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J.J. O'Donoghue
For J.J. O'Donoghue's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / OSAKA RESTAURANTS
Apr 27, 2019
Aozora Blue: Hand-made udon with a soba inflection
At Aozora Blue, chef Hirofumi Matsui draws on his soba-making experiences to offer an exquisite, handmade udon noodle in an elevated setting.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 24, 2019
Eye-opener: Japanese doctor's work with iPS cells puts macular degeneration on notice
Science has Dr. Masayo Takahashi's mother to thank, in a way, for some of the most notable developments in regenerative medicine using stem cells.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Apr 20, 2019
Shuichi Kotani: Taking soba noodles worldwide
From working at McDonald's in Himeji to making noodles for Japanese restaurants in America, Shuichi Kotani has always looked for and taken opportunities.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / OSAKA RESTAURANTS
Mar 23, 2019
Rakushin: Some food can't be improved upon
At Rakushin, kaiseki chef Shintaro Katayama's cuisine is flexible and curious even as it pays respect to the genre's historic canon.
Japan Times
Events
Mar 16, 2019
Irish eyes are smiling in Japan
The first ever St. Patrick's Day parade in Tokyo made history for a number of reasons — least of all for the fact that it was the first such parade in Asia, and it unfolded on a sidewalk in Roppongi.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Mar 16, 2019
Nick Sakagami: When something fishy makes great business
The only certified fish master outside of Japan, Nick Sakagami has been making a splash in the U.S. for nearly two decades.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Mar 9, 2019
Declan Somers: Having fun with fundraising
Name: Declan Somers
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Mar 2, 2019
Tomoko Houtzager: Moving to the bush just to live off the land
A WWOOF trip to Australia leads to a new way of life for a former city girl.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 27, 2019
After disaster-filled 2018, lessons from 1995 Hanshin quake resonate with foreign nationals and Kobe officials
The image of a resilient Japan rebounding almost immediately from natural disasters is one that has taken root across the world, but sometimes that image can obfuscate the trauma and the panic of actually living through a disaster.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KYOTO RESTAURANTS
Feb 23, 2019
Sho: Oden, but not as you'd ever imagine it
At Nami Kawahara's oden restaurant, Sho, she hasn't been afraid to depart from tradition in both decor and dishes, opting for simplicity and elegance over a rough-and-tumble vibe.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 10, 2019
The 'Ten Commandments' of running a genuine Irish pub
British bars are ubiquitous in Kansai, but a genuine Irish establishment should follow these "Ten Commandments":
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 9, 2019
The meteoric rise of Nogami's fluffy shokupan
Founded by Yuji Sakagami, bread shop Nogami sells about 20,000 loaves of its famous nama shokupan ('fresh' bread) per day, making it one of Japan's most beloved breads. The secret to its success is the texture of its crust.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KYOTO RESTAURANTS
Jan 26, 2019
Que Pasa: The burritos you've always dreamed of
A love of Tex-Mex cuisine and a desire to find quality burritos in Japan inspired Ryota Kurokawa to set off on a burrito-making journey, culminating in Que Pasa, his Kyoto-based Mexican restaurant.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Jan 12, 2019
'Small Buildings of Kyoto': A spotlight on Kyoto's overlooked quotidian
When it comes to photography books about Kyoto, the genre is usually limited to three areas: geishas, gardens and temples — in the English language at least.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Dec 31, 2018
Akira Satake: From handmade banjos to vases
When the music industry became too stressful to bear in the U.S., Akira Satake found a new vocation in pottery.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / OSAKA RESTAURANTS
Dec 22, 2018
Dinner and conversation with Tsutomu Nakajima
Chef Tsutomu Nakajima of Sato no Ie Hanase on the importance of umami and why the flavor is at risk of vanishing.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Dec 15, 2018
Pop! Pizza brings a slice of Americana to Kyoto
Inspired by his upbringing in western Pennsylvania, Pop! Pizza owner-chef Daniel McNellie aims to share the overall cultural experience of American pizzerias: awesome pizza, beer, movies and music.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KYOTO RESTAURANTS
Nov 24, 2018
Mizuho Takemura: Whimsical, easygoing charm
A Peu Pres in Kyoto is decidedly not the kind of French restaurant with starched white linens: Instead, it has a whimsical easygoing charm. And chef Mizuho Takemura's take on French food is wholesome, without fanfare or drama.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Nov 17, 2018
Aya Tasaki: Empowering women abroad
Aya Tasaki was 5 when she first moved from Tokyo to Illinois. The details of that departure are still etched in her mind. Her father had already gone ahead of the family to take up a job in the United States, and Tasaki's grandparents and aunt had come to the airport to see her and her mother off.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 14, 2018
Nobel Prize winner Tasuku Honjo calls for better-funded and more imaginative pharma industry in Japan
On the evening of Oct. 1, Dr. Tasuku Honjo was in his office at Kyoto University discussing a manuscript with two of his colleagues when a secretary came dashing in to announce there was a call from Sweden. Could he take it?

Longform

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