Robot Fried Chicken in Osaki, Tokyo

Japan is known for its futuristic automation. The convenience store chain, Lawson, decided to get in on the game with its own robot that cooks and dispenses fried chicken for the masses.

Pocky Day in Japan

11/11, November 11th, is Pocky Day here in Japan. It’s pretty low-key; you won’t really find it unless you really look for it. The consumer-based holiday isn’t really all that old or revered, but it did come about from a bitter rivalry with a certain country across the Sea of Japan, or the East Sea, […]

Learning to Make Beer Bread, Phase 1

With the acquisition of our microwave/oven combo, my wife and I entered a new phase of our life in Japan. Prior to our purchase, we would watch The Great British Bake-off and swoon over all the tasty baked goods we saw. We vowed to bake and bake hard once we got an oven, and now […]

Minoo Falls and Minoh Brewery

Osaka can really get you down. The drudgery of everyday life, the rat race, the grind, the hustle; it can all really make you yearn for simpler times, simpler pleasures. Luckily, the weekend warrior can find his or her arena just a short train ride outside the city in a small town called Minoo. Go […]

Japanese KitKat Flavors Episode IV

More and more KiKat flavors enter my world, but what is this I see? Is it… a new hope for KitKats? Maybe so! In my vain attempt to try as many of the 200+ flavors in Japan, I humbly submit a few more for your consideration.

Museum of Yebisu Beer: History and Beer

While visiting Ebisu a week ago, my wife decided that we would go to the Yebisu Beer Museum, just a short walk from Ebisu Station. I’m not a big fan of Japanese macro beers, but I figured it would be a nice experience. Little did I know, it would turn out to be much, much […]

Vanitoy Bagel: Bagels in Japan

Bagels are a unique baked good, if you stop and think about it. They have become very ingrained in many parts of American culture and society, so much so that we seem to have them mentally categorized as essential as bread. You see them everywhere and can enjoy them at the drop of a hat, […]

Even More Japanese KitKat Flavors

The sheer number of flavors seems to be never-ending. Just when I think I’ve figured out most of the flavors, I find something new and interesting to try. My quest to catalogue as many flavors as I can may have been a foolhardy one, but I must press on. I present to you the next […]

Japanese Craft Beer You Should Be Drinking

I’ve had the great fortune to travel a fair amount around Japan, from Hokkaido down to Kyushu (no Shikoku or Okinawa… yet!). I always like to find out something local about the place I’m visiting: local dishes, local sights, and local drinks. While I haven’t been everywhere in Japan yet to sample food and drink, […]

More Japanese KitKat Flavors

If you thought those first few flavors were the only KitKat flavors available, you would be wrong! There are a seemingly endless number of flavors, many of which seem to be seasonal or limited edition, many more of which I have been able to encounter. I will share the next batch of flavors with you […]