People | 20 QUESTIONS Sep 23, 2017
Mayuko Okada's last meal: Pancakes over nattō
by Ayako Nakano
Japanese cooking teacher on the joys of Bills' famous creation and fermented soybeans.
National / Politics Jun 22, 2017
LDP lawmakers take to the kitchen to promote female workplace empowerment
by Tomohiro Osaki
From veterans to rookies, male lawmakers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party sliced tomatoes, grilled salmon and fried chicken as they exemplified ways in which husbands can share in household duties during a political event on Wednesday promoting female participation in the workplace. The event, ...
Food & Drink | Tools of the Japanese Kitchen May 27, 2017
Hone your knowledge of Japanese kitchen knives
by Makiko Itoh
Japanese kitchen knives have a worldwide reputation for excellent quality and artistic beauty. The trouble is, there's so much mythology and romance surrounding them, not to mention a bewilderingly wide range of prices and types, that it can be difficult to make a choice. The ...
Food & Drink | NATURE'S PANTRY Apr 29, 2017
Diving into the myriad ways to enjoy Japan's sea greens
by Nancy Singleton Hachisu
The seasonality of fruits, vegetables, nuts and fungi growing in the fields and mountains of Japan is fairly obvious to many of us who we are familiar with such places and foods. The seasonality of the sea, however, remains relatively unknown even among the most ...
National Mar 23, 2017
Elderly Sapporo pair suffer carbon monoxide poisoning while barbecuing in closed hut
Two elderly people were rushed to a hospital Wednesday evening after suffering carbon monoxide poisoning while cooking on a barbecue in a house garden in Sapporo, local police said. Their injuries were not life-threatening. The man and the woman, both in their 70s, were cooking ...
Food & Drink | INVENTING THE TASTE OF JAPAN Mar 17, 2017
The mysteries of 'konnyaku': Health food aid or choking hazard?
by Sarah Crago
Anyone living in or even visiting Japan will likely have come across a certain ghastly, grey, gelatinous substance. In most cases, local people are at a loss to answer the questions that inevitably follow. An enigma of the food world, konnyaku is either loved or ...
National Aug 15, 2016
Ready-to-cook meals made by NH Foods Inc. and Lawson Fresh, a food delivery service run by convenience store chain Lawson Inc., are proving popular with double-income families in Japan. Since its launch in 2013, Lawson has expanded its Kitchent menu comprising around 20 items including ...
National Aug 25, 2015
Kofu woman closed eatery to volunteer as 'washoku' teacher in Cambodia
by Ichiho Sato
Toshimi Furusawa, 62, flew to Cambodia this summer to teach local people traditional Japanese cooking as a senior volunteer with the Japan International Cooperation Agency. "This is a great opportunity and I plan to teach them what I believe is authentic Japanese cuisine," Furusawa said ...
Digital | JAPAN TIMES BLOGROLL Apr 3, 2015
by Megumi Lim
Ochikeron, a Tokyo-based YouTuber, has transformed her kitchen into a studio as she uploads Japanese cooking videos introducing easy and quick-to-prepare recipes for viewers. She began her YouTube channel, which now has close to 600,000 subscribers, right after the Great East Japan Earthquake — a ...
Food & Drink | JAPANESE KITCHEN Mar 17, 2015
Wild wasabi proves a warrior ingredient in many a dish
by Makiko Itoh
The pungent green wasabi is native to Japan, as its botanical name Eutrema japonicum indicates. A member of the brassicae family, it grows wild along the banks of mountain rivers and streams throughout the country. There are written records of it as far back as ...
National Jan 30, 2015
Chefs from eight countries battle to win Japanese food contest
Chefs from eight countries participated in a Japanese cooking contest Friday in Kyoto to see who could had the best offerings in "washoku," or traditional Japanese cuisine. A total of 110 people from 27 countries and regions applied to compete in the event, which was ...
National Jan 27, 2015
New Zealand city to build a Beppu steam cuisine center
by Mari Tokumitsu
One of Japan's most popular hot-spring resorts is helping a city in New Zealand to harness steam from its hot springs to cook food. Beppu, Oita Prefecture, is renowned for its "jigokumushi" (hell steaming) cuisine. It is sharing that know-how with Rotorua, a sister city ...