Melinda Joe - The Japan Times

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Melinda Joe

Melinda Joe is an American journalist in Tokyo. A certified wine and sake professional, she writes about Japanese drinks in her Kanpai Culture column for The Japan Times and blogs at tokyodrinkingglass.blogspot.com.

For Melinda Joe's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

Japan Times

LIFE / Travel

Feb 21, 2010

Seeking out fine sake at its Saijo source

As we walked out of the station, the sleepy town of Saijo stretched before us like a cat in the late-afternoon sun.The streets were quiet. Pockets of snow lay in the chilly shadows and melting frost dripped from the telephone wires.

Japan Times

ENVIRONMENT

Nov 29, 2009

Deer problem growing fast

This winter, naturalist and woodland conservationist C.W. Nicol will be busy cooking up delicious meals using wild deer meat — slow-cooked keema curry, hearty shepherd's pie and soy-simmered nikudango meatballs, to name a few.

ENVIRONMENT

Nov 29, 2009

Deer problem growing fast

This winter, naturalist and woodland conservationist C.W. Nicol will be busy cooking up delicious meals using wild deer meat — slow-cooked keema curry, hearty shepherd's pie and soy-simmered nikudango meatballs, to name a few.

Japan Times

LIFE / Lifestyle

Nov 5, 2009

In Tokyo, nothing is too good for your pet

Whether you're looking for a birthday cake for your beagle, or oxygen therapy for your tabby, you can find countless ways to pamper your pet in Tokyo.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink

Oct 30, 2009

There's nothing like a local brew

Once upon a time, all sake was made with locally grown rice. Then came the rise of a particularly reliable strain called Yamada Nishiki, and the scene changed dramatically. Yamada Nishiki, which accounts for nearly 30 percent of Japan's sake rice, is resilient and easily shipped between prefectures. But as sake makers struggle to compete in a contracting domestic market, a growing number of producers are seeking to distinguish themselves through the use and development of local rice varieties. Each year sees an addition to the roughly 80 kinds of rice used in sake making, as the industry concentrates on creating new hybrids and, in some cases, reviving long-vanished strains.

LIFE / Food & Drink

Oct 30, 2009

There's nothing like a local brew

Once upon a time, all sake was made with locally grown rice. Then came the rise of a particularly reliable strain called Yamada Nishiki, and the scene changed dramatically. Yamada Nishiki, which accounts for nearly 30 percent of Japan's sake rice, is resilient and easily shipped between prefectures. But as sake makers struggle to compete in a contracting domestic market, a growing number of producers are seeking to distinguish themselves through the use and development of local rice varieties. Each year sees an addition to the roughly 80 kinds of rice used in sake making, as the industry concentrates on creating new hybrids and, in some cases, reviving long-vanished strains.

Japan Times

LIFE / Travel

Oct 25, 2009

Stepping out on a Chichibu trail

The young man at the ticket gate thanked us politely as we stepped off the platform and through the wicket. The ride from Ikebukuro in Tokyo had been short, and somewhere between Tokorozawa and Seibu-Chichibu in Saitama Prefecture the concrete-gray city landscape had given way to brilliant shades of green. Outside the station, the police box resembled a log cabin, and there wasn't a convenience store in sight.

Japan Times

LIFE / Lifestyle

Sep 17, 2009

Why don't we eat bent cucumbers?

An aging agricultural workforce, a food self-sufficiency rate below 40 percent and the constant threat of environmental damage: How can tiny vegetable distribution companies in Chiba Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, tackle the issues facing Japan's farming industry?

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink

Jul 31, 2009

Sake returns to its organic roots

The sake world is looking greener as an increasing number of producers invest more time and resources in developing organic lines. In 2004, Niigata-based giant Kikusui attracted attention for opening the Sake Culture Institute, an immaculate facility dedicated to organic sake research, and small producers around the country are also doing their bit for the environment and local community.

LIFE / Food & Drink

May 29, 2009

Simple, refined French in Ebisu

If you don't have the luxury of an expense account, A ta Gueule, a tiny French hideaway in Ebisu, promises a gourmet experience that won't break the bank.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink

May 29, 2009

Forget Michelin, it's a Pellegrino

This year's string of accolades hasn't affected the modesty of chef Yoshihiro Narisawa. After earning a star in the 2009 Michelin Guide, Les Creations de Narisawa debuted at no. 20 on San Pellegrino's list of best restaurants in the world. Selected by fellow chefs as well as food critics and other experts, Les Creations was the only restaurant from Japan to rank among the top 50.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink

Apr 24, 2009

After Tokyo, the Michelin Guide heads to Kansai

Speaking last week about Michelin's decision to release its Kyoto/Osaka dining guide this October, Jean-Luc Naret punctuates his sentences with the practiced smile of a man who has worked in the hospitality industry for a long time. If sales of the Tokyo Michelin Guide are anything to go by, there's a lot to smile about. The first saw sales of 300,000 copies in less than five weeks, and Naret, the guide's director, feels optimistic about the reception of Michelin's second Japanese edition.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink

Apr 24, 2009

Sake goes abroad, brings back fans

Times are tough for the sake industry. Gone are the days when Japan's once-beloved national beverage held a place at every table; now, in a market flooded with beer, wine and shochu, sake struggles to compete. Domestic consumption has fallen every year since 1995, hitting a record low of 700,000 kiloliters in 2006.

Japan Times

LIFE / Lifestyle

Feb 19, 2009

Tokyo Taste summit provides food for thought

These days, the mere mention of Tokyo is enough to make gourmands drool. After garnering a staggering 227 Michelin stars this year, the city became the focus of the culinary world. So for several internationally renowned chefs who look to Japan for inspiration, traveling here last week to participate in the Tokyo Taste World Gastronomy Summit must have felt like a pilgrimage to Mecca.

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

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

Live like a lord or lady for a night at Ozu Castle

Live like a lord or lady for a night at Ozu Castle

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