Category Archives: Japan

Online Ninja Experience at Odawara Castle, Japan

Posted on 2021-02-21 by tikichris

What’s that lurking in the shadows? It’s Odawara Castle’s enigmatic ninjas ready to reveal their secrets to you in a new online tour. A couple of weekends ago, I attended an online virtual tour of the Ninja Hall at Odawara … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, History, Japan, Museums, Travel | Tagged Entertainment, Hiroshi Jinkawa, history, japan, Kanagawa, museums, Ninja, Ninjas, Ninjutsu, odawara, odawara castle, Secrets of the Ninja, Travel | Leave a comment

The Tokyo Food Scene: Were to Go and What to Eat (Going Places)

Posted on 2019-10-23 by tikichris

Distinctively delicious cuisine is one of the greatest gifts Japan has shared with the rest of the world. The best place in Japan to indulge in some of the country’s tastiest dishes is definitely Tokyo. This fast-paced but perfectly polite … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Going Places, Japan, OneTravel, Restaurants, Travel | Leave a comment

The Story of the World’s Best Beef: How Kobe Conquered the Globe (City AM)

Posted on 2019-10-02 by tikichris

Wedged between the Rokko mountain range and Osaka Bay, Kobe is the sixth largest city in Japan with more than a million and a half people. Its namesake beef doesn’t come from the city itself but from the surrounding farmland of Hyogo Prefecture where Kobe is the capital and the key port. Continue reading →

Posted in City AM, Food, Japan, Luxury, Restaurants, Travel | Tagged City AM, Food, japan, kobe, kobe beef, luxury, restaurants, Travel | Leave a comment

What to Eat and Drink in Hiroshima, Japan (Great British Chefs)

Posted on 2019-02-04 by tikichris

Wrapping up my time in Kobe, I hopped onto the Shinkansen (bullet train) en route to the other city on my Japanese agenda: Hiroshima. Here I divided my time between the city centre and Miyajima, a small island a few miles offshore … Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Food, Great British Chefs, Japan, Luxury, Restaurants, Wine | Tagged Drink, GREAT BRITISH CHEFS, Hiroshima, japan, luxury, OYSTERS, restaurants, sake, seafood, Travel, wine | Leave a comment

Curry House CoCo Ichibanya

Posted on 2019-01-13 by tikichris

Japan’s largest and best known chain of curry houses, CoCo Ichibanya, has opened near Leicester Square. For a full-on dose of filling comfort food served with fiery heat, a visit to this legendary eatery’s first European outpost is a must. Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Japan, London, Restaurants, Travel | Tagged chinatown, CoCo Ichibanya, covent garden, curry, Curry House CoCo Ichibanya, Food, Great Newport Street, Ichibanya, japanese restaurants, London, restaurants, reviews, Travel, WC2, WC2H 7JE | 1 Comment

What to Eat in Kobe, Japan (Great British Chefs)

Posted on 2019-01-12 by tikichris

A week in Japan’s western inland sea region of Setouchi was a tasty tour of highly anticipated indulgences and unexpectedly delicious surprises. My days were split between two cities, Kobe and Hiroshima, with short trips to their outskirts and nearby countryside. To say I ate well would be an understatement. Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Food, Great British Chefs, Japan, Luxury, Restaurants, Travel, Wine | Tagged GREAT BRITISH CHEFS, japan, kobe, kobe beef, luxury, restaurants, sake, Travel, wine | Leave a comment

Best Restaurants of 2018

Posted on 2018-12-11 by tikichris

There’s one list left in my Best of 2018 series, and it’s a doozy: best restaurants of the year! Continue reading →

