Lifestyle Jan 10, 2021

Travel to Kamikatsu for a green epiphany: ‘Zero waste is about knowing yourself’

The INOW program allows visitors to fully immerse themselves in Kamikatsu’s renowned zero-waste lifestyle.

Food & Drink Dec 26, 2020

Top 5: Food trends our critics want to see Japan embrace in 2021

Eyes (and stomachs) are already turning to 2021. Five of The Japan Times’ critics share the dining trends they’d like to see the country embrace.

Books | 2020 in review Dec 19, 2020

Our critics’ favorite books published in 2020

As 2021 approaches, six Japan Times book reviewers look back on their top reads released in English this year.

Food & Drink Dec 12, 2020

Raise a glass to better days ahead with spiced winter sake

Think of otoso as Japan’s version of mulled wine — sake-based and customizable with a variety of herbs or spices.

Food & Drink Nov 21, 2020

Top 5: The best soup curry restaurants in Tokyo

With temperatures dropping, what’s more comforting than soup curry? The Japan Times shares five of the capital’s best bowls.

Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT Sep 28, 2020

SpeakHer wants to end the all-male panel and bring women's voices into a range of discussions

SpeakHer provides a database of women professionals who are willing to speak on conference panels in the hopes of narrowing Japan's gender gap.

Travel Sep 26, 2020

Why local communities are important to the future of Japan's ailing tourism industry

Why do people visit destinations if not to experience local flavor, and who suffers the adverse consequences of tourism but those who live there?

Books Sep 19, 2020

'The Cat and the City' author Nick Bradley: When writing fiction, 'there's no such thing as wasted living'

Nick Bradley’s debut novel is a love letter to Tokyo brimming with details of everyday life that he absorbed during his years in Japan.

Food & Drink Sep 19, 2020

From salaryman to sanga-slinger: Kohsuke Yamaoka knows the secret to a great sandwich

Chipper’s Coffee & Sangas’ modus operandi is making customers smile. And no source of sandwich inspiration is off-limits.

Food & Drink Sep 5, 2020

Welcome to Aomori, the cassis capital of Japan

Japan may not be famous for blackcurrants, but in Aomori Prefecture, domestic production begins and ends with the quality of the fruit.