For John Ashburne's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
a selection of views from the streets of Osaka and Kyoto on what people expect from the Donald Trump administration in the U.S.
Attendees at the International Hemp Forum, which was held at the Kyoto International Convention Center earlier this month, speak about their hopes for hemp in Japan.
People in Hiroshima offer their views on last week's historic trip by U.S. President Barack Obama.
You've gotta love a city whose primary motivation is to accumulate wealth then promptly squander it through the time-honored pursuit of kuidaore (eating oneself to bankruptcy). Now, with the opening of the massive Grand Front Osaka commercial, residential and entertainment complex on the north ...
Restaurants open and close all the time in Japan's ever-changing dining landscape. Here's a selection of a few noteworthy new places in Kyoto and Osaka.
With an ephemeral canopy of pink sweeping Japan, the JT's food writers know the perfect spots to dine with an eyeful of sakura (cherry blossom) — or just the right sake to sip as you picnic under the petals. Innsyoutei, Tokyo When it comes to blossom ...
Every summer, as the mercury rises the gourmands of Kansai head for their local eel-cuisine specialist. The custom of eating unagi to alleviate the effects of the summer heat is known as doyō-no-ushi no hi, (day of the ox of the seasonal change period) ...
Businesses in cities around Japan seem to open and close at an alarming rate — and a new year inevitably means new restaurants. Here's a guide to some dragonly new and recent arrivals in the Kansai strongholds of Kyoto and Osaka. Nijo Tsubaki, Kyoto Tempura and ...
Thought you might be stuck with a KFC bucket this Christmas? Luckily it's not too late to make holiday dinner reservations in Kansai — plenty of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe hotels and restaurants still have tables open, so there's no need to scrap for ...
The glitterati of the Kansai culinary world gathered at the Nara Prefecture New Public Hall in Kasugano, Nara, on Tuesday to celebrate the launch of the "Michelin Guide Kyoto Osaka Kobe Nara 2012." In particular they were there to welcome the historical host city's ...
