News
Entertainment
Science & Technology
Life
Culture & Art
Hobbies
News
Entertainment
Science & Technology
Culture & Art
Hobbies
Recipe: Spiced 'kabocha' (Japanese pumpkin) pie - Japan Today
If October had a color, it would be orange. Jack-o’-lanterns and Halloween beg for it. Pumpkin pie is on the menu back home, but here in Japan, whole pumpkins are too expensive to be used for anything. Canned pumpkin — I kid you not — is impossible to find at the Japanese grocery…
Kyoto restaurant train reveals a different side of Japan not often seen by foreign tourists - Japan Today
Kyoto is known for drawing crowds of tourists, who descend on the ancient capital in large numbers to soak up the scenery and taste the local specialties. But did you know there’s a hidden way to do all this without the crowds? It’s called the Tango Kuromatsu-go, a restaurant train that lets…
Want to eat more plant-based meals? Maggie Baird, Billie Eilish and Finneas's mom, has some ideas - Japan Today
Maggie Baird says her vegan cinnamon rolls are a family favorite — including to her children, who happen to be the world-famous musicians Billie Eilish and Finneas. Growing up, Baird stopped eating meat in part because she felt connected to animals. Her commitment grew as she learned about the environmental…
A recipe for avoiding 15 million deaths a year and climate disaster is fixing food, scientists say - Japan Today
About 15 million deaths could be avoided each year and agricultural emissions could drop by 15% if people worldwide shift to healthier, predominantly plant-based diets, according to the EAT-Lancet Commission, which brought together scientists worldwide to review the latest data on food's role in human health, climate change, biodiversity and…
Starbucks has a Japanese pajama-themed dessert drink, but how does it taste? - Japan Today
Starbucks Japan recently announced a collaboration with Gelato Pique, a lifestyle brand that’s especially loved for its roomwear and pajamas (which are sometimes Pokémon-themed). In addition to drinkware and fashion items combining their styles, though, there’s also a new Gelato Pique-themed dessert drink being served up at Starbucks. Curious to see how this unusual crossover…
Masterpieces of Japanese art brought to you through cake and cookies - Japan Today
Hokusai’s classic Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji series of woodblock prints has been incorporated into just about every object imaginable — from electric guitars to bras — to give them that extra feeling of sophistication. The works, which include his iconic The Great Wave off Kanagawa, have also been reimagined as foods and drinks frequently over the years, but perhaps none…
Kyoto’s green Black Thunder and gold-box green Black Thunder: Which best meets matcha needs? - Japan Today
Black Thunder is one of Japan’s favorite brands of chocolate snacks, consisting of a cocoa cookie with plain biscuit bits inside and covered in chocolate. It’s not only one of Japan’s most constantly satisfying sweet treats, but one of its cheapest too…but Black Thunder isn’t always black, or even a dark…
Burger King Japan now sells straight-up beef patties on their own - Japan Today
Burger King is famous for its flame-grilled beef patties, and now, for a limited time, it’s putting these patties in the spotlight with a new release in Japan called “On the Beef." This new limited-edition special serves up Burger King’s patties in three ways, starting with the plain On the Beef, simply…
Japanese instant curry promises flavor of day-old curry right away, and that’s a very good thing - Japan Today
If you’ve got a batch of freshly made curry, you might think you’ve got one of the world’s greatest causes for joy sitting in your kitchen, and you’d be right. However, things could be even more joyous in the near future, because a lot of Japanese curry fans will tell you that it tastes…
Catbus Sandwich is even more awesome than it sounds, because it’s actually a cookie - Japan Today
As unabashed lovers of cute characters and tasty food, we’d already have been pretty excited about the announcement of a Catbus Sandwich. However, while the name “Catbus Sandwich” does start with the crucial information that this is an edible ode to the beloved creature from Studio Ghibli’s "My Neighbor Totoro," it also…
Japan’s black cat Halloween donuts are so cute they require pre-orders - Japan Today
Earlier this month Japan’s favorite donut chain, Mister Donut, got an early start on Halloween sweets by releasing four new Halloween-themed donuts. There are two ways a person could respond to this: ● A. “Halloween donuts already? It’s not even October yet!” ● B. “Only four new donuts? I want more!” We here at…
Instant ramen: A short history of a long noodle - Japan Today
Food prices remain high even as inflation eases, and instant noodles are at the top of the list of cheap options. More than 100 billion servings of instant ramen are consumed each year, making it one of the world’s most popular convenience foods. Instant noodles are a global commodity. But when were…
5 autumn fish you need to try in Japan - Japan Today
With its cooler breezes, gray-blue skies and rainy patches, perhaps Japan’s fall weather may not immediately bring to mind seafood. But, in fact, autumn abounds with delicious fall fish and is known as one of the best seasons in Japan to consume the freshest of catches. As the heat of…
Tsukimi burgers: Are they really worth the hype? - Japan Today
