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May 02, 2024
 

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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.
For Makiko Itoh's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
May 16, 2020
Want to help out Japan’s struggling farmers? Eat more dairy and vegetables
COVID-19 is straining Japan's food distribution network, particularly for milk and produce. Good thing this take on a vichyssoise soup uses both.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Apr 18, 2020
Preservation 101: How to store your produce to extend its shelf life
This pantry-friendly and vegetarian meal will keep you feeling full and satisfied. The best part is its individual components store well in the fridge or freezer, too.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Mar 14, 2020
Craving Japanese health foods? Give nattō and umeboshi a try
One way to stay healthy is to maintain a balanced diet. Natto and umeboshi might be polarizing ingredients, but there's no denying their health benefits, especially when combined in this easy, punchy pasta.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Feb 15, 2020
Get in on the gyōza wars with this tasty dumpling recipe
Gyu014dza are fun, easy-to-make and absolutely delicious
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jan 18, 2020
Camembert nabe hot pot: Ooey, gooey and good for you
Who says cheese isn't good for you? This hot pot has three gut-friendly fermented foods that make it a hearty, warming family favorite.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Dec 14, 2019
Whether it's sweet or savory, zōni soup is a new year mainstay
For centuries, mochi rice cakes have been a part of festive occasions in Japan, especially during the new year holidays. A hearty zu014dni soup is one classic way to incorporate mochi into your new year meal.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / 2010s: Decade in review
Nov 16, 2019
How Japanese social media changed 2010s eating habits
Move over complicated bentos: Japanese recipes in the 2010s are all about making cozy, unfussy food that looks good online.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Oct 19, 2019
Mustard-miso-stuffed lotus root: Crunchy, with a distinctive bite
Lotus root may be fairly bland on its own, but adding a mustard-miso filling gives it a pop of flavor — and maybe some additional health benefits, too.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Sep 14, 2019
Tenshinhan: A made-in-Japan omelette with Chinese influences
Tenshinhan — a crabmeat-filled omelette over rice covered in a sweet-and-savory sauce — is a flavorful Chinese-influenced Japanese dish that will soon become a weeknight staple.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Aug 17, 2019
Food to combat summer fatigue: Ginger pork with veggie pickles
Natsubate, the fatigue and lethargy you feel during the summer months, can seriously affect your energy levels. But eating the right food, such as this easy-to-make ginger pork, can help keep you feeling energized.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jul 20, 2019
The ongoing evolution of Japan's soup curry
This perfectly spicy soup curry is packed with healthy vegetables in a light, flavorful broth for an easily customizable, quick and easy meal.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jun 15, 2019
Soft-set omurice: From the big screen to the kitchen table
A surprisingly difficult dish to master, omurice (rice omelette) is a beloved — and tasty — dish of the yu014dshoku (European-style Japanese cuisine) canon.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
May 18, 2019
Yakisoba stir-fried noodles: A quick, easy and adaptable meal
Yakisoba's (stir-fried noodles) origins may be shrouded in legend, but this endlessly adaptable, quick and easy dish remains an everyday favorite.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Apr 20, 2019
Herald the springtime with a classic Japanese osuimono soup
Made with a fragrant, high-quality dashi and fresh, seasonal ingredients, you can't get more Japanese than this osuimono soup.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Mar 16, 2019
Colorful, portable and easy to make: Inarizushi is the best picnic food
Inarizushi 'sushi in a bean bag,' is an ideal hanami (flower viewing) picnic food since the sweet-salty bags (skins) of fried tofu (abura-age) help ensure the sushi rice fillings taste great for at least a few hours.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Feb 16, 2019
Forget oysters on the half shell, give frying them a try instead
Japanese cuisine is well-known for its enthusiastic embrace of raw or barely cooked foods. Seafood in particular is frequently consumed when it's raw; sometimes it's so fresh, it's still moving on the plate.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jan 19, 2019
Chase away the winter blues with a comforting nabe hot pot
Japanese nabe (hot pot) is a warming and hearty dish that is easy to prepare, even for the inexperienced cook. Preparing nabe together at the table makes cooking a fun group activity instead of a tedious chore.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Dec 15, 2018
Don't go to the store, make your own New Year's feast instead
The style of osechi (New Year's food) that is popular today is an array of salty, sweet or sour foods made in advance to give the cook of the house a break during the New Year period.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Nov 17, 2018
A comforting udon noodle recipe for the winter season
Two of the most popular everyday hot udon soups are named after animals that have a special place in Japanese folklore and the Shinto religion: the kitsune (fox) and the tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog).
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Oct 20, 2018
Autumn is the season for shinmai, newly harvested rice
Shinmai — rice harvested and processed during the current calendar year — is celebrated for its fresh, clean taste and subtle sweetness. But komai (old rice) also has its place in Japanese history and the kitchen.
'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.
Did Japan intervene to prop up the yen? Analysts think it did.
A man walks past an electronic board displaying the exchange rate for the yen against the U.S. dollar (right) in Tokyo on Tuesday.
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.
Number of vacant homes in Japan hits record high of 9 million
A vacant house in Tokyo is seen demolished in January 2020.
Weak yen fattens tourist wallets in Japan
People visit the Ameya Yokocho market in Tokyo's Ueno district during the Golden Week holiday on Tuesday.
Yellow sand allergy: A health issue made worse by climate change
A screenshot of the Meteorological Agency's satellite image of clouds and yellow sand (in pink) on Sunday.
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.

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

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