Posted in Best of 2018, Best of the Best, Cleveland, Drink, Edinburgh, England, Food, Germany, Hotels, Italy, Japan, London, Luxury, North Carolina, Ohio, Restaurants, Scotland, South Carolina, Spain, Tennessee, Texas, Travel, USA, Wine | Tagged Acorn, Asma Khan, Avinguda dels Comtes de Pallars, BBQ, Berliner Strasse, bermondsey, BERMONDSEY STREET, Best of 2018, Best of the Best, Brückenstraße, Café Pessets, carnaby street, Carretera N260, catalunya, Chattanooga, Chef Jon de Villa, Chef Jonathon Sawyer, Chef Scott Walton, chinese food, chinese restaurants, Chuo Ward, Clementine, Cleveland, COMMERCIAL STREET, darjeeling express, Dodson Avenue, Drink, E1, E1 6NE, E17, E17 9P, East 4th Street, East Martin Luther King Boulevard, East Warrington Avenue, england, Etles, Etles Uyghur Restaurants, Filipino food, Filipino restaurants, Food, Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Free State Kitchen, germany, Goodman, Goodman – Mayfair, Greenhouse Tavern, Heimat, Hoe Street, Hotel Castell de Ciutat, hotels, Hyogo, Hyōgo Prefecture, Hyōgo-ken, indian food, indian restaurants, Ishida Kobe Beef Steak Chome-2 Nakayamatedori, italian food, italian restaurants, Italy, japan, japanese food, japanese restaurants, jermyn street, JOSE PIZARRO, Katia, KINGLY COURT, Kitanagasadori, kobe, Kōbe-shi, Kubochō, La Seu d'Urgell, Lérida, Liverpool L1 9DE, Lleda, London, Lume, luxury, Maddox Street, Maryland Street, mayfair, Metzgerei Tombers, Mien Tay, Milan, milano, Mon, Nagata-ku, North Carolina, Northwest Military Highway, Ohio, okonomiyaki, Old Plantation Barbeque, Onion Maiden, pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, PIZARRO, restaurants, Sam Jones, Sam Jones BBQ, Sampei, San Antonio, SE1, SE1 3TQ, sobameshi, Sort, south london, spain, spanish food, spanish restaurants, spitalfields, st james's, steak, steakhouse, SW1, SW1Y 6LX, TENNESSEE, texas, Travel, UK, Uncle Larry's Hot Fish, USA, vegan, Via Giacomo Watt, vietnamese food, Vietnamese restaurants, W1, W1B 5PW, W1S 1QH, Walnut Street, West Fire Tower Road, Wiltons, wine, Winterville | Leave a comment

Best Breakfasts and Brunches of 2018

Posted on 2018-12-04 by tikichris

Welcome back to the Best of 2018. Here’s a plateful of hearty recommendations for breaking fast in London and elsewhere, and in this case elsewhere means San Antonio and the Texas Hill Country, Dublin, Edinburgh, Milan and Hiroshima.
Continue reading →

Posted in Best of 2018, Best of the Best, Chocolate, Coffee, Drink, Dublin, Edinburgh, Food, Ireland, Italy, Japan, London, Restaurants, Scotland, Texas, Travel | Tagged 20121, 739-0412, bagels, bakeries, Bandera, Bandera Texas, Benita Bakery, Best breakfast, Best breakfast in London, Best of 2018, Best of the Best, Boondocks, breakfast, Brera, Brera Design District, brunch, CAFES, chocolate, City Road, coffee, Corso Garibaldi, covent garden, D02 CH28, Drink, dublin, earlham street, east london, EC1, EC1V 1JN, edinburgh, EH1 1QS, Fabrique Bakery, Food, haggis, Hatsukaichi, high street, highbury, Hiroshima, hot chocolate, hoxton, ireland, islington, japan, Lombardia, Lombardy, London, Main Street, Mary's Abbey, Milan, milano, Miyajimaguchi Nishi, N1, N1 1RU, North City, O.S.T. Restaurant, Odilla Chocolat, Oxmantown, Oyster Hut, OYSTERS, Pepper Pot, Powerscourt Centre, Royal McGregor, royal mile, San Antonio, scotland, seven dials, Shimada Fisheries, shoreditch, texas, The Pepper Pot, Travel, UK, upper street, USA, WC2, WC2H 9RY, William Street South, Лондон, لندن, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Best Hotels of 2018

Posted on 2018-12-02 by tikichris

Next up in my Best of 2018 series is a short list of hotels that impressed me most. I took rooms in lots of hotels over the course of 2018. Most were perfectly fine, and I would be cool with … Continue reading →

