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November 01, 2025
 

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Makiko Itoh

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Makiko Itoh
Makiko Itoh writes the Japanese Kitchen column, and is the author of the bestselling "The Just Bento Cookbook" and its sequel, "The Just Bento Cookbook 2." A Tokyo native, she runs two Japanese cooking blogs, JustHungry.com and JustBento.com.
The autumn eggplant works well in stir-fry dishes because its moisture-rich texture absorbs oil.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Sep 30, 2025
Autumn eggplants offer a juicy start to the season
Packed with a higher water content than its summer counterpart, the tender vegetable is a great choice to soak up the sauce in your stir-fry.
An Okinawan stir-fry, "sōmen champurū" is your answer to a quick and easy lunch.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Aug 31, 2025
A fuss-free Okinawan stir-fry to boost your energy in the heat
While they are usually eaten cold this season, thin “sōmen” noodles offer a delicious, savory alternative when fried with a pork and vegetable mixture.
Juicy and refreshing, marinated tomatoes make the perfect side dish to cool you down this summer.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jul 27, 2025
As summer soars, the tomato offers a lesson in staying bright and cool
Peel them, soak them, chill them. Juicy, marinated tomatoes make the perfect side dish to bring down the heat this season.
Turn your old rice into a simple, delicious meal by cooking it with other ingredients.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jun 22, 2025
One way to bring back the mojo in ‘old old old rice’
Go against the grain by turning stockpiled or “komai” rice into a delicious meal — the trick is to mix it with other ingredients.
Sea bream with rice is a popular Japanese dish, especially during this season when the fish is at its peak flavor.
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 25, 2025
As spring unfolds, sea bream turns into a prized catch
Capture the comforting flavors of the season with the classic pairing of the delicate fish with rice.
These two wild vegetables combine well to create a simple yet tantalizing side dish to any Japanese meal.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 16, 2025
After a long winter, wild veggies can brighten up any dish
Edible vegetables foraged in Japan's countryside can be an easy way to add texture and freshness.
Born from the necessities of the Edo Period, this method of preparing and serving daikon is a small way to make a tiny dent in your weekly grocery bill.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 16, 2025
Cut and dried daikon: A time-tested frugal treat
Take some sting out of inflation by stocking up on this preserved radish you can serve in stews and salads.
The key to cooking these on the stovetop is to keep everything at a very low temperature so that the ingredients slowly steam before setting into a dense, fudge-like texture.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Dec 15, 2024
A Christmas miracle? No, just brownies ‘baked’ sans oven.
With a bit of ingenuity, it’s possible to “bake” your own brownies on a regular stovetop.
Kabocha are harvested in the summer, but they don't reach peak flavor until they mature in the months leading up to fall and winter.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Nov 3, 2024
A perfect dish for peak kabocha season
This dish is an interesting alternative to potato salad and also makes a great appetizer to go along with some pre-dinner drinks. 
Yukio Hattori was an integral part of "Iron Chef" broadcasts, though his impact on food culture in Japan went far beyond the TV screen.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 27, 2024
Remembering Yukio Hattori, the voice of ‘Iron Chef’
Yukio Hattori was best known to international audiences as the expert commentator on the original Japanese version of the popular TV program “Iron Chef,”
Who can survive summer on chilled noodles and salads alone?
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Aug 11, 2024
Fight fiery summer temps with this dry Japanese curry
This recipe is quick to prepare and can be made in advance, making it great for the hot summer months when you don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen.
It may not qualify as a health food, but if spare ribs help you endure Japan's summers, your doctor likely won't mind.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jun 30, 2024
Eat your way to a bit of heat relief
Eating small amounts of nutritionally dense yet balanced foods at regular time periods can help keep Japan’s summer doldrums at bay.
Eat like a Buddhist monk — or like a tofu lover who enjoys a bit of deep frying.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jun 2, 2024
Vegan dumplings to please any Buddhist monk
Whatever you call these tasty dumplings, feel free to mix any finely cut vegetables into the tofu base besides the ones in the recipe.
Making your own sarada chikin is quite easy and economical, and a marinating ingredient that makes it especially tender and juicy is "shiokōji" — cooked rice inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae mold.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Apr 26, 2024
