Ariake’s Harbour sweets have been a cherished Yokohama staple for over 60 years. The light, fluffy castella cake is jam-packed with chestnut and sweet bean paste. To represent the port town that Yokohama is, they are shaped to resemble a ship. Even though they are quite popular today, the company that makes them, Ariake Co., Ltd., had a difficult road to success. In 1936, the original Ariake Seika (Confectionery) was founded in Tsurumi, Yokohama. The company manufactured and sold traditional Japanese sweets, but as times changed, they began developing their own sweets. In 1954 the company released “Roman”, which was…
Author: Seasider
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtzLacZPeik Yokohama is a port city rich with history, culture, and entertainment options. One of Japan’s most multicultural cities, Yokohama has a little something to offer everyone. Follow our guide Chris on a tour through a selection of the best places to visit. For more information, check out the official visitors guide. http://www.yokohamajapan.com/ Locations in Order of Appearance: Minato Mirai 21 (http://www.minatomirai21.com/eng/) Sankeien Garden (http://www.sankeien.or.jp/en-about/in…) Yokohama Chinatown (Chukagai) (http://www.yokohamajapan.com/things-t…) Akarenga (Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse) (http://www.yokohama-akarenga.jp/en/) Shinyokohama Raumen Museum (http://www.raumen.co.jp/english/) Tokozenji (http://www.tokozenji.or.jp/english) Osanbashi Pier (Yokohama International Passenger Terminal) (https://osanbashi.jp/english/) Cupnoodles Museum (http://www.cupnoodles-museum.jp/english/) Yokohama Jazz Scene (http://jazzpro.jp/english) Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise (http://www.seaparadise.co.jp/english/)
Pie Holic, in MARINE&WALK YOKOHAMA, has been attracting attention since they opened last year. In their spacious open kitchen, you can watch (and smell!) each pie being attentively prepared. Bowls placed casually on the dining counter and shelves stacked with plates provide an at-home atmosphere. For the lunch set (¥1850) you can choose soup or salad to go with your choice of main dish and all-you-can-eat “savory pie” (6 types). For those that don’t know, savory pie refers to pies that aren’t sweet. Think meat pies, not apple pies. If you feel the need to add some sweets, there are…
What a beautiful time of the year. Depending on your perspective, any time of the year can be beautiful, but perhaps nobody would disagree that April in Yokohama is rich with sensory pleasures. The lively buzz of people enjoying hanami fills the air. The scent of grilled food wafts on the breezes. Cherry trees like billowing pink clouds scatter their petals to the wind, reminding us with sweet poignancy how fleeting beauty is. The warmth of sunlight on the skin turns winter into a memory. Fast on the heels of the fading sakura, wisteria blooms in all shades of violet…
Artisanal grilled cheese sandwiches are definitely not something you stumble on often in Japan. Couple that cuisine with a unique interior that is half diner, half living room and you have Buy Me Stand. The clientele on our visit was varied with some couples, a few businessmen/women, some single diners, and a group of women each with their poodles (the restaurant is dog friendly). Situated on the hillside of Motomachi running up to Yamate, Buy Me Stand is open at 8:00 for breakfast and continues straight through to dinner, closing at 22:00. We stopped in for a late lunch midweek…
The Yoshidamachi area bridges the bustling nightlife district of Noge and the Isezaki-cho Mall pedestrian shopping street. Unlike a bridge, however, it has far more to offer than just acting as a means to cross to the other side. There are many fine restaurants and bars to explore, and also mixed in are small art galleries and other quaint shops. Tradition in the neighborhood is long-running. Toraya, the classic Japanese sashimi and tempura shop run by longtime community leader Arai Hiroshi, has served generations. UMEYA has been delivering delicious chicken to Yokohama’s residents for over a century. Sparta can boast…
The Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu currently has a special Kumamoto Fair going on now through April 16th in their Tosca restaurant. As many know, Kumamoto endured many hardships due to the devastating earthquakes that occurred in 2016, but has been slowly recovering. The prefecture, well known for it’s famous volcano, Mt Aso, and beautiful scenic areas, also boasts some great cuisine. Tosca’s Chef Ogawa visited Kumamoto to personally select foods to be added to the original menu. Try some great seafood from the Amakusa area or Kumamoto’s popular Rindo Pork. See Cafe Tosca’s website for more information.
March is always a month of many changes. The sleeping cherry trees awaken in brilliant fashion, washing away the chills of winter in the span of a few short weeks. Winter coats and scarves are replaced by spring jackets and baseball caps. The days of sankan shion (3 cold, 4 warm days) toy with us as the two seasons fight to claim the weather of the month. March is also, by far, the most hectic time for employment changes. The combination of employee transfers and a freshly minted workforce emerging from college creates a rush on apartments and keeps the…
There are many teachers operating private language schools in Japan, but you’d be fortunate to encounter someone with the passion and experience of Goto Masumu. Goto, a Yokohama native, has been running his Japanese school “Kiwi” in Honmoku for the past three years. He chose the name Kiwi due to his deep connection with New Zealand. In his youth he was curious about life abroad and traveled to New Zealand during his time at Hosei University. After graduation he obtained certification as a social studies teacher, but had such fond memories of New Zealand that he decided to return to…
There are likely many readers who go out to Kamakura on their day off for a change of pace. About a five-minute walk from the west exit of Kamakura Station you will find the restaurant Garden House. A small path surrounded by plants leads you from the road to this modern looking building with a garden terrace on your right. The building–roughly 50 years old–was originally a cartoonist’s atelier. The warm wood interior is cozy and softly lit. The main concept at Garden House is “Local and Craft”, meaning they make every attempt to do things handmade and use local…