Lawson opens its first “mini supermarket” in Tokyo. Lawson is one of Japan’s big-three convenience stores (the others being 7-Eleven and Family Mart), but Lawson itself has multiple sub-brands. For example, there’s... Read more »

I have a complicated relationship with the Michelin Guide. Perhaps “relationship” isn’t quite the right word for a corporation that’s certainly unaware of my existence. But I really, really love restaurants. It’s... Read more »

Just a quick train ride up northward from Tokyo, Utsunomiya offers an unexpected specialty: gyoza. Embracing its identity as Japan’s premier “gyoza town,” the streets of Utsunomiya are lined with small family-run... Read more »

Kayanoya’s Satoyama Cookies give you four flavors for a snack session unlike any other. The other day, we found ourselves thinking “We want to eat some cookies.” In and of itself, that’s... Read more »

There aren’t enough breath mints in the world to save us, but we’re going in anyway. Japanese folk wisdom holds that garlic is a food that boosts physical stamina, and it’s supposed... Read more »

Watch the competition or sample multiple burgers in the sales area during this weekend celebration of gourmet burgers from around the world. Although burgers are often associated with the U.S., we’ve got... Read more »

Cultural quirks have a hand in making the same name the favorite for dogs and cats in annual study. Japan’s most famous fictional cat might be the one named Kitty, but when... Read more »

We head to a unique restaurant for a harami bowl and a janken match. It wasn’t all that long ago that you could find lots of restaurants in Japan offering “one-coin” lunches,... Read more »

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry conducts study to estimate damage to producers of anime and other Japanese media. With Japanese entertainment media growing in popularity around the world, the Japanese government’s... Read more »