Recipe: Japan’s diet-friendly ‘salad chicken’
You can add whatever herbs or seasonings you like to the marinade for a personalized, healthy dish.
The best way to eat spring cabbage is to either treat it like a quick pickle by rubbing the leaves with salt and leaving them to ferment for a brief time, or by cooking it quickly so that the leaves turn even softer.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Mar 17, 2024
Recipe: Spring cabbage has sprung
Although spring cabbage is tender, it isn't suited to Japan’s traditional method of eating the vegetable raw.
This simple bento recipe is perfect for meal prepping, school lunches and any other meal where you want maximum flavor for minimum effort.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Feb 25, 2024
Recipe: 'Rainbow' bento lunch box
The idea of making a bento every day can seem daunting, but there are a few tricks that you can add to your arsenal that will make the task go smoothly.
'Menchi katsu' are actually made with as much chopped vegetables as ground meat, so it’s a sneaky way to get some veggies into your childrens' diets.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Feb 4, 2024
Recipe: Deep-fried minced meat cutlets
These days, 'menchi katsu' have been become popular as a "B-class gourmet" item — something that is inexpensive but tasty.
The recipe combines daikon with pork belly for a traditional style simmered dish with a twist.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jan 21, 2024
Recipe: Simmered radish with pork
More than 100 varieties of daikon were once grown around Japan, but now only 10 dominate the market.
This savory-sweet cake can be made with either fish paste or shrimp — whichever you think will best guide you into 2024.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Dec 17, 2023
Recipe: Good luck egg and fish rolls
The trickiest part of making “datemaki” is rolling it up — the rolled form is supposed to resemble a paper scroll, representing wishes for the new year.
This stir-fry is a staple of many Japanese meals, and the techniques used to make are also commonly used throughout traditional cuisine.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 5, 2023
Recipe: Carrot and burdock root stir-fry
When selecting "gobō," choose ones that are straight and relatively thin — the thicker, the older.
Inside Tokyo's 'phantom' stations — and the stories they tell
Mamoru Iwai, stationmaster of Keisei Ueno Station, says that, other than earthquake-proofing, the former Hakubutsukan-Dobutsuen (Museum-Zoo) Station has remained untouched.
Trump trims fentanyl-linked China tariffs after 'amazing' Xi meeting
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping greet each other as they arrive for talks at the Gimhae Air Base, next to the Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, on Thursday.
Japanese and South Korean leaders agree to boost ties in first meeting
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shakes hands with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ahead of their talks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Thursday.
Takaichi and Xi reaffirm pledge in first meet to pursue ‘mutually beneficial’ ties
A screenshot from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's X account shows Takaichi exchanging greetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Friday.　
Japan’s government ramps up bear control efforts amid rise in attacks
A bear roams around a field in the town of Kuzumaki, Iwate Prefecture, on Oct. 12.
Oasis returns to Japan after 16 years — and fans can still sing every word
Liam Gallagher commanded the stage with effortless charisma during Oasis' Tokyo Dome set on Saturday.
At Japan Mobility Show, BYD gears up to conquer Japan's EV market
BYD Auto Japan President Atsuki Tofukuji unveils the Racco at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Oasis returns to Tokyo: Rain, rapture and rock
Fans wait to get into the Oasis show at Tokyo Dome on Saturday. While lining up in the rain, some broke into impromptu versions of the British rock group's hits.
Kyushu banzuke sets the stage to cement 2025’s sumo narratives
Onosato ahead of his bout against Aonishiki at The Grand Sumo Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Oct. 18
Tokyo Film Festival opens with global stars and a spotlight on Asian storytelling
Director Junji Sakamoto (left) walked the Tokyo International Film Festival red carpet with Sayuri Yoshinaga (center) and Non (right), who both play mountaineer Junko Tabei, the first woman to summit Mount Everest, in the biopic "Climbing for Life."

Podcast

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

Longform

Mamoru Iwai, stationmaster of Keisei Ueno Station, says that, other than earthquake-proofing, the former Hakubutsukan-Dobutsuen (Museum-Zoo) Station has remained untouched.
Inside Tokyo's 'phantom' stations — and the stories they tell
By Alex K.T. Martin

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Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo
Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo

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