Phoebe Amoroso

For travelers planning their first journey to Japan, one question inevitably arises: Tokyo or Kyoto? Tokyo might seem like the obvious choice, right? It's the capital and it dazzles with its sheer scale and lightning-paced energy, a metropolis where ancient shrines neighbor neon-lit skyscrapers and world-class dining ranges from Michelin-starred sushi to backstreet ramen.

Emiko Nakayama only began learning to make cheese three years ago, and yet she has suddenly found herself in the international spotlight. Her creation, Setana, a Camembert cheese, won a top award of Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards held late last year in Viseu, Portugal.

Only 104 of the 4,786 global entries were awarded Super Gold status by a panel of world-leading cheese experts, which put Setana in the top 2.2% of the competition.

The lacquerware tray and tableware signal the start of a serious sushi meal: A perfectly rolled warm towel, crisply folded napkin, chopsticks and a geta (wooden serving board) beckon the arrival of freshly made nigiri sushi.

But there's one piece of tableware that seems both familiar yet unfamiliar — an oblong tatami coaster for a smartphone.

A hexagonal, dark wood-paneled counter at Sake Studio Tokyo is lined with bottles — and anticipation.

Miniature jars are laid out before me as I’m about to (re)familiarize myself with the aromas they contain. I take a whiff of a grapefruit candy and then curiously find it tickling my nose as I sip sake from elegant wine glasses....

Tokyo based Journalist Phoebe Amoroso visits the famous 'Guitar Street' in Ochanomizu where shop after shop sells a remarkable array of electric guitars.

14 minutes
BBC Radio 3

I am tottering my way down two flights of grimy stairs to a basement curry restaurant — the kind of place that only promises a good time if you’re already five drinks in.
“Table one,” I tell the staff. They mutter among themselves and seat me at a table for one.

It’s quite a funny mix-up given that I’m on a mission to connect with other people. Fortunately, the confusion is quickly resolved, and I find myself seated at a table of complete strangers, entirely as intended....

The small medicine bottles are lined up on the counter, one by one, carefully positioned for rational inspection. The dark plastic obfuscates the contents, white labels with minimalist print detailing the contents. I inspect each one carefully, choosing my prescription for the day.

This, however, is no pharmacy. It's a coffee shop and caffeine is my drug of choice.

Harajuku, once known as Tokyo's fashion hub but now more synonymous with tourist hordes, is having a bit of an identity crisis. It is a struggle that is emblematic of a challenge facing many central urban neighborhoods -- how to appeal to consumers when almost everything is available on the internet...

INTERVIEW: As he takes over the American Bar & Grill kitchen, chef Nathan Anaya promises to turn dining moments into memories.

INTERVIEW: As he prepares to lead the Club’s newest dining spot, chef Francesco “Paco” la Monica shares his philosophy for blending tradition with modern flair.

The sky seems to be the limit for Tokyo’s Virtu — and I’m not talking about its location on the 39th floor atop the Four Seasons Tokyo hotel in Otemachi. The bar is this year’s winner of the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award as part of the 2024 iteration of the Asia’s 50 Best Bars rankings...

Satoru Araki is meticulously slicing a prime cut of chutoro (medium fatty tuna) into morsels as he serves up a course of nigirizushi (hand-pressed sushi) in the backstreets of the upmarket Tokyo suburb of Hiroo.

A former professional boxer, Araki opened Sushi Satoru in July 2022 -- a simple counter of six seats that has already generated a buzz in Tokyo's sushi scene. On the counter is a copy of The Michelin Guide Tokyo 2024, in which Sushi Satoru is mentioned for the first time...

There’s a pocket of Tokyo, strolling distance from the stock exchange and the former commercial center, which feels like a step back in time. Ningyocho is filled with stores specializing in traditional crafts, some more than 100 years old. Here you can buy rice crackers or traditional Japanese sweets or head for a kimono, before watching kabuki (traditional Japanese theater) at Meijiza.

“Don’t talk over the sake.” Sake evangelist Gordon Heady is holding a cup, reverentially, and pauses slightly before lifting it to his lips.He is instructing us on how to evaluate the liquid properly. Take a sip, hold it in your mouth, breathe in slightly through your mouth, swill it round, swallow, breath out through your nose. Sit with the aftertaste. Let it develop.

It’s almost meditative.

Sometimes Tokyo feels like a simulacrum, a pixel-generated city restlessly tearing itself down and rebuilding itself in the latest image of a megacity. The Shibuya skyline morphed over the past decade, punctuated by mega malls. This year has brought the opening of Azabudai Hills, a mega complex that features offices, residences, and even an international school, the latest articulation of developer Mori Building’s vision to raise the “international competitiveness” of Tokyo.
Yet, for many, th...