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April 18, 2024
 

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John Ashburne
For John Ashburne's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices
Dec 14, 2016
Views from Kansai: What are your hopes and fears about the coming Trump presidency?
John Ashburne took to the streets of Osaka and Kyoto 
to find out what people expect from the Donald Trump administration in 
the U.S. See the online version of this article or the Japan Times YouTube channel for a video of these vox pops.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Jul 13, 2016
Views from Kyoto: What does the future hold for hemp in Japan?
Attendees at the International Hemp Forum, which was held at the Kyoto International Convention Center earlier this month, speak about their hopes for hemp in Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Jun 1, 2016
Views from Hiroshima: What did you make of President Obama's visit?
People in Hiroshima offer their views on last week's historic trip by U.S. President Barack Obama.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 8, 2013
Eat yourself broke at Grand Front Osaka
You've gotta love a city whose primary motivation is to accumulate wealth then promptly squander it through the time-honored pursuit of kuidaore (eating oneself to bankruptcy). Now, with the opening of the massive Grand Front Osaka commercial, residential and entertainment complex on the north side of Osaka Station and to the west of Umeda Station, Osakans can indulge in their two favorite occupations simultaneously.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 12, 2013
New additions to the Kansai food map
Restaurants open and close all the time in Japan's ever-changing dining landscape. Here's a selection of a few noteworthy new places in Kyoto and Osaka.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 29, 2013
Dine with a backdrop of cherry blossom
With an ephemeral canopy of pink sweeping Japan, the JT's food writers know the perfect spots to dine with an eyeful of sakura (cherry blossom) — or just the right sake to sip as you picnic under the petals.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 13, 2012
Introducing a Kansai feel for the eel
Every summer, as the mercury rises the gourmands of Kansai head for their local eel-cuisine specialist. The custom of eating unagi to alleviate the effects of the summer heat is known as doyō-no-ushi no hi, (day of the ox of the seasonal change period) or doyō-iri (entering the period of seasonal change).
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 13, 2012
Kansai eateries offer new flavors for 2012
Businesses in cities around Japan seem to open and close at an alarming rate — and a new year inevitably means new restaurants. Here's a guide to some dragonly new and recent arrivals in the Kansai strongholds of Kyoto and Osaka.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Dec 16, 2011
Dishing up a delicious Kansai Christmas
Thought you might be stuck with a KFC bucket this Christmas? Luckily it's not too late to make holiday dinner reservations in Kansai — plenty of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe hotels and restaurants still have tables open, so there's no need to scrap for a seat at the festive feasts.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 21, 2011
Nara chefs pick up stars in new Michelin guide
The glitterati of the Kansai culinary world gathered at the Nara Prefecture New Public Hall in Kasugano, Nara, on Tuesday to celebrate the launch of the "Michelin Guide Kyoto Osaka Kobe Nara 2012." In particular they were there to welcome the historical host city's entry into the exalted company of Michelin-endorsed destinations of merit.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Oct 16, 2011
In search of the Holy Grail of mushrooms
The ancients were none too complimentary about their fungi. "Few of them are good, and most produce a choking sensation," wrote Marcus Athenaeus of Naucratis 1,800 years ago in "Deipnosophistae" ("Philosophers at Dinner").
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 9, 2011
Going crazy for vintage wines
"Wine, the most agreeable of beverages, whether we owe it to Noah who planted the first vine or Bacchus who pressed the first grapes, dates from the beginning of the world ...
Magnitude 6.6 quake strikes off Shikoku
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck southern Japan on Wednesday. The area marked in red recorded a weak 6 on Japan's seismic intensity scale.
Why hasn't Japan moved to prop up the weak yen?
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday.
U.S. deploys midrange missile system in Indo-Pacific for first time
A U.S. Army Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Launcher arrives as part of the capability’s first deployment into theater on Northern Luzon, Philippines, April 8.
Snake on a train: Discovery of serpent delays Tokyo-Nagoya shinkansen
A Tokaido shinkansen. It is unclear whether the snake was venomous or how it ended up on the train, and there was no injury or panic among passengers.
Unpacking the chaotic by-election in a scandal-hit Tokyo district
People listen to a campaign speech in Tokyo's Koto Ward on Tuesday.
Benefits and risks: AUKUS looks to take gamble on Japan
U.S. President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British leader Rishi Sunak deliver remarks on the AUKUS partnership, after a trilateral meeting, at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego in March last year.
Kyoto’s demon night parade lives to haunt another day
In a Kyoto long past, the "hyakki yagyō" (100 demon night parade) haunted a sleepy corner of Kyoto. Now, one enterprising monster enthusiast has won a small batttle to keep the march alive.
Japan’s best and brightest designers set to shine in Milan
Adal’s Look into Nature brand, on show at Salon del Mobile 2024, rethinks "igusa" (Japanese rush grass), traditionally used for tatami, as a sustainable material for furniture.
U.S. deploys midrange missile system in Indo-Pacific for first time
A U.S. Army Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Launcher arrives as part of the capability’s first deployment into theater on Northern Luzon, Philippines, April 8.
Unpacking the chaotic by-election in a scandal-hit Tokyo district
People listen to a campaign speech in Tokyo's Koto Ward on Tuesday.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Historically, kabuki was considered the entertainment of the merchant and peasant classes, a far cry from how it is regarded today.
For Japan's oldest kabuki theater, the show must go on
By Lance Henderstein

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

A young restaurant leads the way in Karuizawa
A young restaurant leads the way in Karuizawa

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