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Food allergies in Japan: A quick guide to know & understand them - Japan Today
Until only a few decades ago, there were no strict guidelines regarding food labels and allergies in Japan. In many cases, it was assumed that common sense directed food choices (given that you knew your allergies), thus often limiting people with allergies in a big way. Today, however, most restaurants…
Mister Donut teams up for new round of gourmet donuts with famed chocolatier - Japan Today
It’s not unusual to feel a little shy the first time you meet someone. You could even make an argument that while you’re still feeling out a new acquaintance’s personality, it’s tactful to dial down the intensity a little while you’re expressing your opinions and passions. But all that makes…
How China’s appetite for salmon could reshape global seafood markets - Japan Today
China’s demand for farmed salmon is growing at an unprecedented pace. In 2023, its imports grew by 46% year on year – with imports of fresh and chilled Atlantic salmon up 63%. This remarkable growth is reshaping the global seafood trade. Exporters from Scotland, Norway, Chile, Australia, Faroe Islands, Canada and Iceland…
A mixture of egg and lemon gives this Greek chicken soup a velvety texture - Japan Today
This Greek soup gets its name, avgolemono, from the egg-lemon mixture used to thicken the broth. Some versions are simply broth that’s thickened and seasoned, while others are more substantial and include rice and chicken. We prefer the latter. In this recipe from our cookbook “Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose…
Häagen-Dazs Japan fukubukuro lucky bag filled with…ice creams from 2023 - Japan Today
Häagen-Dazs is a high-quality ice cream that has the power to silence even crying children. However, the selling price of around 300 yen per tub is enough to silence any hard-working adult, so whenever there’s a chance to get them at a discounted price, we always jump at the opportunity. New…
Blooming hard: Taiwan's persimmon growers struggle - Japan Today
Taiwanese persimmon farmer Lo Chih-neng stands on a ladder in his sprawling orchard using secateurs to cut the golden-yellow fruit still hanging from branches after enduring a tough season. Persimmons are popular in Taiwan where people travel hours to buy bags and boxes of the sweet dried fruit to take…
Natural wines aren't just a category; they're a philosophy - Japan Today
If you are a wine lover, you may have seen, or even tried, a natural wine. They've been gaining a following for years, and the holidays could be a nice time to see what they're about. What exactly is a natural wine? And what makes them special? Natural wines are…
What's on the table in 2025? Some predicted trends in food - Japan Today
At the start of each new year, we food writers are often tasked with putting on paper our predictions for what will be trending. Truly, this used to be a simpler task. Now, with food becoming more and more global, culinary innovations developing at the speed of light, social media…
Why are there so many Hokkaido food fairs in Japanese department stores these days? - Japan Today
People in the Tokyo area especially may have noticed a recent influx in Hokkaido food fairs over the past year. These events, held within department stores, give Hokkaido’s local food producers a chance to sell their wares in other markets around the country with a particular focus on the metropolis of…
What’s in a FamilyMart lucky bag? - Japan Today
As we enter the new year, fukubukuro lucky bag sales in Japan are heating up, with more and more stores releasing blind-buy grab bags in what’s become an ongoing Japanese New Year’s tradition. Our reporters are always on the lookout for the best bags on the market, and this year,…
Akihabara curry restaurant declaring bankruptcy after 50 years in Tokyo’s otaku neighborhood - Japan Today
For all its focus on the newest anime and latest electronics, Tokyo’s Akihabara neighborhood also has a lot of local history. Sadly, a tasty piece of that history is disappearing, with the news that an Akihabara curry restaurant that’s been in business for 50 years will be filing for bankruptcy. Bengal was officially founded…
Boozy or not, that leftover eggnog makes a great milkshake - Japan Today
Christmas has come and gone. The leftover lamb has been made into a shepherd’s pie, the last slice of pie has been claimed, you know you should be starting a pot of vegetable soup and sipping a glass of cucumber juice. But there’s that bottle of leftover eggnog in the…
Eel chosen as Japan's 'Dish of the Year' in 2024 - Japan Today
Eel has been selected as Japan's "Dish of the Year" in 2024, reflecting its popularity among inbound tourists and progress in research to pursue its sustainability amid dwindling catches, a restaurant search website operator said. Gurunavi Inc also said opportunities to consume eel have expanded beyond celebratory occasions due to…
Ramen restaurant etiquette reminder follows altercation with angry couple: One person, one bowl - Japan Today
There are some restaurants in Japan where there’s an expectation that groups of customers will be eating more or less family style. At yakiniku restaurants, for example, you generally order a variety of cuts of meat for the table to grill and then split up among your party, and izakaya…