Posted in Best of 2018, Best of the Best, Drink, Hotels, Japan, Luxury, Restaurants, Spain, Texas, Travel, USA, Wine | Tagged 25597, 25700, 739-0505, 78205, Best hotels, Best of 2018, Best of the Best, Carretera d’Espot a Sant Maurici, Carretera N260, Castell de Ciutat, Catalonia, catalunya, Drink, East Travis Street, Espot, foo, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Hotel Castell de Ciutat, Hotel Miyajima Villa, Hotel Roya, hotels, japan, La Seu d'Urgell, Lérida, Lleda, luxury, Miyajima, Miyajimacho, Pyrenees, resorts, restaurants, San Antonio, Setouchi, spa, spain, texas, The St Anthony, Travel, USA, wine | Leave a comment

Kobe Beef | #TCTalks Episode 50

Posted on 2018-11-29 by tikichris

Episode 50 of tikichris Talks features an interview I conducted in while in Kobe, Japan with Mr Tetsunori Tanimoto. Mr Tanimoto is Head of Kobe Beef Association and President of Livestock Division for Hyogo Prefectural Headquarters National Federation of Agricultural Co-operative. During our conversation, he dispelled a few myths about Kobe beef while explaining what sets it apart from other products and how to know if you’re getting the real thing. Continue reading →

Posted in Food, interview, Japan, Luxury, Podcast, Restaurants, Shopping, TCTalks, Travel | Tagged #TCTalks, beef, Food, Hyogo, interview, japan, japanese food, Junko Usui, kobe beef, Kobe Beef Association, luxury, PODCAST, restaurants, Shopping, steak, Tetsunori Tanimoto, tikichris talks, Travel, Wagyu | Leave a comment

Wine of the Month: Soryu Koshu 2010

Posted on 2013-03-10 by tikichris

Japanese wine … yes, by “wine” as in fermented grape juice. Who knew? Not me until very recently when I attended the fourth annual Koshu of Japan UK Trade and Press Tasting late last month at the Westbury Hotel. Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, Japan, London, Restaurants, Shopping, Wine, Wine of the Month | Tagged Food, japan, JAPANESE CUISINE, japanese food, japanese wine, KOJ, koshu, Koshu of Japan UK Trade and Press Tasting, koshu wine, London, review, Soryu, Soryu Koshu, Soryu Koshu 2010, Soryu Winery, umu restaurant, westbury hotel, white wine, wine, Wine of the Month, wotm, yamanashi, yamanashi prefecture | 1 Comment

Photo Story: Tsukiji Market, Tokyo (Urban Travel Blog)

Posted on 2013-02-08 by tikichris

With 23,000 square metres chocked full of wholesalers peddling more than 400 species of edible marine life, Tsukiji is not only the busiest market in Tokyo but the biggest fish and seafood market in the world. Sightseers are certainly welcome, but catering to tourism seems to be the last concern for folks working here. Don’t wear your favourite open-toed shoes. And, unless your Japanese language skills are impeccable, strongly consider going with a guide. Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Japan, Photography, Shopping, Travel, Urban Travel Blog | Tagged fish market, japan, japanese food, PHOTO STORY, Photography, seafood, shinto shrine, sushi, tokyo, Tsukiji, Tsukiji Market., urban travel blog | Leave a comment

The Perfect Kyoto Souvenir: A Tenugui from Eirakuya (OneTravel)

Posted on 2013-01-03 by tikichris

A bit kitsch, but tenugui are gorgeous items for the kitchen and provide nice reminders of that special trip to Japan. They’re light weight and can be packed with ease. Read my complete post at the OneTravel blog.

