When I was much younger, I was a soccer goalkeeper. What I lacked in height I made up for with a total disregard for safety. My body was a plaything and I hurled it around, never thinking of pain or consequence. My reflexes were hair-trigger, synaptic pulses told my body to move and the response …
Japan does not know what to do with immigrants. They need immigration. They want immigration. But, Japan is a habitual half-stepper when it comes to both immigration policy and the day-to-day business of integrating foreigners into Japanese society. This is a major problem. Japan is aging rapidly and those who are not aging are …
I turned 51 last week. Not an inspiring birthday. The celebratory mood of hitting a half-century is gone, the long, slog towards old age is all that remains. That said, my wife felt differently. A birthday is a birthday and worthy of celebration. So, she asked what I would like to do. In the past, …
In the southwestern corner of Sendagaya, where Kita-Sando bumps up on Aoyoma, there are a number of impeccably designed restaurants dispensing natural wines, high-end yakitori, French bistro food, craft beers and more. An entire block is taken up by an outpost of LA’s iconic Ron Herman boutique. Peek inside and it seems a slice of …
The first time I ever had an inkling that I might want to live in Japan was while watching Juzo Itami’s 1984 film “Tampopo.” For those that do not know the film, Tampopo is both an homage to and parody of American Westerns; the location is Tokyo, the “damsel in distress” is a widowed ramen …
I am not a fancy cocktail guy. My preference is a frosty beer or the ubiquitous Lemon Sour (shochu and soda water with fresh lemon juice). I like wine with food. When it comes to hard alcohol, I enjoy whiskey and ice, shots of near-frozen vodka or a good tequila; perhaps a gin and tonic …
One of the many pleasures of traditional Japanese cooking is that there are a number of dishes that transform, during the course of a meal, into something completely different — these are (for lack of a better description) “two-for-one” specials, and I love them. The most classic example is Hot Pot a.k.a Onabe (or Chanko if a …
I received a call the other night from a pal from the US concerned that I had not been eating well as I had not made a post in a while. I had to confess that my lack of blogging activity did not have to do with a lack of good food, but rather a …
There is a general truth regarding noodles in Japan: people either favor udon or they favor soba, but everyone loves ramen. This was true for me during my first year living here in Tokyo. But somewhere along the line, I just tired of ramen. It was very “un-Tokyo” of me, a kind of internal act …
Growing up in America, the “rainy season” meant saying “April showers mean May flowers.” Did it really rain more in April? I have no idea. I don’t remember any real increase in precipitation come April. Maybe there were a few days, a few moments when my mother would put out those horrible galoshes for me …
