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July 24, 2026
 

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RESTAURANTS

Miki Tanaka says that a key part of her service as a sommelier is keeping a close eye on how her customers peruse and engage with the wine list when they first sit down at her restaurant.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 19, 2026
Kansai¡¯s first Michelin-selected sommelier knows how to read a room
In April, Miki Tanaka was given the Michelin Guide¡¯s first-ever sommelier award for Kyoto and Osaka.
Actor Yutaka Matsushige performs a dining scene during the filming of an episode of the TV drama series "Solitary Gourmet" at a tuna restaurant in Chiba Prefecture.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jul 15, 2026
How ¡®The Solitary Gourmet¡¯ became one of Japan¡¯s most enduring TV hits
The understated TV series has won devoted fans by celebrating Japan¡¯s neighborhood eateries and the quiet pleasures of dining alone.
Kabukicho entertainment district in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 14, 2026
Cash is king again at Tokyo¡¯s bars after credit processor fails
Though the impact of Zentoshin¡¯s sudden bankruptcy is limited, it¡¯s a setback for Japan, which only recently shed its notorious cash-only image.
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 8, 2026
Japanese payment processor¡¯s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin, an Osaka-based credit card payment processor, filed for bankruptcy on Monday.
Stephen Lancaster says Sezanne's loss of its Michelin stars is an opportunity to move one of Tokyo's newest fine dining institutions in a new direction.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 5, 2026
Stripped of Michelin stars, Sezanne embraces a changing of the guard
Once awarded three stars, the restaurant now holds none. But new executive chef Steven Lancaster sees the sudden change as a golden opportunity.
La & Le, a new Parisian-style cafe in the posh Minamiaoyama neighborhood, includes two oversized lamps meant to evoke the iconic streetlights of the French capital.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 5, 2026
La & Le brings a slice of Paris cafe culture to Tokyo
After 20 years at the French capital¡¯s iconic Cafe de Flore, Tetsuya Yamashita returned to Tokyo to open a restaurant that captures the spirit of traditional Parisian cafes.
With a golden-brown broth and a host of classic toppings, Rairaiken's shoyu ramen carries on a legacy dating back to 1910.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 3, 2026
Japan¡¯s first standalone ramen shop reopens in Asakusa
Fifty years after it closed its doors, Asakusa Rairaiken is now back to court a new generation of ramen lovers with the shoyu-seasoned broth it created in 1910.
Open from July 3, the Fender Cafe Shimokitazawa hopes to be just another musically inclined entry to the neighborhood's web of live houses.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 3, 2026
Fender opens a second, more unplugged Shimokitazawa cafe
Open from July 3, the Fender Cafe Shimokitazawa seeks to sit alongside the neighborhood¡¯s reputation as a hotbed of Japan¡¯s indie music scene.
A man orders from a kebab shop in the Okubo district in Tokyo.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 1, 2026
¡®My dream is broken¡¯: Japan visa rules push out foreign residents
¡°I always wanted to become a bridge between Japan and Nepal ... but my dream is broken,¡± Budhathoki Samjhana said.
Conveyor-belt sushi operator Kura Sushi, which has been established in the U.S. since 2009, faces a new challenge as Sushiro enters the market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 1, 2026
Kura Sushi to accelerate U.S. growth to fend off rivals¡¯ expansion
The chain is targeting about 300 locations in the U.S. over the longer term, keeping a pace of 20% growth in store numbers each year, its U.S. operations CEO has said.
The food waste amount dropped by 30,000 tons from the previous year to 4.61 million tons in fiscal 2024, the lowest on record.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jun 30, 2026
Japan¡¯s food waste falls to lowest on record in fiscal 2024
The food waste amount dropped by 30,000 tons from the previous year to 4.61 million tons in 2024, decreasing for a third consecutive year.
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Jun 28, 2026
In Kyushu¡¯s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Drawn by the quality of Kanoya¡¯s local produce, chef Yasuhiko Uchida relocated to the Osumi Peninsula. Now, his restaurant is a shining example of Kagoshima¡¯s culinary appeal.
Choushimaru President Ken Ishii speaks during an interview in the city of Chiba on June 5.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 22, 2026
Sushi chain Choushimaru to expand U.S. business
The firm plans to increase Sushi Nigiriba brand outlets in the U.S. under its joint venture with Japanese restaurant chain operator Royal Holdings and Japanese trader Sojitz.
Kodaiji Wakuden, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Kyoto, has found a new side dish for its cuisine: "waka" poems.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 21, 2026
¡®Kaiseki¡¯ fine dining with a side of classical poetry
Kyoto fine dining restaurant Kodaiji Wakuden¡¯s experiment with traditional poems is an interesting, if uneven, experiment in aesthetics.
A customer purchases a bento box at the Matsuya Premium Ginza store on Wednesday morning in Tokyo's Chuo Ward.
BUSINESS
Jun 10, 2026
Two Matsuya companies team up in Tokyo on premium beef dishes
The Matsuya Premium Ginza store offers upscale takeout dishes including premium beef-on-rice bowls.
After helping SingleThread in California to three Michelin stars, Kyle Connaughton has turned his attention to SoNoMa, the counter restaurant in the newly opened Capella Kyoto hotel and the ancient capital¡¯s newest fine-dining experience.
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 24, 2026
What I ate at SoNoMa, Kyoto¡¯s newest fine-dining restaurant
At SoNoMa, chef Kyle Connaughton filters Kyoto fine dining through a distinctly Californian sensibility.
At Stanza della Sincerita, wood-fired "amadai" (tilefish) caught on the Sea of Japan coast is served on a "risotto" topped with diced summer vegetables and seaweed ¡ª chef Makoto Harada¡¯s version of traditional Yamagata-style "dashi."
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
May 16, 2026
One of Japan¡¯s best meals is hidden in a Yamagata hot spring town
Chef Makoto Harada combines Italian flavors with the northern region¡¯s culinary traditions.
Swedish investment fund EQT said it will conduct a tender offer for Japan's Kakaku.com.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 13, 2026
Sweden¡¯s EQT to acquire Japanese firm behind popular restaurant site Tabelog
The Swedish private equity firm has announced plans to acquire Tabelog¡¯s parent company, Kakaku.com, in a deal expected to be valued around ?590 billion.
Giuseppe Errichiello's RistoPizza by Napoli Sta Ca was named Asia's top pizzeria in the most recent rankings from the 50 Top Pizza Asia-Pacific guide.
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 8, 2026
Tokyo¡¯s top pizzaioli have raised the city to the upper crust
RistoPizza by Napoli Sta Ca and The Pizza Bar on 38th have dominated Asia¡¯s best-of pizza rankings.
With six three-starred restaurants in this year's Michelin guide, Kyoto continues to build on its reputation as a gourmet destination.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 28, 2026
Gourmet capital Kyoto now has six three-Michelin-starred restaurants
The latest edition of the Michelin Guide Kyoto & Osaka sees Miyamaso earn three stars ¡ª the first time since 2020 that Kyoto has a new three-starred entry.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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