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June 30, 2026
 

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Simon Daly
No need to go foraging for one of bears' favorite wild vegetables for this dish — just pick it up at your local farmer's market instead.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Jun 28, 2026
Smash tacos with bear-approved veggies
Alpine leeks are a forageable example of the “sansai” (wild edible plants) that make springtime a bounty of flavors across Japan’s countryside — for humans and bear-kind alike.
"Simply Donabe: Japanese One-Pot Recipes" is the latest cookbook from Naoko Takei Moore, an evangelist of the traditional clay pots who now runs a dedicated kitchen-supply store full of the cookware in Los Angeles.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 21, 2026
Can a single clay pot really elevate everything you cook?
In “Simply Donabe,” clay pot evangelist Naoko Takei Moore pushes for cooks everywhere to embrace this traditional implement in every part of their kitchens.
If millions of Japanese people eat these sticky, pungent, fermented soybeans every day, surely they can't all be wrong?
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
May 31, 2026
A little bit of Japan’s infamously sticky soybeans goes a long way
Unlike some other fermented foods, making “nattō” requires the ability to release heat and condensation produced by the bacteria at the center of the process.
Sweet adzuki bean paste gives a more solid base for you to build intricate lattice patterns into your pastry dough.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
May 8, 2026
No added sugar, no problem: A lattice tart held up by sweet beans
Smooth and sweet, “koshian” paste makes for a flexible alternative to traditional tart fillings.
A buttermilk-inspired marinade gives a rich umami flavor to your fried chicken.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Apr 30, 2026
Japanese fried chicken with a Southern twist
Step up your “karaage” game by coating your chicken in a rich miso milk marinade — Southern style.
“The Art and Science of Tempura: A Comprehensive Guide to Ingredients, Techniques and Equipment" offers a deep dive into the art of tempura, from frying methods to kitchen tools.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 3, 2026
How to make better batter for tempura
“The Art and Science of Tempura” cookbook shows you how to make a restaurant-quality crust for your fried ingredients. But will the recipe work in your kitchen?
Biscoff cookie crumbs are perfect ingredients for a scrumptious crust.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Apr 1, 2026
Cookies, miso and milk make a pie for all seasons
Pull off a delicious, no-cream bake with a little help from “kōji” mold.
A bamboo steamer, leftover sushi rice and canned mackerel are all you need to whip up a fuss-free, wholesome meal.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Mar 10, 2026
Need a quick, healthy meal? Steam a bowl of sushi
Make the best use of your leftover sushi rice with “seiro-mushi,” a bamboo basket-steaming method that has caught on with the time-pressed in Japan.
"Hatoshi," a shrimp paste sandwich, was originally part of "shippoku ryōri," a banquet cuisine served at Chinese-style round tables.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Feb 11, 2026
With XO sauce, a Nagasaki shrimp toast turns into a slice of heaven
This Japanese version of a Cantonese favorite is all you need for an indulgent afternoon treat.
Fried eggs in Japan are cooked quite rare, with their runny yolks intact.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Feb 3, 2026
Whip up sesame-crusted eggs for your Japanese breakfast
When it comes to frying eggs in Japan, it’s all about keeping the yolks runny. Get cracking with this recipe that can be done in a jiffy.
Keita Wojciechowski's “Culinary Encyclopedia of Japan Vol. 2: Tools, Techniques, Traditions,” is part dictionary, part textbook.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 28, 2026
No pictures, just text: A Japanese cookbook for the nerds
Keita Wojciechowski’s book, “Culinary Encyclopedia of Japan Vol. 2: Tools, Techniques, Traditions,” makes up for its lack of images with a granular look at cooking methods.
Cold-weather tips that work in Western countries usually need some tweaks to keep you cozy in Japan's winter months.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 22, 2026
Don’t let Japan’s next winter storm catch you cold
Not used to snow and frigid temperatures now pummelling the Sea of Japan coast? Learn how to keep yourself warm until balmier temperatures return.
Sprinkle a little chili powder to your soy hot chocolate for a spicy touch.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Jan 7, 2026
Hot chocolate and soy sauce make perfect bedfellows in winter
The combination of the two ingredients creates a cozy cup brimming with umami.
A spice-infused matcha cake conjures up the flavors of Christmas with a Japanese twist.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Dec 16, 2025
Christmas brings the smell of cinnamon, cloves and matcha
Work the flavors of an “o-toso,” a spice-infused sake, into your green tea cake to create a delicious Japanese-inspired alternative to your traditional yuletide dessert.
As a child, Emiko Davies spent long periods in Japan and was exposed to her grandmother's homecooking.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Dec 9, 2025
A deep dive into Japanese comfort food
Emiko Davies’ latest cookbook, “The Japanese Pantry: From Sake to Soy, Essential Ingredients for Japanese Home Cooking,” answers everything you want to know about the basics.
The miso ramen topped with salmon is a nod to "Tampopo" actress Nobuko Miyamoto's hometown of Otaru, which is known for Ishikari "nabe," a salmon-based hot pot dish.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 23, 2025
From Otaru with love, a recipe for salmon-topped miso ramen
Pay homage to “Tampopo” actress Nobuko Miyamoto by putting together this simple, healthy bowl.
Yoko Nakazawa's debut cookbook, “The Japanese Art of Pickling and Fermenting: Preserving Vegetables and Family Traditions," offers 125 recipes, from fuss-free sweet vinegar pickles to more challenging dishes such as rice bran pickles (above).
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 11, 2025
Brine and dine: A guide to pickling your Japanese vegetables
Yoko Nakazawa’s debut cookbook offers a deep dive into preserving your greens — a method that has formed the bedrock of her family’s culinary traditions.
Inspired by "oyakodon," a chicken and omelet rice bowl, the "oyako" sandwich is perfect for a quick breakfast.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Oct 28, 2025
Turn a Japanese comfort food into a fuss-free sandwich
The secret to a two-minute “oyako” chicken omelet filling for your bread roll is mayonnaise.
The milk-based "horchata" beverage is usually drunk cold, but you can choose to enjoy it warm this season.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Oct 8, 2025
Roasted green tea gets a milky makeover
The fragrant brew works well in a “horchata,” a lightly spiced, milk-based drink that offers a comforting sip this season.
"Real Japanese Cooking: The Only Japanese Cookbook You Will Ever Need" pays homage to home-cooking favorites, such as classic tempura dishes.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 16, 2025
From tofu to teriyaki: Japanese essentials for the home cook
Packed with more than 600 recipes, Makiko Itoh’s “Real Japanese Cooking: The Only Japanese Cookbook You Will Ever Need” is an encyclopedic effort that lives up to its name.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived
Soldiers conduct the first Typhon midrange capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States, firing an SM-6 missile in July last year in Australia's Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
LGBTQ+ families are building lives Japanese lawmakers still struggle to see
Haru Ono founded Nijiiro Kazoku in 2010 after forming a same-sex stepfamily. She said the impetus for founding the organization was that she couldn’t find much reliable information out there for families such as hers in Japan.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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