Water spinach, a heat-resistant leafy vegetable that can cost about half as much as spinach and be regrown at home from leftover stems, is attracting attention in Japan as households look for affordable ways to cope with rising summer vegetable prices.
A banana grower in Okinawa is working to transform the fruit into a major local industry after recognizing the potential of a market that depends almost entirely on imports despite strong consumer demand.
Shipments of Kyotango Melons, a luxury fruit known for its juicy texture and refined, rich sweetness, have reached their seasonal peak in Kyotango, Kyoto Prefecture.
Wasabi, an essential condiment on Japanese dining tables, is seeing rising demand as its popularity grows among foreign consumers drawn to its distinctive flavor and ability to enhance food.
A cafe where visitors can interact with nine giant dogs weighing more than 50 kilograms each is set to open next week in Tondabayashi, Osaka Prefecture, offering close encounters with the animals as well as dining excursions accompanied by a favorite dog.
A tiny aquatic plant known as wolffia is emerging as a potential next-generation protein source, offering rapid growth, high nutritional value and a significantly smaller environmental footprint than soybeans or beef.
Kura Sushi has opened its second premium conveyor-belt sushi restaurant in Tokyo, introducing a menu of higher-grade seafood and same-day deliveries from Hokkaido by bullet train as the company seeks to stand out in Shinjuku’s fiercely competitive dining market. Just a few minutes away, Shinjuku Kabukicho remains the area's main draw after dark, from cheap izakaya to host clubs and standing bars.
A single bunch of Ishikawa Prefecture's premium Ruby Roman grapes sold for 1 million yen at the season's first auction in Kanazawa on Friday, putting the price of each grape at about 30,000 yen.