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Keiji Mori’s Favorite Things

1.Where do you live and why did you choose to live there?  During the week I live in Shibaura, in Tokyo, and on the weekends I return to Hayama in Kanagawa Prefecture. My home is in Hayama but my restaurants – and my work – are in Tokyo so I stay there when it is convenient for work. Since I was born and grew up in Hayama, I have many old friends there. And as my hobbies are surfing and… Read more »

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Naomi Pollock's Favorite Things

Where do you live and why do you choose to live there? We no longer live in Japan but over the course of our multi-year stay, we lived in different parts of Tokyo: Shimouma, Nanpeidai, Moto Azabu, Minami Azabu and, finally, Minami Aoyama. After bedding down in low-scale apartment buildings, we opted for a high-rise for our last hurrah. As an architect, I probably would have protested the construction of our building. But our views of Tokyo Tower and, especially,… Read more »

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Yuzukosho: Capturing that Citrus Zing 

I have long been a fan of yuzukosho, a condiment made with the Japanese citrus fruit, yuzu, and chili peppers. The yellow-green paste gives an added kick to dishes with its fresh citrusy aroma and spicy zing. It is a delicious accompaniment to grilled chicken, fish or roast beef, or simply mixed into the soup of a hotpot. In recent years, yuzukosho has been discovered by the culinary world outside Japan and re-discovered in its home market — becoming one… Read more »

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Yoshizawa – Refined Kaiseki in the Heart of Roppongi

The minute we stepped through the traditional wood and stone entrance to Yoshizawa we were spirited away from the contemporary minimalism of Roppongi Hills, where this acclaimed Japanese restaurant is located, into a serene world of sliding doors and aromatic incense.  As we were led to our seats along a narrow, paved corridor flanked by private rooms behind sliding doors and latticed shoji screens, we could almost pretend we were walking along a pathway in 18th century Kyoto. We had… Read more »

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Innovative Kaiseki at Waketokuyama

In a video created by the Onigiri Society, a non-profit that disseminates information on Japanese rice balls, Hiromitsu Nozaki, the chef proprietor of Japanese restaurant Waketokuyama, http://japonica.info/waketokuyama-refined-japanese-cuisine-in-elegant-surroundings/ talks about his love of rice and, particularly, of onigiri rice balls. He reminisces about coming home from school and finding huge onigiri in the cabinet, which his mother had made for him as a snack. For Nozaki, those rice balls were full of his mother’s love for him. Such memories and the clear… Read more »

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Peter Tasker’s Favorite Things

Where do you live and why do you live there? For the last 15 years, I’ve been living in Nakameguro in central Tokyo. It’s outside the Yamanote Line belt, yet amazingly convenient. When the weather allows, I walk to my office near Aoyama Gakuin University (in Shibuya) in about 40 minutes. The Hibiya Line gives easy access to Ginza and the business district. The Toyoko Line express takes you in two stops to Shinjuku 3-chome and entertainment districts, which would… Read more »

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Fran Kuzui's Favorite Things

Where do you live and why do you choose to live there?  Although I have homes in New York and in Tokyo, I like to think I live in the present moment. It’s certainly where I choose to live rather than being attached to some place. You could say that means there’s very low maintenance. Do you have a local haunt? A cafe or bar? Somewhere you go for comfort food or just a chat with the proprietor? The last… Read more »

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Natsuko Toda’s Favorite Things

1. Where do you live and why did you choose to live there? I was born in Tokyo and lived in Setagaya ward until I was about 20. When Hiroo Garden Hills was developed, it looked like a good place to live. Back then, you could only buy an apartment there if you won a lottery. I was lucky I won the lottery and was able to buy an apartment, probably because it was on the fourth floor. (The number 4 in Japanese is… Read more »

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Atsuko Gatling’s Favorite Things

We asked Atsuko Gatling, a native of Tokyo’s trendy Aoyama neighborhood, about her favorite places, pastimes and more. Where do you live and why did you choose that neighborhood? I live in Minami-Aoyama where I was born and raised in a single-family home, which is now a condominium. Although my husband and I have moved several times, I have always lived in Minato-ku (where Aoyama is located), so it’s really my home. My mother, when she was alive, lived here as… Read more »

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Maison KEI – A Touch of France at the Foot of Mt Fuji

Social distancing restrictions triggered by the coronavirus outbreak have yielded a few modest upsides, including making it much easier to book a table, even at the most popular restaurants in Japan — with the exception of some very special destinations, including Maison KEI. Even though it is located in Gotenba, a city of less than 36,000, a good hour-and-a-half drive southwest of Tokyo, trying to book a table at this French restaurant requires patience, determination and above all, luck. We… Read more »

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Autumn in Kyoto Offers a Feast of Colors and Seasonal Dishes

Autumn is one of the best times to enjoy Kyoto in all its glory. The weather is generally mild and the city’s historic temple grounds and gardens are transformed into a kaleidoscope of fiery autumnal colors. It is also the season to sample some of Japanese cuisine’s most beloved ingredients, such as matsutake mushrooms, It is impossible to predict when nature will perform its magic on the maples, gingko and beech trees that adorn Kyoto’s famous architectural sites and surrounding… Read more »

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Okadamae – a Feast for Carnivores

When Kenichiro Okada worked at a grilled meat restaurant in Tokyo’s Nishi-Azabu neighborhood, customers would often ask to sit at the counter right in front of him where they could watch the diminutive chef wield his knife and expertly slice choice cuts of meat while offering nuggets of culinary insights. Those loyal customers coined a phrase for that special spot – Okadamae, or “in front of Okada.” As chef Okada tells it, when he decided to open his own restaurant… Read more »