Posted in Design, Japan, OneTravel, Shopping, Travel | Tagged eirakuya, japan, kyoto, OneTravel, Shopping, SOUVENIR, Tenugui, Travel | Leave a comment

Best of 2012 (OneTravel)

Posted on 2012-12-30 by tikichris

Discovering more of London’s hidden gems, jetting off to Parma to partake in the local dining scene, winding my way through the weird and wonderful world of Japan’s largest fish market: 2012 was an awesome year to be a OneTravel … Continue reading →

Posted in England, Food, Italy, Japan, London, OneTravel, Parma, Restaurants, Shopping | Tagged city of london, england, Food, harmondsworth barn, heathrow, Italy, japan, lea valley, lea valley walk, London, OneTravel, parma, POSTMAN'S PARK, restaurants, the Cathedral of Middlesex, tokyo, Travel, Tsukiji | Leave a comment

Visit Kyoto’s Amazing Food Market: Nishiki (OneTravel)

Posted on 2012-12-27 by tikichris

Known as Kyoto‘s kitchen, people have been buying and selling food and food related items in Kyoto’s Nishiki Market since the 1300s. A stroll through this mile long, covered food market is a must for gourmets, history buffs or anybody who … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Japan, OneTravel, Shopping, Street Markets, Travel | Tagged food markets, japan, japanese food, kyoto, nishiki, nishiki market, OneTravel | Leave a comment

Visit the Mountain Resort of Hakone, Japan (OneTravel)

Posted on 2012-12-24 by tikichris

Whether as a destination to be thoroughly explored over a few weeks or one to consider for a relaxing weekender or quickie day trip from Toyko, Hakone represents an accessible opportunity to see another side of Japanese culture beyond the … Continue reading →

Posted in Japan, OneTravel, Travel | Tagged day trip, fuji, Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, hakone, hakone free pass, Hakone Freepass, hot springs, japan, Lake Ashinoko, miso, mount fuji, mountains, mt fuji, OneTravel, Owakudani, ryokan, tokyo, traditional japanese baths | Leave a comment

Best Restaurants of 2012 – Everywhere Else

Posted on 2012-12-22 by tikichris

Yesterday I published my list of ten best London restaurants for 2012. Today, I’m sharing a list of some faves from trips beyond the M25. I didn’t get out of town as much as I would have liked during 2012. … Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Florida, Food, France, Italy, Japan, Parma, Restaurants, Spain, Travel, Wales, Wine | Tagged basque country, beaune, best restaurants, best restaurants of 2012, burgundy, chablis, collins avenue, cuban cuisine, cuban food, cuban restaurants, CUBAN SANDWICH, cubano, Cwtch, emilia romagna, florida, france, french cuisine, french food, french restaurants, Gipuzkoa, hakone, italian cuisine, italian food, italian restaurants, itoh dining by nobu, IZAKAYA, japan, JAPANESE CUISINE, japanese food, japanese restaurants, kyoto, l'ecusson, Le Bistrot des Grand Crus, loiseau des vignes, MIAMI, MIAMI BEACH, morihei, nabeyaki, parma, pembrokeshire, PUERTO SAGUA, Restaurante Illarra, restaurants, reviews, Ristorante Cocchi, san sebastian, soup, spain, spanish cuisine, spanish food, spanish restaurants, st david's, wales, welsh, wine, YUCA, yuzuya | Leave a comment

A Soupy Search for Flavours in Japan (Blue Tomato)

Posted on 2012-12-20 by tikichris

As crazy as it sounds, I spent the last week of October touring Japan on a “soup search” for celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott. Basically, I’d won a blogger competition that came with a free trip for two to Japan (brownie … Continue reading →

Posted in Ainsley Harriott's #SoupSearch Challenge, Blue Tomato, Food, Japan, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel | Leave a comment

Visit Kappabashi, Tokyo’s Kitchen Town (OneTravel)

Posted on 2012-12-13 by tikichris

You know those incredibly realistic plastic samples of menu items that you see in the windows of Japanese restaurants and other types of east Asian eateries? Well, there’s a street in Tokyo where the shops specialise in selling those plastic … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Japan, OneTravel, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel | Tagged asakusa, japan, kappabashi, kappabashi don, kitchen town, OneTravel, restaurants, tokyo | Leave a comment

Visit Tokyo’s Oldest Buddhist Temple: Senso-ji (OneTravel)

Posted on 2012-12-06 by tikichris

Senso-ji is an ancient Buddhist temple. Located in the Asakusa district of Tokyo, it is the oldest and arguably most important temple in the city. With more than 30 millions visitors a year, Senso-ji is also one of Japan’s top … Continue reading →

