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July 12, 2025
 

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Yukari Pratt
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Feb 8, 2008
Taking a dive into the past
Day trips out of Tokyo are usually down south to Kamakura for hiking, out west to Hakone for the hot springs, or — for the ambitious — the shrines and temples of Nikko to the north.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 8, 2008
Sparkling wine for your Valentine
'I start every morning with a glass of champagne," declared a friend of mine once, a food and beverage director of a hotel in Austria.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 11, 2008
Molecular morsels
Nothing turns a woman on more than a room full of excited men. No, this was not the Super Bowl, but the International Chefs Congress, a "show and tell" held last September in New York City by some of the world's most influential chefs. The display of techniques and trends was impressive, with a roster...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 9, 2007
New York chefs taste authentic Japanese cuisine
Top New York chefs were given a rare treat recently when master chefs from Kyoto traveled to the Big Apple to give a master class.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 9, 2007
Falltime wines
Autumn brings the brilliant colors of the fall leaves, and the harvest of mushrooms and root vegetables as hearty stews find a home on the dinner table. It also signifies a time to finish the last few bottles of rose you picked up during the heat of the summer. Fall is the time to explore brawny wines...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 9, 2007
Picking up the pace of urban life
There are mile markers in life, and an impending 40th birthday recently forced me to take stock of my health. I had put on weight while at culinary school and, being a complete nonathlete, I never managed to lose it. I had a gym membership, but the only sweat I ever worked up was in the sauna. Running...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Sep 15, 2006
Fishing around for a piece of history
"Enjoy it while you can," says Professor Theodore Bestor of Harvard University. He's referring partly to Tsukiji's famous fish market and partly to sushi and to the fact that "some species are at risk of becoming commercially extinct."
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Aug 29, 2006
Tofu, magic for both body and taste buds
When the summer heat sets in, my Japanese mother religiously serves hiyayakko (chilled tofu) sprinkled with katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and soy sauce. Just looking at this simple dish, I feel myself starting to cool down, knowing that tofu actually helps lower your body temperature.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 11, 2006
Cravin' more of that summer wine
Summers in Japan are associated with boisterous matsuri filled with men in fundoshi sweating under the great weight of omikoshi portable shrines, and colorful yukata-clad girls clip-clopping in their geta en route to see fireworks-filled skies.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 14, 2006
Your own home brew
Umeshu is one of a variety of kajitsushu (fruit liqueurs). The recipe for classic umeshu is simply green apricots (not plums), rock sugar and white liquor (a simple shochu) that has been left to steep for several months.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 14, 2006
The hunt begins here
The wine and sake department at Tokyu Toyoko's main department store in Shibuya offers about two dozen umeshu. The individual brands have been helpfully labeled, so you can easily distinguish what each is based on, be it nihonshu, shochu or brandy. However, do check out your local supermarket; you might...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 14, 2006
Picks to sip
Oushuku Nigori Umeshu from Tokushima
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 14, 2006
What type are you?
Depending on the "base" used for umeshu, you will find a wide variety of flavor profiles. For the novice, it may be good to start with a sweeter version, based on shochu. If you are a sake fan, obviously nihonshu-based umeshu will appeal.
Tokyo hit by torrential rainfall at rush hour
People line up at Shibuya Station in Tokyo as they try to avoid the heavy rain on Thursday.
Foreign drivers in Japan to face tougher license conversion rules from October
According to the National Police Agency, there were 75,905 people who converted their foreign driver’s license to a Japanese one in 2024, up from 48,885 in 2019.
Chinese fighters came within 30 meters of Japanese spy aircraft, Tokyo says
A Chinese JH-7 fighter jet makes an near an Air Self-Defense Force YS-11EB surveillance aircraft over the East China Sea this week in this image released Thursday.
Air India crash report to offer peek into last seconds
Members of the Indian Army's engineering arm prepare to remove the wreckage of an Air India aircraft in Ahmedabad on June 14.
What Japanese politics could look like after Upper House election
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (center) waves to attendees as he departs after delivering a campaign speech in Yokohama on Sunday.
New IG Arena set to dial down temperature at Nagoya Basho, in a good way
With IG Arena getting glowing early reviews as the Nagoya Basho’s replacement venue, it may be a while before fans wax nostalgic about the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium.
Once a niche, anime is now mainstream content for Netflix and other streaming services
Though Netflix remains the dominant choice globally for anime viewers, Amazon Prime Video has also invested heavily in anime, steadily adding titles to their catalogue.
NGOs condemn rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric ahead of Upper House vote
Sanseito head Sohei Kamiya holds a board that reads "Japanese First" in Tokyo on July 2. In a joint statement on Tuesday, eight human rights nongovernmental organizations described the far-right party's stance as "hate speech."
Japanese dancers find a home abroad at Houston Ballet
“Giselle” lead Yuriko Kajiya (center), performing with Connor Walsh as Albrecht, is one of six Japanese dancers at Houston Ballet.
From the Abes to the Ohtanis: How siblings shape athletic development
Olympic judoka Uta Abe (second from left) and Hifumi Abe (second from right) with their brother Yuichiro (center) and their parents. “I’m always consciously trying to be a good older brother,” Yuichiro said.

Podcast

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

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning
Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

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