Ryo Iwa– Author –
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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... -
Tajima Beef (但馬牛)
Most people have heard of Kobe beef. Yet far fewer know the name behind it. Tajima beef is the original — the cattle breed and regional standard from which Kobe, Matsusaka, Omi, and many other prestigious wagyu labels all descend. In fac... -
Sato Nishiki (佐藤錦)
If you've ever wandered through a Japanese department store in June, you've probably seen them. Small, glossy, ruby red cherries. Sitting in a perfectly arranged box, each one nestled in its own little cushion. The price tag might stop y...