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August 12, 2026
 

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Phoebe Amoroso
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.
The current exhibition at 21_21 Design Site is A-POC Able¡¯s first venture outside fashion, though it follows in the footsteps of its founder Issey Miyake, who launched a lighting collection in 2011 with Italian company Artemide.
LIFE / Style & Design
Nov 2, 2025
New generations of designers carry Issey Miyake¡¯s legacy
From pleated garments to glowing lamps, the designer¡¯s philosophy continues to evolve through new brands, collaborations and generations.
Tokyo's Jimbocho neighborhood is a haven for book lovers, its rows of secondhand bookstores spilling over with printed materials.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Oct 18, 2025
What does Jimbocho think of its unexpected ¡®cool¡¯ status?
The book town¡¯s residents weigh in on their home topping Time Out magazine¡¯s ¡°coolest neighborhoods¡± list.
At Syn, chef Naoto Ohno's playfulness is evident in the "Apple," a replica fruit filled with applejack-flavored foie gras and served on a plate decorated with a familiar logo.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 5, 2025
With a global approach, Syn gives French cuisine plenty of latitude
Up-and-coming chef Naoto Ohno draws from his rich travel experiences to redefine cooking traditions at his restaurant in Fukuoka.
The Eggplant, Trang Pepper and Mole dish encapsulates Igniv Bangkok's philosophy of weaving Thai ingredients into its creative Swiss food.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 8, 2025
With Igniv Bangkok, the Thai capital¡¯s fine dining scene gets a boost
The progressive Swiss restaurant is emblematic of the city¡¯s evolution toward a diverse gourmet destination that includes choices from modern German to creative Japanese.
Vocaloid idol Hatsune Miku and kabuki actor Nakamura Shido II first performed together in 2016. This month, they¡¯re reviving the show for the Osaka World Expo.
CULTURE / Stage
May 17, 2025
Traditional performing arts are plugging into modern audiences
Noh and kabuki are getting an image update by teaming up with pop culture figures such as Vocaloid idol Hatsune Miku and DJ Ken Ishii.
At Japan's top cocktail bars, ice is as important an ingredient as any bottle you'll see on the shelf.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 30, 2025
The cold complexity of ¡®pure¡¯ Japanese cocktail ice
To some Japanese bartenders, the secret to a great cocktail lies not just in the mixologist¡¯s skills but also the quality of the ice.
Bar Bota, the 37th-floor watering hole at the Four Seasons Osaka, looks out on a glittering cityscape better known for its cheap eats and drinks.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 9, 2025
Slowly but surely, Osaka emerges from Kyoto¡¯s fine-dining shadow
The majority of tourists go to Osaka with street food on their minds, but the city is rapidly improve its elevated dining options as well.
Created by a Hokkaido workshop, this Camembert represents the vanguard of Japanese cheeses no longer content with a reputation as low-quality, processed slices.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 16, 2025
Fresh off awards, Japanese cheese seeks a taste ¡®unique to this land¡¯
A growing number of Japanese cheesemakers are gaining international recognition, and some are aiming for a new frontier of flavor.
At several high-end restaurants in Tokyo, tatami is becoming a part of the dining experience ¡ª not underfoot but as a tabletop place mat for phones.
LIFE / Style & Design
Jan 25, 2025
Why tatami is going from the floor to the dining table
As smartphones have become integral to daily life, they are being incorporated into traditional Japanese hospitality.
Despite ongoing struggles, 2024 had plenty of bright spots for Japan's sake industry.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Dec 15, 2024
Glass half full: Â鶹´«Ã½ sake industry celebrates a brighter 2024
Despite a general decline in consumption, new openings and greater awareness gave Â鶹´«Ã½ sake lovers reason to cheers this year.
Timeleft uses an algorithm to match its users with five or six strangers in an effort to prompt ¡°human connection¡± over dinner at a restaurant. It determines the attendees with the help of a simple personality quiz available when you sign up for the service.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Dec 2, 2024
Seven strangers and an algorithm: Can this new dinner app help you make friends?
An app called Timeleft hopes to combat big-city alienation through a simple meal with a diverse group of people.
Virtu is located on the 39th floor of the Four Seasons Tokyo hotel in the Otemachi neighborhood of Chiyoda Ward.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 11, 2024
Virtu brings hospitality award home to the country of ¡®omotenashi¡¯
This is the first time a bar in Japan has earned the distinction from the Asia¡¯s 50 Best Bars organization since it was first awarded in 2020.
Ayatana's hand-pounded curry paste is just one example of what chef Bo Songvisava calls her revival of traditional Thai cuisine.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 8, 2023
Ayatana elevates Thai comfort food to gourmet cuisine
Japan has no shortage of Thai food, but this new Kyoto restaurant aims to transcend its reputation of a casual bite.
For drinks surrounded by some of Tokyo¡¯s sleekest skyscrapes, Marunouchi House¡¯s rooftop terrace can¡¯t be beat.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Top 5
Aug 27, 2023
Skyline sips: Tokyo¡¯s best rooftop bars
Instead of relegating it to a cherry blossom-related niche, Tokyo is recognizing the allure of drinking outside.
Ater Jimmie Husen
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 6, 2023
On plates, Sweden and Japan are a natural pair
Swedish and Japanese cuisine are not natural allies, but diners in Japan don¡¯t seem to care when they taste this unique fusion for themselves.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 30, 2023
The ¡®Two Faces¡¯ of Gold Bar¡¯s cocktails make for surprising sips
Minato Ward has no shortage of expensive cocktails, but Gold Bar mixes in as much style as the best of them.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 23, 2023
Japan tastes success at Asia¡¯s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony
The evening in Singapore marked the first full, in-person night of awards since the pandemic began.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 14, 2022
Subterranean sake: Cave aging Â鶹´«Ã½ national drink
Sake isn¡¯t usually aged. When it is, though, it¡¯s virtually never done over years in repurposed underground caverns.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Aug 4, 2022
So you want to be a stand-up comedian?
Learn the tricks of the trade at Tokyo Comedy Bar, the capital¡¯s new stand-up comedy venue.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
Yasukuni Shrine introduces ban on military attire and cosplay
People gather in front of thousands of lanterns on display at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on July 15 during the Mitama Matsuri, one of the capital's largest summer o-Bon festivals.
Many Indonesians named after Japanese anime characters
Some people in Indonesia are named Doraemon, the name of a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title.
Strong wind and heavy rain forecast as tropical storm approaches Japan
Tropical Storm Chan-hom is expected to make landfall in northern Kanto between late Tuesday and early Wednesday.
Where do foreign residents in Japan want to die?
The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery is one of the few cemeteries in Japan that allows burials, albeit with conditions for the deceased, including foreign nationality and permanent residency in Kanagawa Prefecture.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
As Â鶹´«Ã½ concrete jungles sizzle, urban forestry offers an all-natural fix
People and birds find relief from the sun in Tokyo's Nakano Ward earlier this month. While experts agree that urban greening is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change, trees are becoming even more scarce in Japanese cities.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
J. League enters new era as league kicks off first fall-spring campaign
Players from each J. League club pose during a kickoff event on Monday ahead of the start of the 2026-27 campaign.

Podcast

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

Longform

Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
What Kumamoto revealed about Â鶹´«Ã½ earthquake readiness
By Alex K.T. Martin

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