Here's what you need to know about grocery delivery services in Japan - Japan Today
Getting used to living in Japan occasionally means re-learning how to do basic, everyday tasks like grocery shopping. Sure, you can put your trust in Japanese supermarket memes to tell you where to shop. But, you can also go for what’s most convenient. And, sometimes, that means not leaving your home at…
This Italian flourless chocolate torta is rich and dense yet remarkably light - Japan Today
Pasticceria Gollini in Vignola, Italy, not far from Modena, is home to the sumptuous flourless chocolate cake known as torta Barozzi. Created in 1886 by pastry chef Eugenio Gollini and named for Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, a 16th-century architect, the much-loved sweet continues today to be produced according to a…
She's here for 'a kitchen pep talk' during the holiday whirlwind - Japan Today
To get a sense of Margaret Eby’s new book, “You Gotta Eat: Real-Life Strategies for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels Impossible,” flip to the section called “Anything’s a sandwich if you’re not a coward.” The only requirement, she writes, is “some kind of bread or bread-like substance in order to…
World’s first real ramen in a can now available at Japanese vending machines - Japan Today
Over the past decade, Japanese vending machines have expanded beyond drinks to include food items as well, with one of the most exciting options being canned ramen. However, the canned ramen you get in vending machines has never been exactly like the real thing, because the “noodles” are made with konjac instead of wheat.…
Starbucks Japan releases a new Frappuccino that looks and tastes like a floral bouquet - Japan Today
There’s been a flurry of excitement over at Starbucks as we head towards the end of the year, with not one but two holiday beverages and a matcha green tea latte thrown in for good measure. Now, the chain has surprised us by continuing the celebrations with another new release — the Royal Earl Grey Bouquet Frappuccino.…
5 festive facts about Japanese Christmas cakes - Japan Today
Christmas Eve in Japan is celebrated more like Valentine’s Day in America and Europe. In the weeks leading up to Christmas and on the day itself, young couples bask in all things lovey-dovey. Couples often stroll around to see the illuminations, wander around the Christmas markets and eat the obligatory Japanese Christmas cake. However, Christmas cakes…
It's eggnog season. The boozy beverage dates back to medieval England but remains a holiday hit - Japan Today
At Scoma’s Restaurant in San Francisco, this holiday season 's batch of eggnog began 11 months ago. The process typically starts in late January, just after the previous year's celebrations are over. Nearly a thousand egg yolks, gallons upon gallons of heavy cream and roughly $1,000 worth of vanilla beans…
Short ribs braised in wine and aromatics make for an elegant holiday dinner - Japan Today
Brasato al Barolo, or beef braised in Barolo wine, is a classic dish from Piedmont in northern Italy. Customarily, the beef is a roast that is slow-cooked, then sliced and served like a pot roast. The cooking liquid, rich with the essence of wine, beef and aromatics, becomes a delicious…
Sukiyaki Torotama burgers stampede back to Lotteria for New Year’s luxury - Japan Today
As we approach the end of December, it’s natural to find yourself thinking of ways to put a finishing flourish on 2024, or to beginning with a bang in 2025. Obviously, here at SoraNews24 such ambitions are overlaid on our constant standard mentality of thinking about food, so we’re happy…
Snack bars out, salmon in: U.S. revamps 'healthy' food labels - Japan Today
The United States has redefined what qualifies as "healthy" food for the first time in 30 years, striking items like white bread from the list while welcoming nutrient-rich options such as eggs and salmon, officials said Thursday. The move comes against the backdrop of a growing domestic crisis of preventable,…
Convenience store fried chicken going into school lunches in Japan for FamilyMart anniversary - Japan Today
There’s a saying that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and by extension it’s also true that a convenience store chain of 16,000 branches starts with a single shop. So while you can find FamilyMarts all across Japan today, back in 1973 there was only one, the…
Is Burger King Japan sending subliminal messages in its packaging for new Top One Pounder? - Japan Today
In recent years, Burger King Japan has been filling a gap in the fast food market for big burgers with The One Pounder series, which packs four beef patties inside a sesame seed-topped bun. In this year alone, the chain has released four varieties that customers have gone wild for, with the Great King Yeti in February, Ugly in April, Big…
Improve your health with these 3 Japanese-inspired New Year resolutions for 2025 - Japan Today
As we gear up to welcome 2025, many of us are seeking new ways to improve our health and well-being. What better inspiration than Japan: a country renowned for its emphasis on high-quality food, mindfulness and longevity? As a Tokyo-based dietitian, I’ve found a wealth of wellness inspirational ideas in…
