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April 30, 2024
 

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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.
For Robbie Swinnerton's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 23, 2023
L'Effervescence chef Shinobu Namae: The making of an 'icon'
The man who runs Tokyo's chic L'Effervescence restaurant reflects on his career from washing dishes to Michelin-star meals.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Feb 5, 2023
Yoichi Sagra: Feasting in Hokkaido wine country
Despite its occasionally inhospitable climate, Hokkaido is home to superb wines — as well as cuisine more than worthy of those vintages.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Jan 25, 2023
Japan on a plate: Our food critic reveals his favorite spots
Food writer Robbie Swinnerton has been covering Tokyo’s culinary scene for decades, so for this week’s episode we asked him to pick out a few standout meals from last year.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 22, 2023
Eureka moments abound at sake sommelier Marie Chiba’s new bar
The acclaimed nihonshu maven hasn't lost a step — in fact, she might be better than ever before.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Jan 15, 2023
L’Atelier de Noto: Peninsular cuisine with a French accent
Located about two hours from tourist-heavy Kanazawa, this modern French restaurant tucked away in tranquil Wajima takes full advantage of the Noto Peninsula's bounty of land and sea.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Dec 31, 2022
With borders reopened, Tokyo dining closed 2022 on a welcome high
For all the ups and downs of 2022, Tokyo's culinary scene seems poised for a big year in 2023.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Dec 25, 2022
A year in, Gucci Osteria is Ginza’s sharpest Italian
Chef Antonio Iacovelli's Italian cuisine wins hearts, minds and a Michelin star.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Dec 4, 2022
At Akai, tranquil dining without distractions
Minutes from the sacred island of Miyajima, chef Kenji Akai's cuisine showcases its own divine simplicity.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Nov 27, 2022
Noma sets sights on Kyoto, and diners bite in droves
The acclaimed Copenhagen restaurant's second extended residence in Japan shifts to the country's ancient capital.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Nov 6, 2022
Dining from forest and field at Niigata's Satoyama Jujo
The Sanaburi dining room in Minamiuonuma serves dishes so fresh they come straight from the soil — sometimes literally.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Oct 16, 2022
From ‘gastrobar’ origins, Tinc Gana elevates modern Spanish cuisine
Chef Jerome Quilbeuf prefers to start each meal with “the finest cured ham in the world.'
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Oct 2, 2022
At Don Bravo, creativity and wood-fired pizzas draw diners from afar
Far from the epicurean districts of Tokyo, this Chofu spot still manages to attract gourmands with omakase (chef's choice) pizza and much more.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Sep 18, 2022
Tokyo's new sushi shops keep focus on quality but pare back on frills
Dreaming of sushi? Having nightmares about the bill? Believe it or not, you can find a middle ground.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Sep 4, 2022
The old capital’s cuisine — redefined in Kamakura
Chef Yasunori Kitajima draws on almost two decades in top Kyoto kitchens to create a cuisine reflecting his own background in historic Kamakura.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 21, 2022
Nine by La Cime leads the way as dining out in Tokyo regains its sheen
As coronavirus constraints loosened, the first half of this year brought a host of new openings, with much more for us to look forward to as we head into the cooler season.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Aug 7, 2022
Sip on sake’s unfiltered kin at Heiwa Shuzo’s new brewpub
Even from across the bar, there's no mistaking a bottle of milky doburoku for sake, its refined counterpart.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 24, 2022
If you can’t beat the heat, savor it at Kakan
The best kept (and spiciest) secret in Kanagawa tofu dishes has finally come to Tokyo.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jul 10, 2022
From the Andes to Akasaka, Maz stands apart
With Maz, Tokyo gains a stunning jewel of Peruvian cuisine.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 26, 2022
At Tonkatsu Nanaido, perfect pork cutlets from a renowned yakitori chef
Chef Takashi Imai made his name with grilled chicken, but he also excels when it comes to deep-fried pork cutlets.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 12, 2022
Atsuki Kuroda's new house blends style and taste
'No genre!' says chef Atsuki Kuroda of the stunning, satisfying menu at AC House.
When will Japan intervene to support the yen?
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki has reiterated the government's readiness to take an appropriate action as the yen continues to slide against the U.S. dollar.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Raising kids in Japan as a single parent? It takes a village.
Making things work as a foreign, single mother in Japan isn't easy, but these tips and tricks can help you through the hardest parts.
Yen rebounds strongly after first slide past ¥160 since 1990
The yen dropped to ¥160.245 per dollar on Monday before heading into the other direction to ¥155.01 amid speculation of an intervention by Japanese currency authorities.
JAL cancels international flight after captain gets drunk at Dallas hotel
A Japan Airlines' flight from Dallas to Tokyo was canceled last week after its captain got drunk at a local hotel.
Climate change, chalky grains and the risks for Japan’s rice farmers
A farmer plants seedlings in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan’s self sufficiency rate for rice is nearly 100%, compared with 38% for food overall, on a calorie basis.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
Theaster Gates’ ambitious ‘Afro-Mingei’ brings Black Chicago to Tokyo
Theaster Gates' “A Heavenly Chord” lines up church pews before seven speakers and a Hammond B3 organ, a type of electric organ prevalent in Black American churches.
Casa del Cibo: A thriving jewel born from Tohoku’s harsh past
When chef Ryohei Ikemi moved to Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, and opened Casa del Cibo in 2011, it was the first proper Italian restaurant in the city.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.

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

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
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Vol. 34: Tokyo, a vanguard city for sustainability
Vol. 34: Tokyo, a vanguard city for sustainability

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