I've only been away from Japan for slightly over two years, and even since my last visit to Tokyo a year ago, a lot has changed in the city. Development has ramped up, perhaps in preparation for the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games, and large scale complexes are making appearances in areas of the city that... Continue Reading →
Good Eats: Regendo (or Re:gendo)
I'm not a vegetarian but I do love my vegetables. And I'm even more willing to consume them when they're presented to me in a unique way. Enter Re:gendo, a charming cafe in an old Japanese home in the western Tokyo suburb of Nishi-Ogikubo. Unless you're a fan of ramen or anime, there's not much... Continue Reading →
Good Eats: Kamo (Kyoto)
When I was in Kyoto last year, I was wandering the blocks around the main artery of Shijo-dori, looking for a washi paper store. I found it, a few blocks south of Shijo on Higashinotoin-dori. On the way, however, I passed a squat black building with a significant line of people waiting outside the door. A... Continue Reading →
Good Eats: Roppongi Nouen (Tokyo)
**Roppongi Nouen sadly closed its doors sometime in late 2015.** Roppongi Nouen occupies prime real estate in the party neighborhood of Roppongi, making it an odd place for a restaurant that glorifies farmers. Yet here you'll find a restaurant whose walls are made of packed soil and where an herb garden occupies a prominent position... Continue Reading →
Good Eats: Isoya (Kyoto)
I've been on a bit of a veggie kick lately. I've recently started juicing at home and I've always eaten a healthy portion of veggies on my plate for lunch, dinner and even breakfast (I'm a big proponent of spinach in smoothies!) but when I travel, it can be hard to feel like I'm getting... Continue Reading →
Good Eats: Evah Dining (Fukuoka)
Alright, I'll admit it - I'm a pretty clean eater but I have no idea what the term macrobiotic actually means. What I do know is that whenever that word shows up on a menu or in a restaurant description, I'm at least guaranteed a meal that won't give me a heart attack. (Not that... Continue Reading →
Spotlight: Aoyama Farmer’s Market (Tokyo)
Have you ever noticed how much an apple costs in Tokyo? No, I'm not talking about those fancy melons, the ones for $80 that are perfectly round and used as gifts at business meetings. I mean an apple. A real apple, the kind you just want to pick up from your fruit bowl for a... Continue Reading →