Ryo Iwa– Author –
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Seto Giants Grapes (瀬戸ジャイアンツ)
Seto Giants, known in Japanese as seto jaiantsu, is a large seedless green grape from Okayama Prefecture. It ranks among Japan's premium table grapes, alongside Shine Muscat and Ruby Roman. Each berry carries a shallow dent around its mi... -
What to Buy at a Japanese Convenience Store: Complete Food Guide for Travelers
Japanese convenience store food is one of the cheapest pleasures of a trip to Japan, and for many visitors it becomes a daily habit. Japanese convenience stores are commonly called konbini, a shortened form of the Japanese pronunciation ... -
Akakabu Sushi (赤カブ寿司)
Sushi does not always need fish to shine. In fact, akakabu sushi proves that point beautifully. So what is akakabu sushi? It is nigiri topped with pickled red turnip from Hida. Literally, the Japanese name means red turnip sushi. Specifi... -
Sake Kasu (酒粕): Sake Lees from Brewing to Table
Every bottle of sake leaves something behind. After the fermented mash is pressed, a soft, pale, fragrant solid remains in the press. The Japanese call it sake kasu, and many people wrongly dismiss it as waste. In reality, it is not wast... -
Saika Strawberry (彩夏)
Imagine biting into a sweet, ripe strawberry in the middle of a Japanese summer. For years, that was almost impossible here. Winter ruled strawberry season, and summer berries tasted sour and dull. Saika strawberry is part of how that ch... -
Warimizu (割水): Why Water Is Added Before Bottling Sake
Ask someone how sake reaches its final strength, and most people picture the fermentation tank. Yet one of the last and most quietly important steps happens after brewing is basically done. It is called Warimizu, and it is the practice o... -
The Ultimate Food Guide to Eating Your Way Through Tokyo
Tokyo has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city on earth, yet some of the best meals you'll eat there cost less than 500 yen and come from a stall the size of a closet. That contrast is the whole point. A single day of ea... -
Sanriku Oysters (三陸のカキ)
Sanriku oysters are Pacific oysters farmed along Japan's rugged Sanriku Coast in Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures. Cold, nutrient-rich waters from the Oyashio Current give them a plump body and a deep, briny sweetness. Fishing communities he... -
Tono Jingisukan (遠野ジンギスカン)
Tono Jingisukan (遠野ジンギスカン) is a regional lamb barbecue from Tono City in Iwate Prefecture. Thin slices of lamb or mutton go onto a domed iron pan unseasoned, then get dipped in a soy-based sauce. Its signature feature is the port... -
Nanbu Senbei (南部せんべい)
Nanbu senbei is a wheat-based cracker from Aomori and Iwate, unlike most rice-based senbei found across Japan. Bakers press the dough in round iron molds, giving it a mild, slightly nutty flavor. Locals in Tohoku even simmer it in soup, ...