Ryo Iwa– Author –
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Genshu (原酒)
Genshu (原酒) is undiluted sake with a bold, concentrated flavor. Most sake gets watered down before bottling. Genshu skips that step entirely. What you get is pure, raw brewing liquid — nothing added, nothing taken away. If you've been ... -
How Sake Is Made: Step-by-Step Japanese Brewing Guide
Sake is one of those drinks that rewards curiosity. The bottle looks simple. The contents taste complex. And the process behind it turns out to be genuinely fascinating, combining centuries of tradition with a brewing science that differ... -
Shoyu no Mi (しょうゆの実)
Tucked deep in the mountains of Yamanashi Prefecture, there is a fermented food that most people outside Japan have never heard of. It does not get the global fame of miso or soy sauce. Yet Shoyu no Mi quietly holds a special place in th... -
Koshu Wine Beef (甲州ワインビーフ)
Yamanashi Prefecture is best known for two things: Mount Fuji and wine. Fewer people realize it also produces one of Japan's most distinctive beef varieties. Koshu Wine Beef is a high-quality Japanese beef raised on a special diet that i... -
Koshu Beef (甲州牛)
Some Japanese beef brands are famous worldwide. Kobe and Matsusaka come to mind immediately. Koshu beef from Yamanashi Prefecture deserves a place in that conversation too. What Is Koshu Beef? Koshu beef is a branded Japanese wagyu from ... -
Shine Muscat (シャインマスカット)
Some fruits stop you in your tracks. Shine Muscat grapes are one of them. Walk past a display at a Japanese department store in late summer, and the clusters catch your eye immediately. Plump, almost luminously green, each grape sitting ... -
Sweet and Savory: A Guide to Japan’s Snacks and Wagashi
Japan's snack culture is one of the most varied in the world. A single convenience store shelf can hold rice crackers dusted with seaweed, matcha-flavored chocolate, chewy mochi filled with strawberry, and sugar candies shaped like tiny ... -
Types of Japanese Sake: A Beginner’s Guide to Junmai, Ginjo, and Daiginjo
Walk into a sake shop for the first time, and you'll likely freeze. The different types of Japanese sake fill the shelves with unfamiliar labels. The bottles look similar. And nobody told you that the flavor difference between one style ... -
Namazake (生酒)
There's a moment every spring in Japan when something shifts. The cherry blossoms are just beginning to open, the air feels lighter, and at specialty sake shops, a new kind of bottle quietly appears on the refrigerated shelf. It's labele... -
Is Rice Still King? Exploring Japan’s Staple Foods in 2026
Japan enters 2026 with its food scene transforming rapidly. Health trends and global curiosity drive these changes. Rice faces challenges from rising bread and noodle popularity. The food industry adapts to meet evolving dietary preferen...