday, almost noon, and commuters come and go through the streets of the typical shopping district behind the station. A couple of greengrocers compete for attention, plastic baskets of oranges and apples displayed to…

Those aficionados of Japanese cuisine who have snacked on sushi and slurped udon cannot consider themselves to be true gourmets until they have tried kaiseki ryori, that most traditional of traditional cuisine eaten in Japan. Kaiseki derives it’s meaning from the words for “hot stone” (seki) and “kimono pocket” (kai). Historically, it is said that Buddhist…

  Right in front of Hibiya Park, where you can also look out over the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Midtown Hibiya is finally open to the public. Enjoy the greenery of the Park View Terrace on the 6th floor or take in the largest cinema complex in the city, TOHO cinemas, located on the 5th and…

The Tokyo Sky Tree. A lot has been said and written about the new broadcasting tower which is set to become the tallest artificial structure in Japan, but one thing amazes no matter how often it is heard – the sheer size of it. At 634 meters, or 2,080 feet in old world money, it…

We’ve all been there — in need of a cool one after work, at the end of a day traipsing around the shops, after the most recent ear-lashing from the missus, or just because… Beer, according to a certain American born scientist/writer/politician named Benjamin Franklin is proof God loves us. Whether or not this is…

Instagram is a mobile, desktop internet-based photo sharing application and service that allows users to share pictures and videos either publicly, or privately to pre-approved followers. Recently “Instagram” has become very popular in Japan. The buzzword “Insta-Bae” means “Instagenic (Instagram+photogenic)” in Japanese, photogenic pictures that get many likes on Instagram. “Insta-Bae” has been picked as…

Sanchoku food means direct to the table.  While the farm to table concept in many countries has a very “peasant” food connotation with a higher emphasis on organic products, the Japanese sanchoku idea is a broader one. It really begins with the idea of wanting to bring seafood — so integral to Japanese cuisine —…

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…

Everyone has no doubt heard of Harajuku and Shibuya, but you may not have heard of Zozotown. This little town is equally as trendy, with over 160 funky shops, an active community of people, and a fun, colorful atmosphere. People come back for the wonderful shopping experience it offers, and it has two million regular…

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…