JAPAN ［AOMORI］
Japanese Ingredients for the World’s Top Kitchens ＃06
BLACK GARLIC
From Niche Health Fad to Sought-After Chefs’ Darling

Aomori farmer Shin’ichi Kashiwazaki was an established grower of garlic and other root vegetables like daikon, burdock, and nagaimo yams when, back in 2006,
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Jul. 5, 2021

JAPAN ［TOKYO］
Japanese Ingredients for the World’s Top Kitchens ＃05
ORGANIC VEGETABLES
All-Natural Farming Right in Tokyo

Takanori Yamakawa farms 1.7 acres of land smack in the middle of a residential area in Tachikawa, Tokyo.
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Jun. 7, 2021

JAPAN ［IBARAKI］
Japanese Ingredients for the World’s Top Kitchens ＃04
STRAWBERRIES
Soil Makes All the Difference

Firm, sweet and juicy, the strawberries grown by Kazutoshi Murata at his family farm in Ibaraki prefecture are snatched up by high-end ryotei restaurants, hotels, and
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) May 10, 2021

JAPAN ［KOCHI］
Japanese Ingredients for the World’s Top Kitchens ＃03
HOTHOUSE LEMONS
Yamakita Green Lemons, Ideal for Summer

The last time we visited Tsugio Betchaku in Kochi prefecture, in June 2019, he was teaming up with other growers to establish a warm-season hothouse supply of yuzu.
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Apr 12, 2021

Japan [Aomori]
Japanese Ingredients for the World’s Top Kitchens ＃02
RAPESEED OIL
Cold-Pressed and All-Natural, Straight from the Land

In the heart of the Shimokita Peninsula at the northernmost tip of Japan’s main island lies Yokohama-machi, a rural township facing Mutsu Bay.
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Mar 15, 2021

Japan [Yamagata]
Finding the meaning of life in the mountain of Yamagata

When we arrive at Farm Red & Green after lunch on a sunny November afternoon, all is quiet, save for the rustling of new-born calves shifting position on a bed of straw.
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Mar 8, 2021

Japan [Yamagata]
Community spirit drives hospitality in Tendo

On a modest plot of land near JR Tendo station, in Yamagata Prefecture, farmer Yoshinori Wakatsuki is growing akane-horenso – a red-stemmed variety of spinach hearty enough to thrive under a blanket of snow – alongside a small bounty of other crops in sprouting rows.
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Mar 1, 2021

Japan [Aomori]
Japanese Ingredients for the World’s Top Kitchens ＃01
Black Currants
Handpicked Goodness from Aomori, Rich in Polyphenols

“Our shrubs are grown from seedlings brought to Japan from Germany in 1965. After that, European growers began to selectively breed for larger fruit with tougher skins, for harvesting by machine.
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Feb 25, 2021

Japan [Yamagata]
Heirloom vegetables and pickles: cornerstones of Yamagata’s food culture

On my first day in Yamagata, I’m surprised to discover that the bowl of chicken ramen I’ve ordered at Suishaki Soba, a noodle restaurant in the township of Tendo, comes with a side of crunchy takuan pickles made with daikon radish.
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Feb 22, 2021

Japan [Yamagata]
In the mountains of Yamagata, innovation is brewing

A drizzly November morning, steam wafts up to the ceiling beams inside the Dewazakura Shuzo sake brewery in Tendo City.
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Feb 1, 2021

Japan [Yamagata]
A treasure trove of unexpected culinary delights in Tendo

In late November, the mountains surrounding the city of Tendo, in the northeastern prefecture of Yamagata, are ablaze with autumn splendor.
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Dec. 30, 2020

Japan [Yamagata]
TSURUOKA　TOPICS
Tsuruoka’s shining light of gastronomical delights

In December 2014, Tsuruoka became the first ever Japanese city to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a “City of Gastronomy.”
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Nov. 17, 2017

