Mochi stuffed with a sweet white bean paste and seasonal fruit. Café @Kazu_Nakashima in the Higashi Chaya district of Kanazawa specializes in fruits mochi. The building housing the cafe dates to the Edo period (1603-1867) and is as charming as the sweets. The shop serves teas, other sweets, and mattcha latte. Chef Nakashima is a…
Category: travel
Metropolis magazine for restaurants, trends, and new openings.
I have returned to writing for Metropolis magazine. Here you’ll find restaurant reviews and monthly columns on new restaurants and food trends in Tokyo. Here is a link to my pieces: https://metropolisjapan.com/author/ysakamoto/ Thank you for following Food Sake Tokyo. We are still offering market tours in Tokyo.
Ito Onsen – Shizuoka
Ito Onsen in Shizuoka is a lovely onsen resort town that can be reached using the cool Super Odoriko train, from Tokyo Station. Ito Onsen is on the Izu Hanto (peninsula), famous for onsen (hot springs) and seafood. The train has extra large windows, which overlooks Tokyo Bay in Shizuoka (left side of the train…
Osaka
Osaka is a city for great eats and should be on your radar if you love Japanese food. I have family in Osaka and have always enjoyed visiting, but have forgotten how good the food is here since I have been spending more time in Kyoto. Now I am kicking myself. Osaka is easily accessible…
Niigata Echigo Yuzawa
Just one hour from Tokyo on the shinkansen, Echigo Yuzawa is a fun get-away to a snowy paradise. There are mountains for skiing, and even play areas for kids to sled. Even ski gear and snow boots can be rented, so no need to go up with heavy bags. We left sunny Tokyo and after…
Niigata – Sake Tasting at Echigo Yuzawa Station
Echigo Yuzawa is a short shinkansen ride from Tokyo station, just over an hour. We left Tokyo on a sunny morning and when the train shoots out of the the Niigata mountain side of the tunnel, we were in a snowstorm. It was like a dream come true. Echigo Yuzawa station has a special sake…
Tuna Lovers’ Day Trip From Tokyo
Misaki Maguro Kippu is a special discounted train, bus, and lunch ticket that is a fun day trip from Tokyo for tuna lovers. Many Japanese train and bus lines offer discounted tickets for round-trip excursions. Misaki is a famous port for tuna. Maguro is tuna, and kippu is for ticket. The Misaki Maguro Kippu can be…
Travel – Shirakawa-go Nomura Soba
O Shirakawa-go is a world heritage site in Gifu, near Takayama, known for its wooden buildings with thatched roofs. It’s not easy to get to as trains don’t run here directly, so a bus is necessary. It’s a romantic village and pretty in winter, I would love to come back in summer. Grabbing lunch in…
Nunohan Ryokan – Suwa, Nagano
When deciding where to stay while traveling in Japan there are many considerations for type of stay. When we can, we try to stay at local ryokan inns with onsen hot springs. Nunohan was put on my radar by a friend who lives in Suwa, Nagano. We loved it. The ryokan is kid-friendly, had lovely cuisine,…
Suwa, Nagano Sake Breweries
A short trip from Tokyo is Suwa in Nagano. The city of about 50,000 people sits on the shore of lake Suwa and has mountains nearby. We love coming here as it is one train from Tokyo, as the air is refreshing, and Nagano is known for good sake and food, particularly soba. We are…
Tomiya Soba in Suwa, Nagano
While in Suwa in Nagano we happened upon this local soba-ya near Suwa station. The noren (curtain outside the shop) that said teuchi (handmade) soba caught our eye. Nagano is famous for growing soba buckwheat so we try and eat as much soba as we can while in Nagano. During our visit in spring there is…
Nagano Masumi Brewery
We love Nagano. It’s just north of Tokyo, easy to access by train, and here you’ll find delicious food and great sake. Suwa is a city that is accessible from Tokyo by train, about two hours from Tokyo on the express train, Azusa. Not the shinkansen, but it passes many stations along the way. Here…
Atami Mugitoro Doji 麦とろ童子
Atami is a seaside resort south of Tokyo. If you have access to a car, then put Mugitoro Douji on your radar. I believe you could also come by bus, but best to look into the details. Mugitoro is a dish made from rice cooked with barley (mugi) that is topped with grated yamaimo (mountain potato),…
CNN Tokyo Point of View
We had the great pleasure of working with CNN International for a new television show called Point of View. In the show you see my point of view as I go shopping for food in Ginza. I won’t tell you more, until the show is out. For now, here is the times that the program…
SFO Peruvian Cooking Classes with Chef Nico Vera
We recently had the pleasure of hosting chef Nico in our Food Sake Tokyo cooking classes. After he returned to San Francisco, a Peruvian friend of ours, Janice Espa, took a cooking class with him. We are pleased to share this with you. The following post is by guest blogger Janice Espa of San Francisco….
