Phoebe Amoroso

Having spent a third of my life in Japan, I still find this country stunningly beautiful and intriguing. Beyond the neon lights of Tokyo and the quaint streets of Kyoto’s geiko (the local term for “geisha”) district, there’s so much to discover – perhaps even more so as a solo traveler. What’s more, the country offers affordable accommodation and dining options specifically for a party of one.

Traveling alone, I’ve taken a 25-hour ferry journey to Ogasawara where I swam with dolphins, joined ...

There is a choice to be made at this Tokyo noodle bar, and misjudgment could be painful.
The laminated menu lists increasing levels of karasa (heat from chilli oil) and shibire (numbing spice from Sichuan peppercorns)...

In October Japan got its first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi. Her rise has been hailed as a ground-breaking moment for Japanese women, but some fear that her conservative politics won't change the country's gender inequality situation.

There's one thing that both her proponents and detractors agree on - Japan needs more women in leadership positions in both business and government.

We find out why the country Japan ranks so poorly in the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index and hear about what’s being done to change things.

Produced and presented by Phoebe Amoroso

The minimalist concrete room is aglow with lamps, their fabric shades like cloth cocoons spun by an insect of the future with geometric intentions. Delicate metallic frames surround the fabric from the outside, subverting expectations.
The lampshades’ sharp pleats and fractal repetitions recall clothing by fashion designer Issey Miyake — and with good reason. They are part of “Type-XIII Atelier Oi project by A-POC Able Issey Miyake,” an exhibition marking a collaboration between one of Miyake’s brands and Atelier Oi...

Known for its secondhand bookstores and curry shops, Jimbocho hasn’t traditionally topped tourists’ lists — but that could soon change. Time Out magazine recently declared the area the “world's coolest neighborhood” — much to the surprise of Tokyoites...

Fukuoka –
As I settle in at the curved, eight-seat counter at Syn, an innovative French restaurant tucked away in western Fukuoka, I prepare to go globe-trotting. The 14-course menu lists each dish with coordinates that trace its inspiration. Tonight, I’m bound for Denmark, Morocco and Laos, among others.
Chef-owner Naoto Ohno, 36, greets me with warmth and curiosity. A Fukuoka native, Ohno is a globetrotter himself. Syn is the culmination of years spent cooking around the world.
Not long aft...

TURIN, Italy -- In the heart of Turin, in Italy's Piedmont region, global gourmands gathered last month for the 23rd edition of the World's 50 Best Restaurants ranking. And while Europe was the center of the action, it was Asia that arguably stole the spotlight.

It could be a scene from a surreal dream — the animated virtual idol Hatsune Miku swaying her aqua pigtails on stage next to the renowned kabuki actor Nakamura Shido II. Since 2016, the unlikely duo have joined forces multiple times, and now they’re back again — this time at the Osaka Expo, on May 24 and 25....

I’m lounging on a curved green couch in Igniv Bangkok when the first crystalline platters appear, bearing the “snacks” to open our meal. My first morsel, I’m instructed, should be the bite-size kadaifi (filo pastry) roll offering a satisfying crispiness that gives way to a delicate morsel of Phuket lobster enhanced with citrus. Next, like an Easter gift, an eggshell filled with a creamy mix of Bergkase (Swiss mountain cheese) and Gruyere with enoki mushroom.

There are 47 prefectures in Japan, but – in my humble opinion – Nagano is simply the best of the best. In fact, Japanese travelers agree: it ranked in the top 10 most attractive prefectures in 2024...

A single clam and lotus croquette crowned with a halo of crisp lotus root sits poised in a pool of delicate cream. A drizzle of emerald parsley sauce harmonizes the dish with its freshness and earthiness.

Both visual and textural perfection, the dish is part of a course at Liaison, a Michelin-starred establishment in Osaka, and served up by chef Yuji Tsuji, who was working his second to last night on the job in late October. After joining the high-end restaurant in 2021, he helped it earn it one Michelin star three years in a row...

Journalist Phoebe Amoroso reports from Tokyo, visiting some of the biggest chain convenience stores in the country and finding out what has made them so successful.

In the dim light of Ginza’s Star Bar, a Negroni seems to radiate an amber glow. The cocktail all but conceals a large cube of ice carved to fit the rocks glass exactly. No effort has been spared in its creation: Moments before pouring the cocktail, the bartender diligently fans the crystalline cube to warm its surface to minimize the risk of it cracking when liquid is added.

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.