Tokyo Guide : Harajuku
Are you interested not only in Takeshita Street fashion but also in the gourmet food and sweets that Harajuku has to offer? The Harajuku area is known as a hub for youth culture and fashion. Takeshita Street, in particular, is lined with shops offering the latest fashion trends and unique items, attracting many young people.
The district is home to several popular tourist attractions, including Meiji Shrine, an oasis of nature in the heart of the city; Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku, which features the rooftop garden “Omohara Forest”; and Laforet Harajuku, a symbol of Japanese street fashion.
Harajuku is also a place where diverse food cultures come together. It is famous for Instagram-worthy sweets like crepes and cotton candy, as well as a variety of restaurants and cafés serving cuisines from around the world.
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Japanese Home Meals : 1
Menu:
– Miso soup with komatsuna, fried-tofu and silken tofu [Recipe]
– Japanese rice [Recipe]
– Nikujaga [Recipe]
– Onsen tamago
– Natto *fermented soybeans
– Pickled plum
Paired tea:
– YUCa’s Tea : Genmai-cha
Tokyo Guide : Joyful Minowa in Arakawa
How about experiencing a unique side of Tokyo, away from the crowded tourist spots? There’s a shopping street that will make you feel like you’ve stepped into a retro trip through the city’s old downtown.
Joyful Minowa (ジョイフル三の輪) is a historic shopping street located in Minami-Senju, Arakawa Ward, Tokyo. Spanning approximately 400 meters, this covered arcade street extends from Minowabashi Station, the first stop on the Toden Arakawa Line (Tokyo Sakura Tram), to Arakawa-itchūmae Station. It features around 120 shops and is a well-loved destination for both locals and visitors.
Originally established in the Taisho era, Joyful Minowa retains a charming, retro atmosphere reminiscent of Showa-era Tokyo. The shopping street is particularly popular for strolling, street food, and traditional shopping experiences.
You can reach this shopping street easily by taking the Tokyo Sakura Tram, the last streetcar line in Tokyo, from the nearest station of my cooking school. Riding the streetcar from the station to the final stop offers a bit of a journey experience, making it a fun and scenic way to get there.
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Recipe : Miso Soup
Miso soup is an essential part of Japanese cuisine. It is usually made by simmering various ingredients in a base of dashi (Japanese soup stock) and miso (soybean paste). This time, I will make miso soup using my family’s favorite ingredients : wakame seaweed, tofu, and Fu (wheat gluten).
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Japanese Food for Kids : 1
🍱 Menu
– Rice balls with various toppings
– Miso Mayo Chicken [Recipe]
– Potato Croquette
– Tofu salad
– Nori seaweed
– Miso soup with wakame and fried tofu [Recipe]
– Yogurt with strawberry jam
🎬 Behind the scenes
This menu was created when my child was still very young. I chose onigiri—mixing various ingredients with the rice so they can be easily eaten by hand—and opted for chicken to provide a good source of protein. Since my child doesn’t eat much soup, I served it in a small bowl. I also included seaweed, rich in dietary fiber and minerals, as a snack-like side. Finally, yogurt topped with strawberry jam was added to help supply calcium and vitamins.
Note : This recipe was first submitted on January 12, 2021, and resubmitted on March 21, 2025, to reflect additional information.
Recipe : Yuzu syrup
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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Tokyo Guide : Toyosu Fish Market
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.
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Recipe : Sakura Mochi
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.
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2 : What time do children in Japan usually go to school and come home?
In this series, I’ll be sharing questions that our customers have asked!
Q. What time do children in Japan usually go to school and come home?
A. The times at which Japanese children go to and return from school vary slightly depending on the school and region. For elementary school students, the typical time to leave home for school is between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m., ensuring they arrive before classes begin. The time they return home depends on their grade level. Lower-grade students usually finish school around 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., while upper-grade students may finish around 3:30 to 4:00 p.m.
For junior high and high school students, the school day tends to start earlier. They typically leave home between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. Students involved in extracurricular activities, such as club practices, may go to school even earlier for morning training sessions. School ends around 4:00 p.m., but many students stay later—until 6:00 or 7:00 p.m.—for club activities.
In addition, a significant number of students attend cram schools (juku) or extracurricular lessons after school, which often results in them returning home even later than their school dismissal time.
Recipe : How to prepare Matcha
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.
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