Fuji-san from a Helicopter
A friend of mine took these amazing photos of Fuji-san from his helicopter. I was so mesmerized and just wanted to share them. The bottom left photo is a shot from the helicopter looking into the top of Mount Fuji. I don’t think I will ever be in a helicopter flying over one of the…
Hiroshima Oysters – Mitsukoshi Kakigoya
A trip to Hiroshima was timed around oyster season, which is just now coming to an end. Shinji has not been and for him it’s all about the seafood, so we flew to Hiroshima and traveled around the area for about two weeks. Sadly we were told at the restaurants we did visit that they…
Hiroshima – Obscura Coffee Roasters
Obscura Coffee Roasters in Tokyo’s young Sangenjaya district has a branch in Hiroshima. The location is sweet as it is in the city center and easy to access to department stores and the Peace Park. It opens at 9 a.m. and has plenty of seating. The front window on this quiet side street brings in sunlight…
Keio Takao-san Onsen Gokurakuyu 京王高尾山温泉極楽湯
There is a brand new onsen at the Keio line Takao-san Guchi station. It is located just behind the new station, designed by Kengo Kuma. If you are going by JR Chuo line, when you get to Takao station, transfer to the Keio line and go one more station. Mount Takao is a great mountain…
Kyoto Honke Owariya Soba 京都本家尾張屋
Owariya is a Kyoto soba shop with a rich history, that can be traced back hundreds of years. I love the branch in Takashimaya as it is near many popular sites such as Nishiki Market and Gion. As the shop is in a department store, it is also kid-friendly. The vegetable tempura soba (1620 JPY)…
Tsuruya Supermarket in Nagano
We love visiting local supermarkets when we travel. Tsuruya is a chain of supermarkets in Nagano that has been on our Go List since it was featured on a television program. It has a strong private brand (PB) program that is very popular with their customers. These items on this blogpost are all PB products…
Nagano Ohmachi No no Hana Soba 長野大町 手打ちそば 野の花
No no Hana in Ohmachi is a quiet soba shop where the master makes the noodles from scratch. It is far from the station so a taxi would be needed if you don’t have a car. Here is the kamo seiro, soba with a duck and leek dipping sauce. The menu (Japanese only) was quite extensive and…
Planting a Vineyard in Nagano
My first work in the wine world was at Coco Farm and Winery, just north of Tokyo. I had left New York City a year after 9/11. Coco Farm and Winery is an amazing home to students with developmental disabilities and autism. My new home was the perfect transition out of New York City. The…
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
I have always been fascinated with the snow canyons of the Kita Alps (North Alps) between Nagano and Toyama prefectures, also near Gifu. We were in Ohmachi, Nagano to help a friend plant a vineyard for wine so jumped at the chance to visit the famous Alpine Route. The snow canyons only open to the public…
Tokyo Station’s Popular Ekiben 東京駅人気駅弁
Ekiben are literally bento from different eki or stations in Japan. Part of the pleasure of traveling by train in Japan is sampling a variety of local foods sold in bento boxes at major stations throughout the country. A bento from a coastal village most likely will showcase locally harvested seafood while a mountain village may feature vegetables harvested from the…
Haneda International Airport Restaurants
Having worked for a travel company for a decade I have spent countless time at airports around the world. Once my luggage has been checked in I really enjoy the free time before boarding the plane. Airports are great for people watching, and if you are lucky, another opportunity for a nice meal. Haneda’s international…
Drinking Japan by Chris Bunting
