It has been a question for a long time - why we don't hear much about "Yedo* Cuisine" even in Tokyo, while there are much about "Kyoto Cuisine." For this question, Zenshiro Kurihara, 10th owner of Yaozen, which was established during Kyoho Period (1716~1735) of Yedo Era and one of the most successful restaurant during Yedo Era, gave an answer together with the history of Yaozen and Yedo Cuisine (read more)
Nearby the famous Tsukiji fish Market, which is a highlight of Tokyo sightseeing especially travelers from abroad, Japanese oldest confectionery "Shiose" locates its home store and factory. Though the Second World War burned most area in central Tokyo, the district around Shiose remained safely because American air force avoided attacking a big hospital which existed around there. Including the war, the 650-year-old Japanese confectionery experienced many disastrous events (read more)
Bathhouse murals fading fast in Tokyo
Huge wall paintings of Mt. Fuji are a traditional fixture at Japanese bathhouses. People love to bathe at the foot of the famous mountain or with other wellknown landmarks surrounding them. These paintings, named penki-e after the Japanese word for the industrial paints artists use to create the huge murals, have been around for more than 90 years and have survived wars and depressions. An important part of Japanese pop art history, they are now in danger of disappearing (read more)
A few minutes walk from the East Exit of JR Ebisu Station in Tokyo leads one to a restaurant that is a bastion of old-fashioned male eating habits. Packed with salarymen and laborers, the restaurant is located near a corner tobacco store, a traditional tatami shop and an old grocery in an antiquated patch of Ebisu that does not fit the district's stylish image (read more)
During the Yedo Period, when Shogun Tokugawa family governed Japan, Ryogoku-Bridge was constructed over the Sumida River. The river ran through the eastern part of Yedo, and it divided the area into two. The bridge was built to connect the two areas - Musashi and Simosou. The word "Ryogoku" in Japanese means to connect two areas, and the bridge was named after it. Then, the the area around there has been also called "Ryogoku (read more)
Usually, Japanese traditional restaurant "Shinise" displays short split store curtain, so-called “Noren,” at its entrance. Hanging from top of the door, "Noren" expresses its identity of the business, and it is one of the most important things for traditional Japanese businesses - sometimes it is thought as its soul. Owners of Japanese traditional businesses often say “my job is to save Noren,” which means to continue its business and preserve tradition (read more)
If you are an enthusiastic fan of art or literature, the Hotel Chelsea in Manhattan is probably a place you desire to stay. This is where Arthur Miller slept and wrote, Mark Twain was a guest, and literary scholar Arnold Weinstein lived for 30 years. Artists such as Jim Dine and Larry Rivers were also guests of the hotel (read more)
"I am lucky to have been born here because this city appreciates old buildings with historical value," said Motoko Abe, owner of Tu Prends Du The cafe in Hakodate, Hokkaido (read more)
In front of a small, old-fashioned game arcade in an old residential area in Ebisu, Tokyo, which contrasted with the stylish modern towers of nearby Yebisu Garden Place, a man who appeared to be in his 60s was standing alone one autumn evening (read more)
One evening in early April, Keisuke Okutani sat down at a cafe located on the ground floor of the Plaza, a hotel treasured by New Yorkers. Okutani, who has worked for 10 years at the Plaza, expressed concern over the future of the hotel, which was due to undergo a remodeling that would see many of its rooms sold off as condominiums (read more)
On Sunday morning, it's a good idea to tune your radio to 810 kilohertz and do nothing but relax. Well-selected smooth jazz and relaxing talk confirm that it's the weekend. If you are driving, the sound from the car's speakers helps ease the tension of driving. Stay tuned till the afternoon, when the famous program American Country Countdown kicks up its boot heels (read more)
At his South Korean friend's wedding reception in Seoul, 36-year-old Japanese Ken Sakata was puzzled. Although he gathered as much information as possible and he thought he could fully prepare for a Korean-style wedding, he missed one thing. Seating was free in the reception room and guests could sit anywhere they desired. It was quite different from Japan, where seats are assigned to each guest (read more)
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