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Taika is a long-established local Chinese restaurant that has been in business for half a century in an alley off Chazawa Street. The owner is originally from Nagasaki, and the couple has been running the business together. Their specialty dishes include "sara udon" and "champon," which use Nagasaki-inspired seasonings. They also have a wide selection of alcoholic beverages and snacks, so you can enjoy Chinese food in the evenings. Read more...

Yamaguchi Daitei is located in the alleys of Gion, a Kyoto favorite. In this area, lined with some of Japan's finest restaurants, this reasonably priced pub boasts "the same taste and prices as ever." A renowned establishment known only to those in the know, why not experience the "depth" of Kyoto? Continue reading below ↓↓↓...

The first video of the new year on YouTube's "Tama Channel" is a look at our year-end party at the end of 2023. The venue was Yakitori Ikkoku in Tanashi, where the food is always delicious. We invited Kyohei-chan, the "Nikomi Mist," along for a small drink with the three of us.

If you want to have a drink in front of Komae Station on the Odakyu Line, we recommend "Yakitori Meat Station," which was established in 1977. The restaurant is crowded with locals, and the veteran owner, who is still in active service, will cheerfully serve you. The yakitori seasoned with homemade sauce and garlic miso is addictive...

A five-minute walk from the north exit of Akabane Station is the relatively large, smoldering silver public kappo restaurant Tasuke, established in 1969, with a magnificent white-wood counter spread out inside. Its signature dish is fugu (blowfish). However, the restaurant offers not only a luxurious fugu course, but also a 3,300 yen "omakase 5...

Located in an alley in Nezu for over 40 years, Kurumaya is a popular izakaya known to everyone in the area. The third-generation owner, who trained in Japanese cuisine, offers carefully prepared dishes at affordable prices without pretense of being a prestigious restaurant. Their specialty is fresh seafood dishes, including mackerel sushi.

Mitaka, next to Kichijoji, is always ranked highly in the rankings of cities people want to live in. The north exit of Mitaka is Musashino City, and the south exit is Mitaka City. This interesting city boasts the spontaneously formed alleyway "Haccho" at the north exit and the Mitaka-dori shopping street at the south exit, dotted with many long-established shops and new bars.

Towards the end of 2023, I headed to "Ichizushi" in Kinshicho, the restaurant with the most views on "Tama Channel." The atmosphere and flavors were as reliable as ever. It was a pleasant December drink. Tama Channel ↓↓↓ Tama Channel [Ichizushi] 130-0022 Tokyo...

Takara Shuzo's website blog, "Sake Talk." Having recently concluded his "Kansai Chuhai Situation" series by Nao Suzuki, a writer who loves sake and bars, a new series, "Kansai Food Culture Research," has begun. The theme of this series is sake and Kansai food culture. The fascinating aspects of Kansai cuisine, fostered by the towns and establishments, are explored in this...

Located just a two-minute walk from Kannai Station, Hagi is a long-established bar in the business district, attracting discerning drinkers from the area. A substantial counter is lined with obanzai dishes, and you can enjoy a selection of local fish sashimi from the chalkboard menu while relaxing and savoring your drink. Read more here ↓↓↓ ...

A tip from Nikomi Mist: "I recommend Sasayaguchiya, a so-called 'Sasamoto-style' restaurant, where the chef trained at the long-established bar 'Sasamoto' in Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho and Ginza! Their stewed skewers, seasoned only with water, miso, and the umami of the ingredients, are the best!"

Soul Liquor's "Shochu Highball" in Joto, Tokyo. It's made by mixing shochu with colored extract and carbonated water. Some bars pair it not only with grilled offal and stews, but also with sashimi. At "Juichiya" in Kanegafuchi, they even pair it with okonomiyaki. Located in a residential area far from the station, this bar...

In this corner, Nao Suzuki and I take a stroll from each station on the Osaka Loop Line. In this 8th installment, we will take a stroll at Momoya Station. Momoya Station is one of the more austere (?) stations on the Loop Line. But it also has a different face, with a residential area in Tennoji Ward to the west and a shopping district and downtown area to the east, making it a lot of fun. ...

"Craft" drinks are now well-known. Craft beer was the initial hit, but gradually a wide variety of drinks have appeared, from gin and whiskey to ginger ale and even cola. But did you know that one of those drinks is "craft chuhai"?

Want to head to San'in and Hokuriku for some snow crab? This time, we'll introduce you to the Sakaiminato Seafood Direct Sales Center, a facility in Sakaiminato, a port town boasting one of the largest fishing yields on the Sea of Japan coast, where you can enjoy crab and other seafood at reasonable prices. A must-see for travel and crab lovers. Read more here ↓↓↓...