All aboard one of Japan's most scenic train lines
A local photographer’s passion for his hometown saves a disaster-wrought railway in Fukushima. Here's my piece for the Japan Times. A hot-spring bathhouse along the Tadami Line is also highly recommended. Surrounded by forests and with a river just in front of you, the view from the bath is superb.
Night Bakery Gives Bread and Jobs to Those in Need
Here's my piece for Tokyo Weekender, featuring an initiative led by a culinary expert to help people in need, while reducing food waste. Nahomi Edamoto, the culinary expert, passed away in February 2025. I’d like to express my deep respect for all she accomplished during her life and offer my heartfelt condolences.
Maruto Shoyu: Nara's oldest soy sauce warehouse back as a hotel
Here's my article for Japan Travel. It’s a revival story of a centuries-old soy sauce brewery in the ancient Japanese capital of Nara. Staying in the 130-year-old wooden warehouse and enjoying a traditional meal feels almost like slipping back to the days when samurai still walked the streets. It’s more than a stay — it’s […]
Natsumame in Kyoto Vows to Make You Love Natto
The fermented soybeans are notoriously pungent, but a natto restaurant in Kyoto gives tips for getting that first bite down. Here's my article for Tokyo Weekender on a Natto restaurant in Kyoto's Gion district.
Avatar Robot Café Dawn: Power to the People With Disabilities
Here's my article for Tokyo Weekender, featuring Avatar Robot Cafe Dawn. At this café, people living with ALS and other severe disabilities—many of whom can’t easily leave their homes—work as remote “pilots,” operating OriHime and OriHime-D robot avatars to greet guests and serve food. Talking with the staff is genuinely moving. Even while navigating tough […]
How Kohei Matsuno Makes 3D Latte Art Magic at Hatcoffee
Here's my article for Tokyo Weekender, featuring a pioneering 3D latte artist who runs his own cafe in Kuramae, near Asakusa area.
Sarasa Nishijin
A historic bathhouse given a second life Here's my article on a Kyoto café created by renovating a charming old sento bathhouse.
Kitaya Park in Shibuya
A revamped park hosting the area's first Blue Bottle Coffee Here’s my piece for Japan Travel on a nice place to take a rest while strolling in Shibuya.
Homeless people in Japan can stay with their pets, thanks to Street Cat Bob
Here’s my article for the British magazine The Big Issue.
Kutani Ware Designed to Help Japanese Craftspeople and Ukrainian Refugees
Industrial designer Yohei Inagaki laments loss of cultural assets and takes action. Here's my article for Tokyo Weekender, featuring a Kanazawa-based industrial designer. His plates are just adorable — pour in a little soy sauce or dipping sauce and a sakura pattern magically appears. It’s one of those uniquely Japanese pieces you can only pick […]