One Japanese man has eaten at same beef bowl restaurant for over 1,800 days in a row - Japan Today
In 2019 a Japanese man who goes by the handle Manarisu online walked into a branch of Sukiya and ate a meal. That didn’t put him in a particularly small demographic, since Sukiya is one of Japan’s big three gyudon (beef bowl) chains, along with Yoshinoya and Matsuya. Image: SoraNews24 Manarisu went back to…
More beans and less red meat: Nutritionists weigh in on U.S. dietary guidelines - Japan Today
Americans should eat more beans, peas and lentils and cut back on red and processed meats and starchy vegetables, all while continuing to limit added sugars, sodium and saturated fat. That's the advice released Tuesday by an expert panel of nutritionists charged with counseling the U.S. government about the 2025…
Nukazuke: Traditional pickles packed with benefits - Japan Today
My neighbor, a nearly 90-year-old, super-genki (healthy), giggling and beautiful Japanese lady has maintained an impressive fermenting pot of goodness for over half her lifetime, making all sorts of nakazuke with it. What Is Nukazuke? Nukazuke are pickled vegetables specially made by being buried in a bed of nukadoko, a fermented rice bran paste.…
Japan’s top 10 food travel destination prefectures - Japan Today
Pretty much anywhere you go in Japan you can find scenes of natural beauty and sites of cultural interest. But along with the appeal of the great outdoors and grand history, there’s another major reason to make you way to Japan’s various regions: delicious local foods. In a recent survey of…
Preserving Macanese fusion cuisine with recipes passed down generations - Japan Today
A crack of fire under a sprawling wok, a dab of soy sauce and a splash of Chinese rice wine. Bursts of aroma from spices sourced from around the world sizzle as a chef prepares Minchi, a dish of fried minced meat with diced potatoes topped with a sunny-side-up egg.…
New 'Totoro' and 'Spirited Away' Christmas cakes let you taste the anime magic of Studio Ghibli - Japan Today
In Japan, Christmas is celebrated differently to much of the Western world, with people setting up romantic dates on Christmas Eve and buying strawberry shortcakes instead of traditional fruit cakes, due to their festive red-and-white colous. If you’re a Studio Ghibli fan in Japan, then Christmas is a whole other…
Train travelers in Switzerland to get taste of Japan 'bento' box eats - Japan Today
Three Japanese companies have joined forces to bring Japan's iconic ekiben -- bento box meals sold at stations -- to the world, with Switzerland their first stop. "Ekiben World Team," a consortium formed by bento box specialists Hanazen Co, Maneki Foods Co and Matsuura Shoten Co, will debut six different…
Holiday food in Japan from major chains - Japan Today
As with other holiday periods in this country, big Japanese brands and the Japanese subsidiaries of foreign brands go all out for Christmas. Aside from the ubiquitous Christmas cake, there are other food items for sale to vie for their place in your holiday rotation. Many await Starbucks Japan’s annual Frappuccino drop.…
Red Bull releases Japan-exclusive energy drink flavor for winter - Japan Today
For many Japanese families, the thought of winter conjures up images of sitting at the kotatsu heated table while watching TV and peeling a mikan, also known as a satsuma mandarin, for a burst of citrus flavor. As anyone knows who’s ever sat at a kotatsu in the middle of winter can attest,…
A carlator is shaking things up on our way to one of Japan’s last revolving restaurants - Japan Today
Once upon a time, it wasn’t so hard to find revolving restaurants that perched atop the department store rooftops and towers of Japan’s skylines. They were an ultimate combination of quirky dining and spectacular views. Fast forward to today, and most have spun out of existence with less than ten left still turning. So, when…
Why would a Japanese bartender open a nonalcoholic bar? - Japan Today
Decades of recession, less work-related drinking and greater health consciousness have shrunk Japan’s alcohol consumption. Leading global drinks data and analytics provider IWSR (formerly International Wine and Spirits Record) lists Japan in the world’s top 10 no/low alcohol markets — forecast to grow another 5% by 2027. Japan’s best bartenders…
UK bans daytime TV ads for cereals, muffins and burgers - Japan Today
The UK government is banning daytime TV adverts for sugary foods like granola and muffins in its battle against child obesity, branding such popular items as junk food. Ads showing "less healthy" food and drinks will only be allowed to be aired after 9 p.m. from October next year. According…
'Furikake' rice seasoning sales are soaring, which is bad news for Japan as a whole - Japan Today
"Furikake" is a beloved Japanese topping for white rice which comes in many, many varieties from the salty purple perilla leaves of Yukari to dried versions of entire dishes like baked potato or grilled eel. These flavorful seasonings have long been popular in Japan and are recently on a tear with overall sales growing for…