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September 16, 2025
 

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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.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 24, 2018
Lessons from the forefront of the global fight for food security
Where does our food come from? Who grows it? What is its impact on the environment? How can we feed the world's growing population? What effect will global warming have on food security?
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 17, 2018
The Blind Donkey: Serving up nature in the inner city
Among the brash drinking holes and boisterous old-school izakaya taverns clustered in the narrow alleys that surround Kanda Station, The Blind Donkey is an unexpected, understated anomaly.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 17, 2018
OnJapan Cafe&: Reimagining the fermenting tradition
Shibuya's Kamiyamacho district continues to bubble up with worthy new dining venues. One of the most intriguing new arrivals on its increasingly popular shopping street — the long, straight artery connecting Tokyu Department Store with Yoyogi-Koen — is OnJapan Cafe&.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 3, 2018
Bakushuan Nihonbashi: Oysters don't get much better than this
Bakushuan Nihonbashi is keen to make sure you know what to expect. "We're a craft beer and sake place," they tell you when you call to reserve. It's not so much a warning as an invitation: Come prepared to explore both beverages in considerable depth.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Feb 17, 2018
Hakkoku: Hiroyuki Sato is striving for the next level of sushi greatness
What makes outstanding sushi? Seafood, balance and technique, for starters.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Feb 17, 2018
Tokyo Saryo: The new stylings of sencha green tea
Japan's traditional daily drink, sencha green tea, is making a comeback. For too long it's been crowded out of modern consciousness by the buzz and self-promotion of coffee culture. But thanks to places like Tokyo Saryo, sencha may be starting to regain its relevance and appeal.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Feb 3, 2018
Fratelli Paradiso's new venture in Tokyo: 'I want to enjoy my food, wine and mates'
When Fratelli Paradiso arrived in Tokyo last spring, it had a mission that was both straightforward and daunting: to introduce the kind of excellent, no-frills Italian dining that's made this buzzy Sydney-based restaurant so successful in its homeland.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Feb 3, 2018
Men Labo Hiro: Balanced ramen from a yakitori chef
Men Labo Hiro is far from your standard noodle counter. Squeaky clean both inside and out, with spacious tables by the door and enough room to squeeze in even a stroller or two, it feels more like a family restaurant than the type of place to excite the hardcore ramen fraternity.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jan 20, 2018
Sonoji: Ningyocho tempura chef has noodle-making in his DNA
When Sonoji arrived in Ningyocho just over a year ago, it stirred up considerable interest. Primarily due to its obvious quality, but also because it stands out from the pack.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jan 20, 2018
Kikuya: Seasonal tempura on the fly at Ebisu standing bar
Who says good, fresh tempura requires major outlays of time and money? Back in the day, batter fried foods were cooked and sold at street stalls. And that's pretty much the way it's done at Kikuya.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jan 6, 2018
The Hangar: A triumphant pairing of food, sake and techno in Tokyo
How better to start the new year than with lofty aspirations, a leisurely dinner in a hip setting, techno on the sound system — and plenty of great sake?
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jan 6, 2018
Komesan: A Tokyo restaurant where rice takes its rightful place center stage
Komesan subscribes to the radical notion that rice is not just an afterthought but the focal point and raison d'etre of the meal.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Dec 31, 2017
A decade on, Shonan surfer is still making waves in the world of soba
Fate intervened when the heavens opened, guiding Ippei Hayashimoto on his path to mastery in the art of pure buckwheat noodles.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Dec 30, 2017
No looking back in hunger: a wrap-up of Tokyo's restaurant scene in 2017
As the year draws to a close, all that's left to do is to slurp New Year's soba and give thanks for another bumper year of superlative dining.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Dec 16, 2017
Den: 'Ultimate home cooking' taken to the next level
Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa's leap into the unknown is now starting to look like a stroke of genius.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Dec 16, 2017
Longrain: Getting the Thai savory, sweet, spicy and sour mix right
Marrying good food and drinks with a buzzy style and easygoing ambience is a formula that works just as well in Tokyo as in Melbourne.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Dec 2, 2017
Ode: Yusuke Namai creates poetry in his eclectic dishes
First impressions are everything. At Ode, it's the gun-metal gray wall by the front door and the row of white orchids lined up against it. Even before you go in you can tell chef Yusuke Namai's new restaurant has the look and style to match his aspirations.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Dec 2, 2017
Homemade Ramen Muginae: These noodles are well worth the wait
All the best restaurants require considerable outlay. Usually that means a hefty dent in your bank balance. At Homemade Ramen Muginae the demand is not on your pocketbook but your time.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Nov 18, 2017
Locale: Californian farm-to-table in deepest Meguro
At Locale, the menu depends on the ingredients freshly delivered by a network of organic farmers around Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Nov 18, 2017
Eneko Bar: At long last, a place in Tokyo to savor classic Basque pintxos
Finally, Tokyo has a pintxos bar worthy of the name. And what a name: Creative culinary genius Eneko Atxa now has a Japan outpost for his contemporary, inventive cuisine.
SDF spots China’s biggest aircraft carrier for first time
The Fujian aircraft carrier is seen in Shanghai in May 2024 as it leaves for its first sea trial.
Why more hotels in Japan are offering room-only service
Nipponia Hotel Ise Kawasaki Merchant Town in Ise, Mie Prefecture
Is America ready for Japanese-style 7-Elevens?
Convenience stores are a fixture of Japanese life and 7-Eleven, a chain that began in the U.S. in 1927, opened its first store in Japan in 1974 — and then became wholly Japanese-owned in 2005 through parent company Seven & I Holdings.
Final weeks of World Expo in Osaka likely to see large crowds
With one month left to go, crowds are expected to swell at the World Expo in Osaka during its final weeks.
Japan's elderly population down at around 36.2 million
The estimated number of people age 65 or older in Japan stands at 36.19 million as of Monday, accounting for record 29.4% of the country's total population, according to the internal affairs ministry.
Strikes on Qatar and Poland shake U.S. sway among friend and foe
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Museum of the Bible in Washington on Sept. 8. Israeli strikes in Qatar and Russian drone incursions into Poland have challenged the U.S. leaders claims of global respect.
Japan's major art events converge this fall
Shinji Ohmaki’s “Tokinokage” exhibited at Fuji Textile Week 2021 shows the use of fabric as art.
An aesthetic escape to Hakone’s art-drenched hills
Between traditional examples of fine art and sleek, modern exhibitions that blend with nature, Hakone offers a unique escape from Tokyo's urban sprawl.
Niinami’s ouster quick but not unusual as corporations protect reputation
Takeshi Niinami resigns as chairman and CEO of Suntory Holdings.
As Manila modernizes its military, new opportunities emerge for Tokyo
A Brahmos missile system is displayed during a rehearsal for a military parade in New Delhi in January. The Philippines will soon receive its second batch of the supersonic cruise missiles from India.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’
By Alex K.T. Martin

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