Posted in Japan, OneTravel, Travel | Tagged asakusa, buddha, buddhism, Buddhist temple, japan, OneTravel, senso-ji, sensoji, temple, tokyo, Tokyo's Oldest Buddhist Temple | Leave a comment

Foodie Fun in Japan (Great British Chefs)

Posted on 2012-11-28 by tikichris

During my visit, I hit bright and buzzy Tokyo, the mountain resort town of Hakone and the ancient capital city of Kyoto. Everything I tasted along the way was gorgeous. Indeed, I got the impression that it’s actually pretty difficult … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Great British Chefs, Japan, Restaurants, Shopping, Street Markets, Travel | Tagged chunko nabe, food markets, GBC, GREAT BRITISH CHEFS, hakone, itoh dining by nobu, japan, kappabashi, kobe, kobe beef, kobe steak, kyoto, miso, nishiki, shinbashi, soup, tokyo, tsukiji fish market | Leave a comment

Shinbashi: Blade Runner Lights and Yakitori Delights (OneTravel)

Posted on 2012-11-22 by tikichris

Even though the air is thick with super modernity and elements of cutting edge urban living abound with backlit signage and advertisements for everything everywhere and trains zipping past overhead, there was still something age-old and village-y about the place. … Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Food, Japan, OneTravel, Restaurants, Travel | Tagged japan, japanese food, OneTravel, restaurants, shinbashi, shiodome, tokyo, yakitori | Leave a comment

Tokyo’s Tsukiji: The World’s Largest Fish and Seafood Market (OneTravel)

Posted on 2012-11-13 by tikichris

Posted in Food, Japan, OneTravel, Shopping, Travel | Tagged fish market, japan, japanese food, OneTravel, seafood, shinto shrine, sushi, tokyo, Tsukiji, Tsukiji Market. | Leave a comment

Visiting and Staying in Tokyo’s Shiny Shiodome (OneTravel)

Posted on 2012-11-10 by tikichris

Set on the edge of Tokyo Bay and located near the narrow noodle-shopped lanes of Shinbashi, fashionable and upscale Ginza, ancient and green Hamarikyu Gardens and the super bustling Tsukiji fish market, the central Tokyo neighborhood of Shiodome provides an … Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, Japan, OneTravel, Restaurants, Travel | Tagged friendly airport limousine, hamarikyu gardens, hotel villa fontaine, japan, japanese food, narita international airport, OneTravel, shinbashi, shiodome, tokyo, Tsukiji, tsukiji fish market, yakitori | Leave a comment

Japanese #SoupSearch: The Adventure Continues

Posted on 2012-11-03 by tikichris

I spent last week exploring Japan in search of the next great flavour for Ainsley Harriott’s World Kitchen range of soups. Now back in London, the next step of my #SoupSearch Challenge is to meet up with Ainsley and crew … Continue reading →

Posted in Ainsley Harriott's #SoupSearch Challenge, Food, Japan, Travel | Tagged #soupsearch, #soupsearch challenge, ainsley harriott, ainsley harriott foods, cooking, cup soup, japan, japanese food, soup, soup search, symington, symington's | 1 Comment

Japanese #SoupSearch Day Four: Kyoto

Posted on 2012-11-02 by tikichris

I spent last week exploring Japan in search of the next great flavour for Ainsley Harriott’s World Kitchen range of soups. What a fantastic opportunity! Japan has been one of my dream destinations ever since I was a kid learning the importance … Continue reading →

Posted in Ainsley Harriott's #SoupSearch Challenge, Drink, Food, Halloween, Hotels, Japan, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel | Tagged #soupsearch, #soupsearch challenge, ainsley harriott, ainsley harriott foods, bullet train, choco moo, cooking, cup soup, eirakuya, fish, halloween, Hidesada Shimazaki, hotel vista, japan, japanese food, joyrich, jr kyoto station, kyoto, kyoto station, MISO SOUP, morihei, nabeyak, nishiki, nishiki market, NOODLES, odawara, odawara castle, sake, shinkasen, soup, soup search, symington, symington's, tea ceremony, tempora, tengui, udon, wak japan, yuzuya | 2 Comments