Every September, as Japan celebrates tsukimi (moon-viewing) season, fast-food chains release their highly anticipated limited-edition menus. The headline act is always the tsukimi burger — a fried egg perched on top of a patty, meant to resemble the full harvest moon. McDonald’s, KFC, MOS Burger and even Wendy’s all compete to put their…
'Back to the Future' burgers coming to J.S. Burgers Cafe for film’s 40th anniversary - Japan Today
It’s hard to believe the original "Back to the Future" film is celebrating its 40th anniversary. This means that we would have to travel back in time even further than Marty had, just to get to the year the movie started in. If that makes you feel old, then we have just the…
The dream of all-you-can-eat Japanese convenience store fried chicken is now a reality - Japan Today
Technically, convenience store food doesn’t need to do anything other than be convenient in order to fulfill the implicit promise of its culinary category. However, this is Japan, where going above and beyond to satisfy customers is the norm, resulting in such delicious things as FamilyMart’s Famichiki fried chicken. Cooked in-store…
Shrimp nuggets returning to McDonald’s Japan menu with a special surprise - Japan Today
Back in 2023, McDonald’s Japan expanded its side dish offerings to include Puripuri Ebi Purio, which could best be described as shrimp-filled Mc Nuggets. The Japanese word puripuri refers to something plump and jiggly, as one would expect shrimp to be. This is followed by ebi, which is the Japanese word…
Craft your own edible Mount Fuji with Yamanashi’s Blue Udo - Japan Today
Yamanashi Prefecture is known for culinary delights like water mochi, beautiful cherry blossoms, and the grandeur of Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji. Needless to say, there’s no shortage of reasons to visit, but this year another has been added. On 23 August, Blue Mount Fuji Udon went on sale at souvenir shops around…
Take a look inside the Future Train, a unique new restaurant diner and cafe in Kyoto - Japan Today
On September 20, a new experiential restaurant called Future Train Kyoto Diner & Cafe will open its doors to the public in Umekoji, Kyoto. What makes this restaurant unique is the fact that it’s located on an abandoned elevated railway line and, what’s more, it’s inside a retired Thunderbird Express train that once connected Kyoto and the Hokuriku…
Pizza Hut Japan’s one-handed matcha dessert pizza is a hot mess (we mean that as a compliment) - Japan Today
We call the phenomenon of cultures mixing together a melting pot, but today we’re seeing the melting happen in a pizza crust, as the Japanese division of an American restaurant chain specializing in Italian food teams up with a Kyoto tea merchant for a culinary creation unlike anything we’ve ever…
Food Triathlon eating challenge accepting all comers at Yamaguchi restaurant this autumn - Japan Today
Like every summer recently, it’s incredibly hard to consume much more than a glass of water in this sweltering heat. But as the high temperatures gradually subside, that urge to pig out begins to return, and it is this seasonal change that laid the groundwork for the Food Triathlon (Shoku no Triathlon). This…
Krispy Kreme ready to get autumn started with three new donuts, two Japanese fall favorite flavors - Japan Today
Right now, looking for seasonal sweets in Japan feels a bit like shopping for seasonal clothing. Typically, apparel stores start stocking fall coats and sweaters before the temperature actually starts to dip very much, and similarly, even though it’s still hot and humid in Japan, confectioners are starting to offer…
Starbucks Japan releases surprising new Frappuccino for autumn - Japan Today
As we enter the season of bountiful autumn harvests, Starbucks is honing in on one particular fruit and serving it up in a limited-edition Frappuccino. Called the Younashi Nama Caramel Frappuccino, this new drink sings the praises of yonashi, or Western pear, so-called to distinguish it from the rounder nashi, or Japanese-style pear, which is…
McDonald’s Japan’s moon-viewing mochi pies are a little more Westernized-tasting this year - Japan Today
According to Japanese cultural traditions, autumn is the time for tsukimi, or moon-viewing, parties, and it’s also become the season for tsukimi burgers, which feature fried eggs roundly reminiscent of a full moon. McDonald’s Japan, naturally, has tsukimi burgers, but each fall they also bring out a Tsukimi Pie. Since fried eggs don’t work…
Starbucks Japan vs. Tully’s Coffee: Which limited-edition autumn drink is better? - Japan Today
With meteorological autumn finally here, sweet potato products are starting to appear in stores. This popular seasonal vegetable is often featured in autumnal sweets in Japan, and this year it’s the star ingredient in two limited-edition drinks at two of the country’s top coffeehouse chains, Starbucks and Tully’s. Over at Starbucks, we have the…
Dom Dom Burger releasing Power-Ranger-themed Super Sentai Burger - Japan Today
It’s pretty common knowledge at this point that the beloved American children’s program "Power Rangers" was a localized import of Japan’s "Super Sentai" series of tokusatsu shows. But it’s perhaps less known that the very first of the "Super Sentai" shows was called "Himitsu Sentai Gorenger" (Secret Squadron Go Rangers), kind of bringing the whole “ranger” concept full…
Not all processed foods are bad for you. Here’s what you can tell from reading the label - Japan Today
