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Has anyone ever noticed that the Japanese women have particularly nice skin? Well, I decided to do a little research myself about how to achieve glowing skin through diet. However, none of the food that is recommended is Japanese but all can be found in Japan so that’s good enough for me. (more…)

I’m very lucky! I work in a beauty college and get a free lunch as a perk. The lunchroom can sit only about 20 people (closely packed) and is available only for teachers. Students are responsible for their own meals, which many buy at the school store. My lunch is usually hot, includes all the regular Japanese lunch type accessories and did I mention its free!

However, all is not well in this oasis! (more…)

Well after using the folding BBQ a few times I have to say it passes muster. It is a little tricky to light, especially if you use the cheapest charcoal, which is fun! The charcoal I bought looks like wood. It hasn’t been ground up and formed into cubes. I call it free-range organic charcoal! A 1.5kg box costs 300yen and I learned from a friend you can store the box opened up n a corner of your room and it freshens the air. (more…)

I’m coming up on my second week in Tokyo.  During the day I’m a marketing intern and weekend nights I work at a bar.   I feel like I’m running around in circles hopping from one train to the next as I switch lines and try to catch an express.  I haven’t found a place to settle yet so I haven’t been able to cook for myself or at least pack a lunch.

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When you live abroad, one of the many things you miss is food. Not food in general. By no means are you going to starve in Japan, but you miss the food you had back home. Things that had been easy to come by but aren’t any more. Being a little bit of a food freak, I found a lot of ways to get to the things I was craving. I have paid a small fortune at import stores for Haribo and a vast variety of cheeses. I have ordered salsa and oatmeal online and ignored how much extra I was paying for shipping. (more…)

It’s time for a couple little places; the kind without websites, flyers, or expensive course menus. Porco, “the mama’s kitchen”, and Takada, a family-owned izakaya, are two tiny gems of the Senshuu region. Both offer cozy atmospheres free of loud music and full of good conversation. (more…)

Back from the nomikai for another installment of izakaya assessment. I’ll showcase two more franchise izakaya: sibling restaurants Kantekiya and Akachiritei. At eight restaurants strong, Kantekiya and Akachiritei represent restaurants ready for all tastes. Kantekiya focuses on reasonably-priced seafood and general izakaya fare for the every-salary-man gathering. In blazing contrast, Akachiritei burns down taste buds and preconceived notions about Japanese food. Tougarashi-ryouri in Japanese, everything features the red-hot capsicum.

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Summer is about one thing – heat. You can choose to fight it, or embrace it like a lover. I’m a lover of everything summer, so when the sun is out, so am I, at the BBQ. Japanese love the grill as much as anybody, so I invite as many friends as I can and head for one of the thirteen areas I can host a BBQ. Being an Izumisano boy, I like to grill a few burgers at Rinku Town Park, where you can BBQ without fees or reservations.

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