Japanese #SoupSearch Day Three: Hakone

Posted on 2012-11-01 by tikichris

I spent last week exploring Japan in search of the next great flavour for Ainsley Harriott’s World Kitchen range of soups. I had so much fun! Japan has been one of my dream destinations ever since I was a little kid rushing … Continue reading →

Posted in Ainsley Harriott's #SoupSearch Challenge, Food, Hotels, Japan, Restaurants, Travel | Tagged #soupsearch, #soupsearch challenge, ainsley harriott, ainsley harriott foods, baths, cooking, cup soup, day trip, fuji, hakone, hakone free pass, hot pot, hot springs, itoh dining by nobu, japan, japanese food, kimono, kobe, kobe beef, kobe steak, miso, MISO SOUP, mount fuji, mountains, mt fuji, nobu, soup, soup search, symington, symington's, tokyo, yamashita kyoko | 5 Comments

Japanese #SoupSearch Day Two: Exploring Tokyo

Posted on 2012-10-31 by tikichris

Posted in Ainsley Harriott's #SoupSearch Challenge, Food, Japan, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel | Tagged #soupsearch, #soupsearch challenge, ainsley harriott, ainsley harriott foods, asakusa, buddist temple, chunko nabe, cooking, cup soup, destination asia, destination asian, fish market, hamarikyu, hamarikyu gardens, hanano mai, Hidesada Shimazaki, japan, japanese food, kappa bashi, kappabashi, misakiko, plastic sushi, ryogoku, senso-ji, shinto shrine, shogun, shogunate, soup, soup search, sumida river, sumo, sumo soup, sumo wrestlers, sushi, sushi train, symington, symington's, tokugawa ieyasu, tokyo, tokyo cruise, Tsukiji, Tsukiji Market., ueno | Leave a comment

Halloween in Japan

Posted on 2012-10-31 by tikichris

So yep, I was in Japan last week on an Ainsley Harriott #SoupSearch. There’s a lot of content about it here on the blog. This post is just a little supplement to that soupy series and is about something else … Continue reading →

Posted in Ainsley Harriott's #SoupSearch Challenge, Halloween, Japan, Photography, Shopping, Travel | Tagged costumes, fancy dress, halloween, harvest festival, jack o lantern, japan, japanese, kyoto, pumpkins, tokyo | Leave a comment

Japanese #SoupSearch Day One: Tokyo!

Posted on 2012-10-30 by tikichris

I spent last week exploring Japan in search of the next great flavour for Ainsley Harriott’s World Kitchen range of soups. I had so much fun. For me, Japan has been a dream destination since I was a little kid watching episodes … Continue reading →

Posted in Ainsley Harriott's #SoupSearch Challenge, Food, Hotels, Japan, Restaurants, Travel | Tagged #soupsearch, #soupsearch challenge, ainsley harriott, ainsley harriott foods, cooking, cup soup, destination asia, friendly airport limousine, hinomaru shokudo, hotel villa fontaine, japan, japanese food, narita international airport, shinbashi, shiodome, soup, soup search, symington, symington's, tokyo, yakitori | 5 Comments

My Japanese #SoupSearch for Ainsley Begins!

Posted on 2012-10-23 by tikichris

Yep, I’m all packed and ready to go, just sitting here waiting for a car to take me to the airport. The next several days are going to be awesome as I zip around Japan (Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto to … Continue reading →

Posted in Ainsley Harriott's #SoupSearch Challenge, Celebrities, Food, Japan, Travel | Tagged #soupsearch, #soupsearch challenge, ainsley harriott, ainsley harriott foods, competition, contest, cook off, cooking, cup soup, facebook competition, japan, japanese food, shiitake, soup search, symington, symington's | 6 Comments

I’m Going on a Japanese #SoupSearch. Slurp!

Posted on 2012-09-27 by tikichris

Guess what? I frickin’ won that trip to Japan. Obviously, I wouldn’t have won without help from good people like you. So, if you voted for me or even took a moment to consider it and wish me well, thank you. … Continue reading →