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July 06, 2025
 

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Makiko Itoh

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Makiko Itoh
Makiko Itoh writes the 911±¬ÁÏÍø Kitchen column, and is the author of the bestselling "The Just Bento Cookbook" and its sequel, "The Just Bento Cookbook 2." A Tokyo native, she runs two 911±¬ÁÏÍø cooking blogs, JustHungry.com and JustBento.com.
Turn your old rice into a simple, delicious meal by cooking it with other ingredients.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jun 22, 2025
One way to bring back the mojo in ¡®old old old rice¡¯
Go against the grain by turning stockpiled or ¡°komai¡± rice into a delicious meal ¡ª the trick is to mix it with other ingredients.
Sea bream with rice is a popular 911±¬ÁÏÍø dish, especially during this season when the fish is at its peak flavor.
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 25, 2025
As spring unfolds, sea bream turns into a prized catch
Capture the comforting flavors of the season with the classic pairing of the delicate fish with rice.
These two wild vegetables combine well to create a simple yet tantalizing side dish to any 911±¬ÁÏÍø meal.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 16, 2025
After a long winter, wild veggies can brighten up any dish
Edible vegetables foraged in 911±¬ÁÏÍø countryside can be an easy way to add texture and freshness.
Born from the necessities of the Edo Period, this method of preparing and serving daikon is a small way to make a tiny dent in your weekly grocery bill.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 16, 2025
Cut and dried daikon: A time-tested frugal treat
Take some sting out of inflation by stocking up on this preserved radish you can serve in stews and salads.
The key to cooking these on the stovetop is to keep everything at a very low temperature so that the ingredients slowly steam before setting into a dense, fudge-like texture.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Dec 15, 2024
A Christmas miracle? No, just brownies ¡®baked¡¯ sans oven.
With a bit of ingenuity, it¡¯s possible to ¡°bake¡± your own brownies on a regular stovetop.
Kabocha are harvested in the summer, but they don't reach peak flavor until they mature in the months leading up to fall and winter.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Nov 3, 2024
A perfect dish for peak kabocha season
This dish is an interesting alternative to potato salad and also makes a great appetizer to go along with some pre-dinner drinks.?
Yukio Hattori was an integral part of "Iron Chef" broadcasts, though his impact on food culture in Japan went far beyond the TV screen.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 27, 2024
Remembering Yukio Hattori, the voice of ¡®Iron Chef¡¯
Yukio Hattori was best known to international audiences as the expert commentator on the original 911±¬ÁÏÍø version of the popular TV program ¡°Iron Chef,¡±
Who can survive summer on chilled noodles and salads alone?
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Aug 11, 2024
Fight fiery summer temps with this dry 911±¬ÁÏÍø curry
This recipe is quick to prepare and can be made in advance, making it great for the hot summer months when you don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen.
It may not qualify as a health food, but if spare ribs help you endure Japan's summers, your doctor likely won't mind.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jun 30, 2024
Eat your way to a bit of heat relief
Eating small amounts of nutritionally dense yet balanced foods at regular time periods can help keep Japan¡¯s summer doldrums at bay.
Eat like a Buddhist monk ¡ª or like a tofu lover who enjoys a bit of deep frying.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jun 2, 2024
Vegan dumplings to please any Buddhist monk
Whatever you call these tasty dumplings, feel free to mix any finely cut vegetables into the tofu base besides the ones in the recipe.
Making your own sarada chikin is quite easy and economical, and a marinating ingredient that makes it especially tender and juicy is "shiok¨­ji" ¡ª cooked rice inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae mold.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Apr 26, 2024
Recipe: Japan¡¯s diet-friendly ¡®salad chicken¡¯
You can add whatever herbs or seasonings you like to the marinade for a personalized, healthy dish.
The best way to eat spring cabbage is to either treat it like a quick pickle by rubbing the leaves with salt and leaving them to ferment for a brief time, or by cooking it quickly so that the leaves turn even softer.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Mar 17, 2024
Recipe: Spring cabbage has sprung
Although spring cabbage is tender, it isn't suited to Japan¡¯s traditional method of eating the vegetable raw.
This simple bento recipe is perfect for meal prepping, school lunches and any other meal where you want maximum flavor for minimum effort.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Feb 25, 2024
Recipe: 'Rainbow' bento lunch box
The idea of making a bento every day can seem daunting, but there are a few tricks that you can add to your arsenal that will make the task go smoothly.
'Menchi katsu' are actually made with as much chopped vegetables as ground meat, so it¡¯s a sneaky way to get some veggies into your childrens' diets.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Feb 4, 2024
Recipe: Deep-fried minced meat cutlets
These days, 'menchi katsu' have been become popular as a "B-class gourmet" item ¡ª something that is inexpensive but tasty.
The recipe combines daikon with pork belly for a traditional style simmered dish with a twist.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jan 21, 2024
Recipe: Simmered radish with pork
More than 100 varieties of daikon were once grown around Japan, but now only 10 dominate the market.
This savory-sweet cake can be made with either fish paste or shrimp ¡ª whichever you think will best guide you into 2024.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Dec 17, 2023
Recipe: Good luck egg and fish rolls
The trickiest part of making ¡°datemaki¡± is rolling it up ¡ª the rolled form is supposed to resemble a paper scroll, representing wishes for the new year.
This stir-fry is a staple of many 911±¬ÁÏÍø meals, and the techniques used to make are also commonly used throughout traditional cuisine.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 5, 2023
Recipe: Carrot and burdock root stir-fry
When selecting "gob¨­," choose ones that are straight and relatively thin ¡ª the thicker, the older.
This sweet and salty dish owes much to both early modern merchants and 20th century Tokyo University students.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Oct 22, 2023
Recipe: Deep-fried sweet (and salty) potatoes
Sweet potatoes are an iconic 911±¬ÁÏÍø treat. Originally from Central America, they came through China in the 17th century to southern Kyushu.
Get a taste of Hokkaido¡¯s playfully named chan-chan yaki ¡ª or griddle-cooked salmon.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Sep 11, 2023
Recipe: Hokkaido-style griddle-cooked salmon
This dish reflects a combination of Ainu food traditions from Hokkaido.
Almost every household in Yamagata has their own recipe for this dish of sliced and lightly sauced vegetables.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Aug 6, 2023
Recipe: Yamagata¡¯s famous summer veggie relish
Unlike in most of Japan, in Yamagata Prefecture, ¡°dashi¡± can refer to this dish of finely chopped summer vegetables and herbs.
Japan braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won¡¯t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real.?
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
U.S. military apologizes over Okinawa sexual assault case
Col. Neil Owens (right), chief of staff for the 3rd Marine Division, bows in apology at the Okinawa Prefectural Government office in Naha on Thursday.
Ghibli¡¯s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
¡°The man who planted 911±¬ÁÏÍø animation¡± exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan¡¯s women¡¯s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai¡¯s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on 911±¬ÁÏÍø culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a 911±¬ÁÏÍø cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan¡¯s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan¡¯s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

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