Villa Aida

TAEKO TERAO
Sustainable Japan Magazine writer

Pushing boundaries with cuisine rooted in place Located in Wakayama Prefecture, Villa Aida isn’t surrounded by great scenic beauty or...

Chef Kobayashi changing Japan’s restaurants

By TAEKO TERAO, TRANSLATOR：CARRIE EDWARDS

KANJI KOBAYASHI Born as the eldest son of a part-time farmer in Iwade, Wakayama Prefecture, Kobayashi traveled to Italy in...

État d’esprit

Robbie Swinnerton
Contributing writer

Innovative, modern Okinawan cuisine rooted in local foods and flavors Dinner at Restaurant État d’esprit opens not in chef Yasuhiro...

Kataori

Robbie Swinnerton
Contributing Writer

Hyperseasonal regional cuisine for the ultimate in destination dining When it comes to depth of flavor and intense regional focus,...

Nihonryori Takamura

Robbie Swinnerton
Contributing writer

Edo-style dining in Akita on the Sea of Japan coast Hidden away in the residential backstreets of Akita, Nihonryori Takamura...

Chimikepp Hotel

Robbie Swinnerton
Contributing writer

Michelin-starred modern French cuisine deep in the mountains of Hokkaido Surrounded by thick forest, Chimikepp Hotel lies deep in the...

Nihonryori Yukimoto

Robbie Swinnerton
Contributing writer

Kaiseki cuisine with confidence from the mountain and river When Takayuki Hagiwara opened his new restaurant right across the road...

Restaurant Uozen

Robbie Swinnerton
Contributing writer

Creative, sophisticated, local: Regional bounty on the plate When chef Kazuhiro Inoue and his wife, Mariko, decided that they’d had...

Tonoya-Yo

Robbie Swinnerton
Contributing writer

Reinvigorating rustic traditions with finesse and flair Tonoya-Yo, chef Yotaro Sasaki’s atmospheric inn and restaurant in the rural heartland of...

Cuisine régionale L’évo

Robbie Swinnerton
contributing writer

Regional dining redefined at newly opened gastronomic auberge in the Toyama mountains If you are among those who believe that...