Food

Crowds Line Up for Local Delicacies at Aioi Oyster Festival

HYOGO, Feb 09 (News On Japan) - The Aioi Oyster Festival is underway in Aioi, Hyogo Prefecture, offering visitors a taste of the region’s specialty oysters.

The city, known for its thriving oyster farming industry, has resumed sales of shell-on oysters after a suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oysters cultivated in Aioi Bay are known for their rich flavor and firm texture, retaining their plumpness even when cooked. Visitors indulged in the freshly prepared oysters, savoring their juicy, briny taste.

"The texture is firm, and it's incredibly delicious," one visitor remarked.

"It's amazing!" another added.

Stalls at the festival served a variety of oyster dishes, including oyster soup and deep-fried oysters, drawing large crowds eager to enjoy the seasonal delicacies.

Source: KTV NEWS

Shibuya Passes Plan for 2,000-Yen Fine for Littering

Shibuya Ward has approved an ordinance that would impose a 2,000-yen fine for littering on public streets, while also penalizing shops that fail to provide trash bins. The measure was passed on December 10th and targets both individuals who discard waste and businesses near major stations that offer takeout services, raising questions about whether the approach will meaningfully reduce trash on the streets.

Six-Time Women's Shogi Champ Challenges Maternity Restrictions

Shogi player Kana Fukuma, who currently holds six women’s titles, revealed on December 10th that she has submitted a formal request calling for revisions to the Japan Shogi Association’s rule that prevents players from competing in title matches during a set period before and after childbirth.

Popular Baby Names in Japan Reveal Cultural Shift

The most popular baby names of 2025 were led by Minato for boys and Sui for girls, according to rankings released by Meiji Yasuda Life, which highlighted continued enthusiasm for certain kanji characters and showed how naming trends have evolved since the survey began in the first year of the Taisho era.

Japan Issues Warning for Potential Large Aftershock

A powerful earthquake with a seismic intensity of 6+ struck Aomori late on December 8th, prompting the Meteorological Agency to issue a temporary tsunami warning for coastal areas along the Pacific side of the prefecture. While the warning has since been downgraded, the government is urging caution after authorities announced, for the first time, a heightened possibility of another large earthquake occurring off Hokkaido and the Sanriku coast.

Japan Adjusts Plan to Raise Departure Tax to 3,000 yen

A plan to sharply raise Japan’s departure tax is taking shape as the government and ruling coalition have begun coordinating a proposal to lift the current 1,000 yen levy to a flat 3,000 yen per person in next fiscal year’s tax reform, adding new momentum to calls for expanded funding to deal with overtourism across the country.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Food NEWS

Mass Oyster Deaths Sparks Emergency Support

Farmed oysters in parts of the Seto Inland Sea have suffered mass mortality, with losses reaching as high as 90 percent in Hiroshima Prefecture and other affected areas, prompting the government to finalize a support package in the coming days.

Japan Shifts Toward Cheaper Bread

Skyrocketing rice prices are prompting many households to change their breakfast routines, with bread increasingly taking the place of rice as consumers look for more affordable options.

Yoshimuraya-Style Ramen! Family-Run Ramen Shop Attracts Huge Crowds from Across Japan!

A family-run ramen shop in Yokohama has become a national destination for fans of the Yoshimuraya lineage, drawing visitors from across Japan who line up daily for bowls of richly flavored ramen and the shop’s signature handmade chashu.

Eel Regulation Dropped After Japan Opposition

The proposal to strengthen regulations on international eel trade has been formally shelved, marking a result in line with the position pushed by Japan and several other countries.
EU member states and others had called for tighter controls on all eel transactions under the Washington Convention, citing global resource depletion and the need for stronger international oversight. However, Japan countered that the Japanese eel faces no imminent risk of extinction and opposed the measure.

Christmas Cakes Fly Off Shelves Despite Inflation

Christmas cake reservations are underway across Japan on the approach to Christmas in late December, yet the familiar holiday treat is once again becoming more expensive as rising ingredient costs push prices higher, prompting shops to introduce smaller, more affordable options and even cakes without Santa decorations.

Are Japan's Tea Farmers Going Matcha?

As Matcha’s popularity continues to climb, with overseas shipments expanding sharply and exports increasing more than tenfold over the past 15 years as global demand strengthens. Japan is encouraging tea growers to shift production to tencha, the raw material used to make matcha. While it may seem logical that farmers should simply increase production if matcha is selling so well, growers say the reality is far more complex.

Behind the Counter at a Japanese Bakery with 80-Year-Old Grandmas

This is Mochiyori PAN Samba, a small bakery in Oshiage near the Tokyo Skytree that creates its own Japanese deli style baked bread. What makes it special is that it is helped run by three 80 year old grandmas who are at the heart of the shop. (Paolo fromTOKYO)

One of Japan's Largest Wine Stores Opens in Nagoya

Nagoya welcomed one of Japan's largest wine sales floors on November 24th as JR Nagoya Takashimaya opened “Wine Maison” on its second basement level, creating a new destination for wine enthusiasts with a selection of roughly 2,600 varieties and 15,000 bottles sourced from around the world.

< 2 3 4 5 >