Ramen (ラーメン) and Japan’s Regional Soul
Steam clouds the window of a tiny noodle shop. Behind the counter, a cook lowers a nest of noodles into...
Steam clouds the window of a tiny noodle shop. Behind the counter, a cook lowers a nest of noodles into...
A Hokkaido road trip can take you from Sapporo’s lively ramen alleys to flower fields glowing beneath vast skies, volcanic...
At a skilled Japanese counter, sashimi (刺身) arrives with remarkable restraint: a few gleaming slices of fish, perhaps a curl...
A piece of sushi (寿司) can feel wonderfully simple: a small mound of seasoned rice, perhaps topped with glistening fish,...
The aroma arrives before the plate does: warm spices, sautéed onion, and a deep, savory sweetness rising from a glossy...
A katsudon (カツ丼) arrives with a kind of quiet drama: a lacquered bowl of rice hidden beneath a golden pork...
Roppongi changes character after sunset. The neighborhood’s glass towers catch the last copper light, museum façades glow against the sky,...
A street suddenly fills with the steady pulse of taiko drums. Paper lanterns glow above food stalls, the scent of...
Lantern light catches on a mikoshi shrine as it moves above a sea of raised hands. Taiko drums echo down...
The first sound is not simply heard - it lands in your chest. At Okinawa Eisa Matsuri, immense taiko drums...
The first thing that may surprise you about Okinawa is not the color of the water, though its coral-blue horizons...
Yokohama changes character with the light, the weather, and the rhythm of Japan’s calendar. The best time to visit Yokohama...