News On Japan

Just 30mins From Tokyo: KAWAGOE Historic Town Food Tour!

TOKYO - Just an hour away from Tokyo in Saitama, Kawagoe's cobbled streets, well-preserved historical architecture, and nostalgic ambiance transport visitors back to a bygone era. Often referred to as ‘Koedo’ or ‘Little Edo,’ this charming city resonates with the spirit of Japan's Edo period.

Join Shizuka as she steps back in time and journeys to old-world Japan! The adventure begins at Kawagoe's iconic Toki no Kane bell tower, dating back to 1639. Next, our host craves Kawagoe-style street food, which she tracks down at Koedo Osatsuan, a shop known for its sweet potato chips dipped in cream!

Sweet tooth activated, Shizuka strolls to her next destination… Kawagoe Cheese Cake. But which flavor will she choose? Kawagoe Sweet Potato Cheese Cake Mont Blanc, of course! Fuelled and ready to continue the journey, Shizuka makes her way to an unagi (eel) shop, another Kawagoe specialty. She tried a regional delicacy called Umaki, which combines the words ‘unagi’ (eel) and ‘tamagoyaki’ (Japanese rolled omelet).

Seeking some solace from the summer heat, Shizuka searches for a snack to cool her down, which presents itself in the form of Kyuri Asazuke (chilled pickled cucumber). Our host strolls on to Kashiya Yokocho for some more nostalgic sweet treats. Stop number one is an 85cm Fugashi (a dried wheat gluten snack coated in sugarcane sugar). Stop two sees Shizuka try her hand at candy glass blowing! Stop three involves an ice cold Coedo Beer, the perfect way to end the day.

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An evacuation order has been issued for the entire city of Ishinomaki and parts of Marumori in Miyagi Prefecture as heavy rain caused by the autumn rain front disrupts transportation across the region, with a linear rainband potentially forming along the Pacific side of Tohoku through the evening.

Heavy rain caused by the autumn rain front continued to disrupt rail services across the Tohoku and Kanto regions on September 7, with parts of the Shonan-Shinjuku Line and other routes remaining suspended while some major Tokyo commuter lines returned to normal operations after running reduced services earlier in the day.

Typhoon No. 24 (Krovahn) was near Minami-Daito Island, about 300 kilometers southeast of Okinawa, as of 3 a.m. on September 7, moving east-northeast at about 10 kilometers per hour and expected to weaken into a tropical depression by the afternoon, although strong winds and high waves were forecast to persist before its remnants move north and potentially intensify the autumn rain front over western and eastern Japan later in the week.

Tokyo has unveiled the design for a major redevelopment of the plaza outside Shinjuku Station's west exit, with a landmark tree, water-play area and event space planned as part of a transformation centered on "greenery, light and people" that is scheduled for completion in 2035.

A late former professor at Asahikawa Medical University has won the Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine for scientifically examining the proper way to blow the nose, extending Japan's streak of Ig Nobel winners to 20 consecutive years.

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MORE Food NEWS

The autumn red snow crab season has opened on the Sea of Japan coast, with the first auction at Kasumi Fishing Port in Kami, Hyogo Prefecture, recording a top price of 300,000 yen for a single crab on September 4.

Japan's Environment Ministry will conduct its first survey of animal cafes, where customers can interact with animals including exotic species, as concerns grow over infection risks, injuries and the welfare burden placed on animals.

Japan byFood and Shizuka are back with Worth The Trip the series where we will discover food spots in Japan that are actually worth traveling for! This time we are going to award-winning eats around Tokyo under one rule – we can only eat for $10 or around ¥1,600 yen.

Japan's 2026 rice harvest is expected to show mixed results across the country, with yields slightly above the previous year's level in five prefectures, roughly unchanged in 20 and slightly lower in 21, according to an Agriculture Ministry forecast released on August 31.

The edamame harvest has begun in Nakasatsunai, Hokkaido, one of Japan's leading production areas, with favorable weather supporting strong growth and farmers expecting about 3,000 tons of the local specialty to be harvested by mid-September.

Traditional vegetables cultivated in Tokyo for generations are facing a growing threat from extreme heat and a shortage of farmers willing to carry on their cultivation, with some growers reporting that seeds are failing to germinate or young plants are dying in increasingly severe summer temperatures.

Production of Asahi Ponzu, a popular seasoning that has been a fixture on Kansai dining tables for decades, has been suspended for the first time in the product's roughly 60-year history as a severe shortage of sudachi citrus exposes a deepening crisis in Tokushima Prefecture, which accounts for 98% of Japan's shipments.

Gutsu Grill Shinjuku has been serving hearty, affordable steak in Nishi-Shinjuku since 1999, attracting crowds with generous portions and a menu built around value for money. The 44-seat restaurant regularly fills up at lunchtime, with customers praising its tender meat, large servings and reasonable prices.