A dojo in the middle of the East Village, Robataya ramps up the American ideal of Japan in a glittering commercial of a meal. Empty bottles of sake line the wood-paneled walls and the giant table in the entryway seats 24 and overtakes the room Fresh fish and vegetables are on display in baskets, and everything here, from mushrooms to […]

I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to Japanese spirits. The only alcoholic Japanese drink that I am familiar with is sake, and that is because it is sold all over the city in many restaurants. Shochu  is actually a Japanese spirit that is distilled from barley, sweet potatoes, buckwheat or rice. Sometimes it is produced from other ingredients […]

At the bottom of Japan’s southern Fog Island Mountains is the small town of Komachi. Within the town there are several “storms” gathering.  Michelle Bailat-Jones’s Fog Island Mountains is about the initial grief one feels when confronted with devastating news. Jennifer Ikeda narrates Bailat-Jones’ novel in its moving audiobook version. Ikeda is an award-winning narrator of dozens of audiobooks and actor […]

Kobe Bussan Group had a press conference on September 15th to introduce Shabu Shabu Kobe Midtown. The press conference included Shoji Numata, Kobe Bussan CEO; Hirokazu Numata, Kobe Bussan President; and Hideo Sugimoto, President of G.taste Co. Ltd. Aside from Shabu Shabu Kobe Midtown, Kobe Bussan has business plans to open more locations in the future. The name of the […]