With more Michelin stars than any other city in the world, Tokyo is something of a dining mecca. But in 2020, the coronavirus pandemic has turned Tokyo's restaurant and hospitality industry on its head.

This episode, our guests are Robbie Swinnerton and Melinda Joe. Robbie has been writing Tokyo Food File, his restaurant review column for The Japan Times, since 1998 and Melinda has been writing her column Kanpai Culture, all about Japan’s drinking culture, since 2011.

With well over 30 years experience of eating, drinking and writing about the capital's food scene between them, we hear from Robbie and Melinda about what makes Tokyo the gastronomic phenomenon it is, how coronavirus has impacted upon the restaurant business and where Japan's hospitality industry goes from here.

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On this episode:

Robbie Swinnerton: Twitter | Articles | Instagram

Melinda Joe: Twitter | Articles | Instagram

Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram

Announcements:

Want to learn Japanese cooking? Follow Makiko Itoh's monthly Japanese Kitchen column for easy to make, seasonal recipes. Free for all readers of The Japan Times

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