If you follow wellness content on social media or in the news, you’ve probably heard that processed food is not just unhealthy, but can cause serious harm. Eating a diet dominated by highly processed foods means you’re likely to consume more kilojoules than you need, and greater amounts of salt,…
Wendy’s Japan’s mochi moon-viewing burger don’t just have mochi, they are mocchi too - Japan Today
September is the start of tsukimi, or moon viewing, season in Japan, and if you’re a regular reader, you probably know it’s the start of tsukimi burger season too. Tsukimi burgers get their name as an extension of Japan’s various tsukimi noodle dishes, in which an egg is cracked into a bowl of…
Pizza Hut Japan unveils new matcha pizza, crafted with Kyoto tea shop founded in Uji in 1860 - Japan Today
In Japan, there’s a lot more to matcha than just matcha lattes. Here, you can find powdered green tea in a wide variety of settings, from traditional teahouses through to modern cafes, and now even a pizza chain, thanks to a new product from Pizza Hut Japan. Called the “Handy Melts Matcha Shiratama Kuromitsu“, with shiratama being small, chewy dumplings…
Is your diet influencing your dreams? Here’s what research says about food and nightmares - Japan Today
Have you ever wondered if a bizarre dream was caused by something you ate the night before? If so, you’re not alone. We all have strange or unsettling dreams now and then, and when we do, we want to know what might cause them. For centuries, people have believed that…
Kyoto’s pinkest, cutest new restaurant is start of new life for retired train cars - Japan Today
Rail fans in Kyoto were bummed out when, in 2016, the Umekoji Line was shut down. More sadness came in 2024, when the Thunderbird special express train, which had connected Kyoto with the Hokuriku region further north, ended service because it had become superseded by a new extension of the even speedier Shinkansen network. But the…
Starbucks Japan releases new hojicha mousse latte for autumn - Japan Today
Back in 2023, Starbucks released a limited-edition Chocolate Mousse Latte that became so popular it returned the following year, and now, it’s back again for another outing, this time with a new partner filled with autumn flavor. The new release is a twist on the original Chocolate Mousse Latte, which features an…
Tokyo’s Vampire Cafe serving up blood-sauce burgers and sweets with fire and dark magic spells - Japan Today
Vampires aren’t known as creatures that exhibit much restraint. Yet with countless films and novels in which their decadent lifestyles serve as metaphors for carnal desires, doesn’t it stand to reason that vampires would be equally prone to giving in to carnivorous temptation? And should that theory turn out to be…
High above the Arctic Circle, these Philly cheesesteaks are filled with moose and reindeer meat - Japan Today
Forget Philadelphia: In the far north of Sweden, locals and tourists alike chow down on Arctic cheesesteaks, their hoagie rolls piled high with moose and reindeer meat. At Stejk Street Food in Kiruna, some 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, owners Zebastian Bohman and Cecilia Abrahamsson modeled their specialty…
Krispy Kreme releases a special 'tsukimi' moon-viewing doughnut in Japan - Japan Today
Krispy Kreme is world-famous for its original glazed doughnuts, but in Japan, where competition for doughnuts is fierce, the chain is consistently compelled to up its game with new limited-edition releases, and its latest is one of the best we’ve seen. Called the Krispy Kreme Premium Tokyo Moon-Viewing Marron & Cream, this…
3 easy vegetarian rice cooker recipes to try - Japan Today
Rice cookers are a staple of Japanese kitchens. After using them in China and now in Japan, I’ve discovered how versatile they can be. Many people believe that you can only make rice in a rice cooker, but just because the name tells you so doesn’t mean you can’t get creative…
Mister Donut turns doughnuts into Japanese idols for new range in Japan - Japan Today
Mister Donut always has its finger on the pulse when it comes to local trends and obsessions, and its newest release taps into the culture of oshi. Literally translating as “push”, the word “oshi” is used among fans of idols, anime, and other similar fandoms to refer to a favourite character…
Is it true foods with a short ingredient list are healthier? A nutrition expert explains - Japan Today
At the end of a long day, who has time to check the detailed nutrition information on every single product they toss into their shopping basket? To eat healthily, some people prefer to stick to a simple rule: choose products with a short ingredient list. The idea is foods with just a…
Japanese highway rest stop slow-melting ice cream fish dessert: An offer too strange to refuse - Japan Today
The Kariya Highway Oasis in the town of Kariya, Aichi Prefecture, is pretty incredible, even by the lofty standards for highway rest stops in Japan. This is, after all, the rest stop with its own giant Ferris wheel. But on our most recent visit, we stumbled across something else that was totally unexpected: Toto Ice…
Tokyo mall serves up Japan’s best regional ice creams - Japan Today
Local specialty foods are one of Japan’s many delights, giving both domestic and international tourists a reason for leaving the major cities, and exploring the less-traversed parts of the country. However, what if there were a way to enjoy what different regions have to offer without having to take up…