Imbibers in Japan, be on the lookout for Drinking Japan, A Guide to Japan’s Best Drinks and Drinking Establishments. The author, Chris Bunting, has an impressive website on Japanese whisky: http://www.nonjatta.blogspot.com/ Here is the link to the book on Tuttle Publishing’s website: http://www.tuttlepublishing.com/book/?GCOI=48053100473120
Junko Nakahama – Tour Guide to Yanesen Area
My friend Junko Nakahama is a food and wine writer in Tokyo. She has recently started to conduct Saturday tours of the popular shoutengai area Yanesen (Yanaka, Nezu, and Sendagi). This article from Metropolis magazine (by my editor Steve Trautlein) interviews Junko on some of her favorite foodie spots in Tokyo. http://metropolis.co.jp/dining/table-talk/junko-nakahama/ (text follows) Some…
Setouchi Shunsaikan Antenna Shop
Setouchi Shunsaikan せとうち旬彩館 Minato-ku, Shinbashi 2-19-10 港区新橋2-19-10 Tel. 03-3574-7792 10:00 – 20:00, no holidays http://www.setouchi-shunsaikan.com/ (Japanese) This shop is a collaboration of both Ehime and Kagawa prefectures in the rich Setouchi inland sea on the island of Shikoku. Naturally this shop has a wide variety of seafood. Ehime is also famous for its production of…
Murakara Machikara Antenna Shop in Yurakucho
While antenna shops typically represent a prefecture, this shop carries a mishmash of items from all over Japan. The shop is not that organized, so you have to know what you are looking for. There are several antenna shops in the Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan, like Hokkaido, Akita, and many more, so definitely worth spending some…
Kagoshima Yurakukan Antenna Shop in Yurakucho
Japan is a small country, about the size of California, yet each prefecture and region has its own local food and the Japanese treasure these regional products. There is no better expression of the diverse terroir of Japan than its local commodities. Kombu harvested from the rich mineral waters of Hokkaido. The southern prefecture of…
Travel – Himi Fishing Port 氷見
Some more photos of the Himi Seafood Auction in Toyama. If I understand correctly, this is a list of the licensed buyers at the auction. As you can see in photos below, buyers will have a tag, usually on their hat, that auctioneers can recognize that these people are authorized to purchase at the auction….
Travel – Himi Fishing Port in Toyama 氷見魚市場
On the coast of Toyama on the Sea of Japan is a famous fishing port. In the winter it is renowned for its kanburi or winter buri (yellowtail). Rich in fat, it melts in your mouth like fatty tuna. Don’t worry if you miss the early morning auction as there is a retail market next…
Travel – Gero Onsen’s Shimura 下呂温泉の志むら
One of my favorite places in all of Japan is Gero Onsen in Gifu prefecture, in the heart of the Japanese Alps. I first came to know Gero Onsen through a friend, Leif Hagen, who was an English teacher there. Leif introduced me to Hiroko Sensei who is pictured here. On our honeymoon Shinji and…
Kawagoe – A Day Trip from Tokyo to Little Edo
Ken Belson in the New York Times pens a great article on the city of Kawagoe which is just about an hour north of Tokyo. This is a great day trip and my favorite shop in the city is a knife shop, Machikan. I believe it is a seventh generation shop. We have a few…
Machikan Knife Shop in Kawagoe, Saitama
Kawagoe in Saitama is a short train ride just north of Tokyo. This historic city is charming and a great day trip. The downtown “kurazukuri” area is filled with old, wooden buildings and this tall bell tower. Shinji and I came to Kawagoe to purchase knives for each other. Machikan is on the main street…
Ukai Toriyama in Takao
On the outskirts of Tokyo in the shadows of Mount Takao (Takao-san) is Toriyama. Part of the famous Ukai chain of restaurants, is a garden filled with private rooms for a meal based on grilled chicken kaiseki. This is a dining experience that is worth the trip out to Hachioji, about an hour from Tokyo…
Food Sake Tokyo 