Phoebe Amoroso

A male friend once noted that I never included anything about my love life in writing. Considering I am mainly a food writer, I thought that was a rather odd comment.
But since Tokyo Weekender has kindly given me this column with free reign to let my “personality” run wild, I couldn’t resist making my first entry about MEN: long, thick noodles that give me a thrill – ramen, tsukemen, tantanmen etc. – and occasionally human beings with a Y chromosome.

It’s a chilly December evening in Tokyo and chef Noriyuki Suzuki, of restaurant Sakanoura Rojitei Yasaito, is presenting curious onlookers with an array of unexpected ingredients, whipping up a nine-course tasting menu out of leftovers such potato peelings and forlorn-looking pineapple skins....

“Oh, tell me how the neighborhood has changed!” We’re chatting with a woman behind a café counter in Kiyosumi Shirakawa, an area to the east of Tokyo’s Sumida River. “We’re local people so we don’t know!” she exclaims, her eyes above her mask doing all the smiling and her tone indicating a genuine curiosity.

------

My update on the neighbourhood of Kiyosumi Shirakawa - how is it faring in January 2021, after the turbulent 2020?

There’s a small, white street cart lined with candles and Baccarat crystal glasses that mysteriously appears at midnight on the streets of Tokyo.
It would not seem out of place in a Haruki Murakami novel — fleeting and, just like its warm candlelight, seeming to flicker in that borderline space between fantasy and reality.
On this particular evening, it is parked just off a major north-south road cutting through the city. Three individuals — an older lady and two younger men — are drinking an...

Tucked a tantalizingly short distance from Tokyo and nestled among mountains, the centrally located Gunma Prefecture hosts a wealth of surprises. While it’s perhaps most famous for the hot spring waters of Kusatsu Onsen, even this charmingly nostalgic town has far more to offer beyond relaxing baths. Here are some of the best cultural and culinary
Here are some of the best cultural and culinary experiences to give you a taste of the region… with an emphasis on taste. Gourmands, take note.
Hop...

Tokyo is the best city to be the cheapest snob
When your world gets a bit smaller, the smaller things get a bit bigger.
That essentially was my summer. Normally, I’d be flitting around at giant group picnics and installing myself in an izakaya until late at night, slowly working my way through the sake menu.
This year, there was precious little opportunity for such frolicking. Partly because of the pandemic and partly because of my new job. It was so hectic I sometimes didn’t have time to lea...

In her new column, Phoebe is looking for the meaning of home through food
It was not my most elegant moment. I was standing in a driveway, my rucksack sprawled on the tarmac before me, plastic wrapping strewn on top of it. And I was cramming a convenience store salmon onigiri into my face as if my life depended on it.
I was in Shizuoka Prefecture and, earlier, we had taken a taxi ride to Obuchi Sasaba, an area popular with photographers who want to capture Mt Fuji and tea fields all in one go...

I have a theory that Yonago derives its name from a contraction of “You wanna go”
I’m not sure whether I should tell you this. I feel like my relationship with Yonago is a dirty little secret, an exultant affair that I had behind Tokyo’s back, and that it might be too soon to share my delightful sins.

The bicycle has been heralded throughout history as a tool of emancipation, and this time around it might be helping us escape a virus. during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Japan was no exception to the boom.

Nothing says Christmas like ending up in a love hotel dressed as an elf.

As the holiday season approaches and the end of the apocalyptically ambitious 2020 finally draws to a close, many people around the world will be celebrating differently from normal, or perhaps not celebrating at all. For the first time in my life, I will not be in my home country, the UK, but in Japan.

The battle was about to begin. A red square and a blue square flashed up on screen. Each framed the face of a competitor, both eager to prove that their startup company has what it takes. Beneath them a live feed revealed a boxing ring, where ringmaster Nathan Bryan, stood, conducting the combatants from afar. At his command, a bell sounded, and one competitor launched into a one-minute introductory pitch, aware that first impressions should pack a punch...

During the coronavirus pandemic, Japan didn’t adopt a hard lockdown but instead asked people to avoid the “Three Cs”: closed spaces, crowds and close-contact situations. I found myself spending my spare time simply strolling my local area, where I fervently pursued a different kind of C: coffee.

As we approach the end of 2020, many of us are itching for a bit more freedom. With telework on the rise and winter on the way, there has never been a better time to spread our wings and migrate south to the subtropical haven of Okinawa. From picturesque beaches to that laid-back island vibe, it’s the perfect place to balance wellness and work. Take your time to unplug and relax, knowing that you are never far from the nearest plug — for when you have to take that unnecessarily long video con...

Script Adviser for this 15-min documentary.

This spring, many schools were forced to close due to COVID-19. Jiyu Gakuen in Tokyo is one of them. Since its foundation in 1921, there's been a tradition at this school for students to cook their own lunches. Growing vegetables, cooking together and enjoying a meal with friends, this tradition has become as a place to develop as people through their school life. How will they be able to resume their lives in school? And how will they revive the traditional lunches?

I’m rarely spotted without at least one flower in my hair. I simply adore flowers. So, when Tokyo Challenge asked me to attempt ikebana — the Japanese art of flower arrangement — I can hardly say I was surprised. Their proposal, however, was a double-edged sword: it sounded both intensely fun and intensely frustrating...