Japan [Tōhoku]
Turn Tohoku's farming and fishing villages into destinations!
"Fooding Tourism（Culinary Tourism）" travel to satisfy your intellectual and gastronomic curiosity

We have made continuous efforts to collect information from all over Japan,
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Nov. 9, 2017

Japan [Yamagata]
Mountains and the sea： Heart and soul of the Shonai Region in Yamagata

High on the slopes of Mount Haguro
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Sep. 28, 2017

Japan [Iwate]
Iwate's enduring food traditions

Restaurant L’aureole stands atop a steep cliff overlooking the tree-dotted Sanriku Coast of Iwate Prefecture.
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Sep. 13, 2017

Japan [Aomori]
Creating new value from Aomori's culinary past.

The windswept Tanesashi Coast, on the eastern edge of Hachinohe city in Aomori Prefecture, is a 12-kilometer stretch of variegated terrain that looks out onto the Pacific Ocean.
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Sep. 6, 2017

Japan [Iwate]
In Iwate,
the flavor of resilience.

The Japanese proverb,”Aru-wa nai ni masaru” translates loosely as, “Something is better than nothing.”
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Aug. 23, 2017

Japan [Aomori] Tasting Tsugaru
Where tradition and innovation coincide

The roads that wind through the lush landscape of the Tsugaru Plain in Aomori Prefecture are lined with rice paddies and orderly groves of fruit trees.
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Aug. 2, 2017

Japan [Saitama]
Beyond ordinary itineraries

Tokyo was selected as the World’s No.1 city by an U.S. Travel Magazine in 2016.
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Mar. 2, 2017

Japan [Saitama] Beyond ordinary itineraries
Vol.1 The Chichibu area in Saitama prefecture
A great attempt to make a new tradition in the Chichibu area
- Venture Whisky, Ichiro’s Malt -

Good water is key for sake brewing. Subterranean rivers which flow from the holy mountain
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Mar. 2, 2017

Japan [Saitama] Beyond ordinary itineraries
Vol.1 The Chichibu area in Saitama prefecture
A great attempt to make a new tradition in the Chichibu area
- Maple Base –

Very few people would turn up their noses at the sight of pancakes drenched in plenty of maple syrup
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Mar. 2, 2017

Japan [Saitama] Beyond ordinary itineraries
Vol.1 The Chichibu area in Saitama prefecture
A great attempt to make a new tradition in the Chichibu area
- House of Miyamoto, an old farmhouse –

Chichibu used to be known as one of the biggest silk producing regions in Eastern Japan
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Mar. 2, 2017

Japan [Saitama] Beyond ordinary itineraries
Vol.1 The Chichibu area in Saitama prefecture
A great attempt to make a new tradition in the Chichibu area
- Chichibu Meisen House –

Many people know of Japan’s beautiful kimono these days but fewer have heard of Meisen.
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Mar. 2, 2017

Japan [Chiba] Beyond ordinary itineraries
Vol.2 The Hokuso area in Chiba prefecture
Tradition - inheriting the spirit and soul-

The most famous tourist attraction in Chiba would be Tokyo Disney Land
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Mar. 30, 2017

Japan [Niigata] Beyond ordinary itineraries
Vol.3 Niigata prefecture Tsubame-Sanjo
The place for Artisans who breathe life into their craft

If you say you are going to Niigata, nine out of ten Japanese would say
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Apr. 6, 2017

Japan [Niigata] Beyond ordinary itineraries
Vol.4 Niigata prefecture　Niigata city
The Power of Fermentation Can Also Connect People, Events and Products

Like other historical cities in Japan,
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Apr. 10, 2017

Japan [Ibaraki] Beyond ordinary itineraries
Vol. 5　 Kasumigaura and Mt. Tsukuba area in Ibaraki prefecture
Fascination of the area is like a constellation, it comes out when the dots are connected.

