Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Drawn by the quality of Kanoya’s local produce, chef Yasuhiko Uchida relocated to the Osumi Peninsula. Now, his restaurant is a shining example of Kagoshima’s culinary appeal.
No need to go foraging for one of bears' favorite wild vegetables for this dish — just pick it up at your local farmer's market instead.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Jun 28, 2026
Smash tacos with bear-approved veggies
Alpine leeks are a forageable example of the “sansai” (wild edible plants) that make springtime a bounty of flavors across Japan’s countryside — for humans and bear-kind alike.
Recent years have seen "nattō" (fermented soybeans) join a series of fermented foods, from kimchi to kombucha, that have surged in popularity worldwide as Americans in particular seek better digestive health following the COVID-19 pandemic.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 22, 2026
‘A little funky’: Japanese ‘nattō’ disgusts and delights the world
Aside from its supposed health benefits, ‘nattō’ has long been loved in Japan for its stunning affordability — charms the rest of the world seems to be warming up to.
"Simply Donabe: Japanese One-Pot Recipes" is the latest cookbook from Naoko Takei Moore, an evangelist of the traditional clay pots who now runs a dedicated kitchen-supply store full of the cookware in Los Angeles.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 21, 2026
Can a single clay pot really elevate everything you cook?
In “Simply Donabe,” clay pot evangelist Naoko Takei Moore pushes for cooks everywhere to embrace this traditional implement in every part of their kitchens.
Kodaiji Wakuden, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Kyoto, has found a new side dish for its cuisine: "waka" poems.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 21, 2026
‘Kaiseki’ fine dining with a side of classical poetry
Kyoto fine dining restaurant Kodaiji Wakuden’s experiment with traditional poems is an interesting, if uneven, experiment in aesthetics.
Opened in March, Bar Trench Kyoto is the first Kansai outpost of the Ebisu cocktail institution.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 14, 2026
A Tokyo cocktail institution sets its sights on Kyoto
Opened in March, Bar Trench Kyoto is the first non-Tokyo outpost of the Ebisu cocktail institution.
Tomomi Duquette is the owner of Snow Satoyama Sake, one of just three breweries that have opened in Niigata Prefecture since 1953.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 14, 2026
Newcomer to hallowed Niigata sake scene is already winning awards
Sake evangelist Tomomi Duquette is breathing new life into the heartland of sake brewing.

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival