People are very serious about soba – buckwheat noodles – in the Kansai region and nowhere more serious than Genji Soba. Genji was founded in 1929 down at Shinsekai and…
Shopping in Japan is exhausting and it is amazing what a little green tea and a whole lot of sugar can do to recharge your enthusiasm.
While the hoards of tourists flock to teppan restaurants like Chibo and the more upmarket President Chibo, I much prefer to eat with the locals at Fukutaro in Namba. This…
I am pretty sure Hakobune means “a place to get properly drunk” because that’s what happens every time I sample from the 500+ strong sake list. This irori style restaurant…
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of eating horse and in particular basashi or horsemeat sashimi. For many years I have yearned to visit Kumamoto and dine on…
As a frequent traveller to Tokyo I have never been a big fan of the Roppongi area, however Shogo Takeda head chef of Nabura has managed to change my mind.…
There is a belief in the western world that Japanese men (and women) are underperformers on the drinking front. Whilst true for some of the population who have a deficiency…
The J-Pop version of the famous Bob Marley tune sounds over the ipod speaker thanks to impromptu DJ Tanaka san, a salaryman from Suita. It’s half nine and we shuffle…
Morning prayers at the Fukuchi-in monastery are a serene experience and take place around 6am. The ancient temple is elaborate and after prayers we are taken on a tour of…
As a card carrying carnivore I wouldn’t normally get excited about vegetarian food but I’ve just flown 11 hours, caught 2 trains, a cable car and a very dodgy bus,…