To enjoy fine food accented by good drink is the height of epicureanism. Kion, a small restaurant opening today in Ginza is dedicated to such pleasure. The name “Kion“ means “seasonal garden“ and the restaurant has taken as its mission serving set menu meals made with seasonal ingredients, each course set off by a carefully … Continue reading Kion: Exquisite sake/cuisine pairings in Ginza
In these Covid times, hanami parties, picnics under blossoming cherry trees are discouraged. The next best way to enjoy the blossoms is by staying on your feet, a stroll under the blossoms. There are plenty of Tokyo neighborhoods where one can enjoy Japan's famous sakura. Let me introduce Ota-ku's Sakura Promenade, less well known than … Continue reading Chasing Cherry Blossoms Along Uchigawa
Heading west from Meguro Station it's all downhill, a descent into the Meguro River valley. Particularly dramatic is the descent on a narrow laneway accessed from the main exit of Meguro Station (on the southern side of Meguro-dori). This steep slope is known as Gyonin-zaka. A gyonin is a Buddhist ascetic, and apparently Daienji, a … Continue reading Meguro’s Gyoninzaka – a different slant on Tokyo history
Anyone who's ever wandered into a kitchen knows how important a good knife is to food preparation. Arguably, Japanese kitchen knives, developed from Japan's long sword-making tradition, are the best in the world. Nenohi knives are among the most popular with professional chefs in Japan, even though the company is relatively young by Japanese standards, … Continue reading Japan’s Cutting Edge Cutlery
This article describes a seven lucky gods pilgrimage, a short walk popular in the New Year's season as a means to secure good fortune for the new year, something most of us especially want for 2021! The walk is an easy distance (less than 5 km.) and goes through one of Tokyo's oldest neighborhoods. (Archived … Continue reading The seven lucky gods of Fukagawa: Ensuring a good year to come
Manga and anime are features of modern Japanese culture that have become popular worldwide. Many visitors to Japan seek out the manga culture and even actual places associated with manga, in a sense, seeking to bring the manga to life. While manga have been around as an art form since the late 19th century, arguably … Continue reading A closer look at some work of manga master Tezuka Osamu
This pair of articles in Tokyo Weekender provides an exploration of an interesting working class neighborhood with a wide variety of ethnic features. Part I - Kamata: Tokyo's Multi-Ethnic ShitamachiPart II - Dining in Kamata: A Culinary World Tour in Tokyo's Multi-Ethnic Shitamachi
Japan's autumn leaves are at least as spectacular as its springtime blossoms, but are more widespread and last longer, giving us more time to enjoy them. While cherry blossoms are mostly enjoyed in urban settings, the autumn leaves are at their most spectacular when viewed across a mountainside or other natural expanse. Many people think … Continue reading Leaf Peeping at Pigeon’s Nest
September 2020 saw the opening of an amazing new commercial complex just next door to Haneda Airport. It is called Haneda Innovation City and it is located above Tenkubashi station on the Keikyu and Tokyo Monorail lines. The complex of eleven stylishly low-slung buildings (eight have already been constructed) will be home to various types … Continue reading Haneda Innovation City: combining technology and tradition
As a general matter, Autumn is festival season in Japan. Alas, the pandemic has forced cancellation of festivals across the nation, some for the first time in centuries, others for the first time in decades. Since 1989, the Tokyo neighborhood of Nakanobu has hosted a "Furusato Matsuri" (hometown festival) on Nakanobu Skip Road, a 330 … Continue reading Nakanobu Furusato Matsuri: neighborhood festival put on hold
One hundred years ago, two brothers, Shirai Matsujiro and Otani Takejiro decided to make movies. The brothers had already been in the entertainment business for 25 years, having started in 1895 with a Kyoto kabuki theater and growing their business from there to a chain of theaters with various kinds of live entertainment in several … Continue reading Kinema in Kamata: a piece of Japan’s cinematic history
In mid-March 1868, Katsu Kaishu (1823-1899), Army Minister for Tokugawa Yoshinobu, last of the Tokugawa shoguns, was returning to his home in Edo (present day Tokyo) after successfully negotiating for the peaceful surrender of Edo Castle to troops representing the new government of the Emperor Meiji (1852-1912). The negotiations had taken place at Shoto-en, on … Continue reading Katsu Kaishu: living history by thinking future
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