We will expand the field of view from efforts focused on satoyama, the natural areas around farmlands, to include satokawa and satoumi bordering rivers and the sea, and will collect, share and disseminate a wide range of practical information such as matching these efforts with existing industries, sales and distribution networks for new products, and tourism from abroad.
A starry rice is born: How Tottori created the unique Hoshizoramai
Maiko Muraoka
Contributing writer
Tottori Prefecture in the Chugoku region is known as the least populous prefecture in Japan, blessed with a wealth of...
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...
Locally active vineyards face impacts of global climate change
Maiko Muraoka
Contributing writer
Japan may not be recognized as a major grape- or wine-producing country, but actually there are vineyards and wineries all...
A tale of two cities’ castles, and how they survived the centuries
Maiko Muraoka
Contributing writer
Every municipality has a characteristic or landmark that its residents think of as their symbol. On July 29, the 18th...
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...
Island town’s wave of reform reverses tide of depopulation
Maiko Muraoka
Contributing writer
A small island in the Sea of Japan has managed to put the brakes on depopulation by preserving and improving...
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...
Pesceco
Robbie Swinnerton
contributing writer
A young chef makes waves with his creative hometown cuisine Perched on the waterfront of the Shimabara Peninsula, looking out...
Art triennial revitalizes rural Echigo-Tsumari region
Maiko Muraoka
Contributing writer
The 16th Satoyama Cafe, a talk session organized by the Japan Times Satoyama Consortium and moderated by its secretariat chief,...
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...
Think globally while eating locally, then spread the word
Maiko Muraoka
contributing writer
Food can be an effective tool for regional promotion. Every region has its own unique food — a delicacy that...
Dancing the cycle of birth and death at Kiyomizu Temple
Eri Karatsu
Dance Base Yokohama, Artistic Director
On March 11, 2021 — exactly 10 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake and a year after the day...
