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Yuzu is a citrus fruit native to East Asia, particularly Japan, Korea, and China. It has a unique flavor that is a cross between lemon and lime, with a tart and aromatic taste. The fruit is often used in Japanese cuisine, both for its zest and juice. Yuzu is popular in dishes like sauces, dressings, and marinades, and it’s also used in sweets, teas, and cocktails. The zest is highly valued for its fragrant, zesty aroma. Recently, yuzu has gained international popularity and can be found in many food products worldwide. I bought a lot of small yuzu fruits and decided to make a simple yuzu syrup to preserve them and enjoy the flavor for a long time.
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Toyosu Market (Toyosu Fish Market) is a large market located in Koto City, Tokyo, where fresh fish, vegetables, meat, and other food items are sold. It moved from Tsukiji Market in 2018. It became an important place for Tokyo’s food industry, like the “new Tsukiji Market,” where you can buy fresh ingredients or enjoy meals.
Near Toyosu Market, there is a facility called “Senkyakubanrai (千客万来).” This facility is designed to welcome a large number of visitors and provide a variety of experiences for both tourists and locals. The name “Senkyakubanrai” literally means “welcoming thousands of guests,” and the facility focuses on offering activities such as dining, shopping, and sightseeing.
Sakura Mochi (桜餅) is a Japanese confectionery associated with cherry blossoms and is made by wrapping rice cake sweets in cherry leaves. This wagashi is made with a special flour called domyoji flour and steamed to give it a unique texture.
There are two types of what are called “sakura mochi,” one invented in the Kanto region and spread mainly in eastern Japan, and the other invented in the Kansai region and spread throughout Japan.
Although it is a confectionary eaten year-round, today it has become one of the essential sweets for the Dolls’ Festival, partly because it is colored pink to resemble cherry blossoms with food red, as the name implies.
Matcha is a type of powdered green tea, and it is especially used in Japanese tea ceremonies. Matcha is made by steaming tea leaves, drying them, and then carefully grinding them into a fine powder using a stone mill. Unlike regular green tea, matcha involves drinking the tea leaves themselves.
Matcha is loved not only for its use in tea ceremonies but also as an everyday beverage. In recent years, it has become widely used in sweets, drinks, and cooking. In this article, we will introduce the basic way to make matcha.
Are you looking for a place to have fun with kids in Tokyo, especially on a rainy day, where they can run around and play? Here’s a recommended spot: ASOBono!, a large indoor playground located in Tokyo Dome City in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. It’s a popular spot for families where children can play to their heart’s content!
ASOBono! is designed for children from infants to elementary school students, offering various areas that help enhance their creativity and physical abilities.
Adventure Ocean Area: Right when you enter the facility, this area catches your eye. It features a large ball pit, slides, and plenty of space to move around and play. There are also trampolines, and my kids always start by getting active here.
Crawl Garden Area: This area is dedicated to infants aged 0-24 months, with soft mats laid out for crawling babies. The space is enclosed to prevent babies from wandering too far, and there are age-appropriate play equipment available for them.
Nikujaga is known as an important Japanese home meal. “Niku” means meat (and it’s usually Japanese beef for this dish) and “Jaga(-imo)” means potato. Other than Japanese beef and potato, there are carrot and onion. As for color and texture, you can add green beans and Shirataki to add volume. It’s a bit funny but it is said that if young women she can cook this dish very well, she is ready for getting married. What an interesting and important dish!
Fukagawa-meshi is a traditional local dish originating from the Fukagawa area in Koto Ward, Tokyo. It primarily features clams, such as asari (Japanese littleneck clams), and was popularized among fishermen as a quick and easy meal.
The name comes from the area’s historical association with fishing and water transportation since the Edo period.
Fukagawa-meshi is also recognized as one of the “100 Selected Local Dishes” by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. It can also be enjoyed at home, with many recipes highlighting the umami of clams.
Anmitsu (あんみつ) is considered as a summer dessert but we can buy it all year around here in Japan. This Japanese style parfait is made of small cubes of agar agar jelly, red bean paste called anko, mochi, various fruits, ice cream (either vanilla or matcha flavor) and boiled red beans. It’s usually served with brown sugar syrup called Kuromitsu that you pour over the Anmitsu before enjoying this sweets.
How about having a break from visiting hustle bustle touristy spots in Tokyo and enjoying the Japanese garden? Kiyosumi Gardens (清澄庭園) is a traditional Japanese garden located in Kiyosumi, Koto Ward, Tokyo.
Renowned for its tranquil scenery and historical significance, it is one of Tokyo’s most beautiful gardens. Designed in the Edo and Meiji periods, this garden features a *chisen-kaiyu-shiki* (circuit-style pond) layout, offering visitors a chance to enjoy picturesque landscapes throughout the year.
At the teahouse in Kiyosumi Gardens, visitors could enjoy matcha and traditional Japanese sweets.
TV :
news every. by NTV 2024 (Japan) NEW!
Discover Japan in Your Fridge by ABC TV 2023 (Japan)
Tokyo Broadcasting System Television 2022 (Japan)
Cool Japan by NHK 2022 (Japan)
Fuji Television Network 2022 (Japan)
Biz Stream by NHK World 2021 (Japan)
Cool Japan by NHK 2020 (Japan)
Biz Stream by NHK World 2018 (Japan)
Web Media :
Forbes JAPAN (Japan)
@DIME (Japan)
JapanTravel.com (Japan)
The Points Guy (USA) NEW!
Babble.com (by Disney) (USA)
YouTube :
Cosa mangiamo oggi? (ITALY)
Raphael Gomez (UK)
Newspaper :
deStandard (Austria)
Nikkei (Japan)
Nikkei MJ (Japan)
Radio :
“Living in Japan” by NHK Radio (Japan)
J-Wave (Japan)
Magazine :
TOEI Transportation GUIDE (Japan)
東洋経済 Toyo-Keizai (Japan)
Nittone (にっとね）Local magazine (Japan)
Harmony by ECC Language school (Japan)
Movie :
“DASHI and SHOYU“, guest speaker
“Lost in translation“, 🙂
Note : This article was first submitted in Jan 1st, 2017 and resubmitted in Feb 15, 2025 to reflect revisions.