If Tokyo is the only destination for your trip to Japan,
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Apr. 13, 2017

Japan [Iwate] Beyond ordinary itineraries
Vol.6 The Hiraizumi and Ichinoseki Area in Iwate Prefecture
Like Lotus Flowers Grown from 2,000-year-old Seeds

“Chipangu (Japan) is an Island towards the East in the high seas, 1500 miles distant from the Continent; and a very great Island it is.
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Aug. 23, 2018

Japan [Iwate] Beyond ordinary itineraries
Vol.6 The Hiraizumi and Ichinoseki Area in Iwate Prefecture
Artisanal Crafts Handed from the Past in the Hiraizumi Area.The Spirit of Artisans, Unbeaten by the Changes of the Time.

Like Chuson-ji, which was unbeaten by the fall of the Oshu Fujiwara clan and serial fires
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Aug. 23, 2018

Japan[Nagano/Tokyo] Beyond ordinary
itineraries
Vol.7 Sumida City, Tokyo / Obuse Town, Nagano prefecture
Hokusai or Snow Monkeys?

Now that you have visited Sumida, the birthplace of Katsushika Hokusai
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Aug. 28, 2018

Japan[Nagano/Tokyo] Beyond ordinary itineraries
Vol.7 Sumida City, Tokyo / Obuse Town, Nagano prefecture
Two Towns Bridged by Hokusai

“Without the Japanese printmaker Hokusai, Impressionism might never have happened.”
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Aug. 28, 2018

Beyond ordinary itineraries
Vol.8 The Izu Peninsula (South and West Coast) in Shizuoka Prefecture ①
The Peninsula That Encapsulates All the Best Features of Japan

Approximately 20 million years ago,
Read More ...

Journal / Japan Aug. 30, 2018

Beyond ordinary itineraries
Vol.8 The Izu Peninsula (South and West Coast) in Shizuoka Prefecture ②
Unwind Your Mind in 20 Million-Year-Old Water

The Izu Peninsula is an exchequer of hot springs,
Read More ...

Journal / Japan Aug. 30, 2018

Japan[Nagano]Beyond ordinary itineraries
vol.9 Hakuba Area in Nagano Prefecture The White Horse for Philosophers and for Athletes

A 1-hour-drive from Nagano Station will take you to Hakuba village
Read More ...

Journal / Japan Mar. 29, 2019

Japan[Niigata]Beyond ordinary itineraries
vol.10 Itoigawa Area in Niigata Prefecture Itoigawa, the Ancient Jadestone Town, at the Edge of the Great Rift

Itoigawa is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in the westernmost parts of Niigata Prefecture.
Read More ...

Journal / Japan Mar. 29, 2019

Japan[Kanagawa]Beyond ordinary itineraries
vol.11 Part1 Odawara Area in Kanagawa Prefecture Listen to the Lingering Sounds of History
Tourist Attractions Within 15 Minutes on Foot from Odawara Castle　〈Part1〉

Read More ...

Journal / Japan Mar. 29, 2019

Japan[Kanagawa]Beyond ordinary itineraries
vol.11 Part2 Odawara Area in Kanagawa Prefecture Listen to the Lingering Sounds of History
Tourist Attractions More Than 15 Minutes on Foot from Odawara Castle　〈Part2〉

Read More ...

Journal / Japan Mar. 29, 2019

Japan [Kagawa]　Beyond ordinary itineraries
vol.12 Part 1 Shodoshima Island in Kagawa Prefecture Shodoshima, the Island with Various Aromas

While many may know that Greenland is the largest island in the world
Read More ...

Journal / Japan May. 30, 2019

Japan [Kagawa]　Beyond ordinary itineraries
vol.12 Part 2 Shodoshima Island in Kagawa Prefecture Shodoshima, the Island with Various Aromas

In the area from the stomach to the hind leg of the cow - or more precisely,
Read More ...

Journal / Japan May. 30, 2019

Japan [Aomori]
Aomori black garlic travels across the seas

Black garlic raised in Aomori prefecture is gaining attention in the world of gastronomy on a global scale.
Read More ...

Journal　/　Japan (English) Mar. 5, 2016