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Florentyna Leow
For Florentyna Leow's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE RECIPE BOX
Jul 31, 2021
This shiso-lemon syrup adds a dose of sunshine to the gloomiest day
Whether you add it to a cocktail or jazz up a glass of sparkling water, once you've tried this punchy syrup you'll never buy overpriced lemonade again.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 20, 2021
Polly Barton's 'Fifty Sounds' is an excavation of language through onomatopoeia
Many readers may know Polly Barton better as the translator behind Aoko Matsuda’s “Where the Wild Ladies Are,” which won an English PEN award last year; and Kikuko Tsumura’s “There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job,” released in November 2020. But if her latest individual work, “Fifty Sounds,” is anything to go by, Barton is a writer to be reckoned with in her own right.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE RECIPE BOX
May 29, 2021
Too much shiso is a great problem to have
Anyone with a garden knows that when Japanese shiso grows, it really grows. But having an abundance of shiso is the best kind of problem: Just make a batch of green goddess dressing.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE RECIPE BOX
May 22, 2021
A shiitake pate to liven up any meal
This punchy vegetarian appetizer is endlessly customizable, and is a great way to familiarize oneself with the four elements of good cooking — salt, fat, acid and heat.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 24, 2021
Top 5: The best soupless tantanmen in Tokyo
Tantanmen in Japan is less tethered to the dish's Sichuan heritage, leaving room for innovation. Here are five tantanmen restaurants in the capital worth the tongue-tingling spice.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 10, 2021
Travel to Kamikatsu for a green epiphany: ‘Zero waste is about knowing yourself’
The INOW program allows visitors to fully immerse themselves in Kamikatsu's renowned zero-waste lifestyle.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Dec 26, 2020
Top 5: Food trends our critics want to see Japan embrace in 2021
Eyes (and stomachs) are already turning to 2021. Five of The Japan Times' critics share the dining trends they'd like to see the country embrace.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / 2020 in review
Dec 19, 2020
Our critics’ favorite books published in 2020
As 2021 approaches, six Japan Times book reviewers look back on their top reads released in English this year.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Dec 12, 2020
Raise a glass to better days ahead with spiced winter sake
Think of otoso as Japan's version of mulled wine — sake-based and customizable with a variety of herbs or spices.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 21, 2020
Top 5: The best soup curry restaurants in Tokyo
With temperatures dropping, what's more comforting than soup curry? The Japan Times shares five of the capital's best bowls.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Sep 28, 2020
SpeakHer wants to end the all-male panel and bring women's voices into a range of discussions
SpeakHer provides a database of women professionals who are willing to speak on conference panels in the hopes of narrowing Japan's gender gap.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Sep 26, 2020
Why local communities are important to the future of Japan's ailing tourism industry
Why do people visit destinations if not to experience local flavor, and who suffers the adverse consequences of tourism but those who live there?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Sep 19, 2020
'The Cat and the City' author Nick Bradley: When writing fiction, 'there's no such thing as wasted living'
Nick Bradley's debut novel is a love letter to Tokyo brimming with details of everyday life that he absorbed during his years in Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 19, 2020
From salaryman to sanga-slinger: Kohsuke Yamaoka knows the secret to a great sandwich
Chipper's Coffee & Sangas' modus operandi is making customers smile. And no source of sandwich inspiration is off-limits.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 5, 2020
Welcome to Aomori, the cassis capital of Japan
Japan may not be famous for blackcurrants, but in Aomori Prefecture, domestic production begins and ends with the quality of the fruit.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 11, 2020
What’s the future of international food tourism in post-coronavirus Japan?
Food remains one of Japan's greatest assets as a travel destination, and industry insiders are cautiously optimistic about the future of culinary travel.

Longform

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree