Charcoal Stand Noge occupies a renovated manufacturer’s facility in the Noge District. The lettering of the old Tomoe Co. even remains untouched on the storefront to provide a sense of nostalgia. The two-floor interior is spacious and airy with the second floor of the high-ceilinged factory converted to a large loft. The main focus of the menu is on a la carte skewers and grilled cuisine. Standard skewers sit alongside more creative originals such as Nikura (beef & salmon roe, ¥580), Mary-san no Tsukune (think lamb meatballs, ¥250) and Anchovy Butter Bacon-wrapped Scallops (¥380). Check the monthly seasonal menu for…
Author: Seasider
QUAYS Pacific Grill in the new Hammerhead pier offers a varied, upscale dining experience. The first floor houses the flashy Number Nine brewpub, while the second floor has a small gin distillery, cocktail bar, and restaurant with outdoor balcony seating. Exquisite views of the bay and dining illuminated by firelight set the mood. An open kitchen adds to the stylish atmosphere. The menu is a mix of Western-style bar & grill fare. We began with a Salmon Sampler (3 varieties, ¥1200/ 5 varieties, ¥2000) and a bowl of Boston Clam Chowder (S ¥800, L ¥1200). Meats such as Black Angus…
The Miura Alps, a series of small hills intermingled along the coastline, offer hikers a few great vista points and an easy getaway to enjoy nature. Though the tallest of the “alps” is less than 200 meters high, there are quite a few interesting trails that will easily take the better part of a day to explore. Since some are winding, here we present short excursions that are appropriate for the winter months. They offer scenic views in generally the clearest months of the year. Though this is just a short selection of possible hikes that you can do,…
This past year, we’ve had to dramatically change our approach to content. Instead of several pages devoted to cultural events at public facilities (many of which have been cancelled), we began running longer interviews with community figures. More recently, we’ve been featuring day trips within Kanagawa, especially if they allow you to enjoy the great outdoors. The natural riches of Kanagawa are a resource for all to enjoy and doing so can be quite therapeutic if you’re feeling fatigued by the public health situation. Get out and get moving! Strolling does wonders for mental health as well as physical. Even…
Situated in front of the entrance to the Morito Daimyojin shrine in Hayama, SODA CAFE features great coffee and a unique bakery. Here, you’ll find gluten-free and vegan sweets to tickle your sweet tooth while you visit the beautiful local beaches or hike its hills. If you go during lunch, the vegan taco rice (¥880) is offered until 2pm, but most of the options focus around their cafe/bakery. The dairy-free ice cream (¥400~) is great for warmer days. Otherwise, try the vegan pudding (¥530), a rotating menu of baked goods (¥380~) like the detox cookie, and banana cake (¥500). The…
Bryan Baird is the founder of Baird Beer, a craft beer brewery now based in Shuzenji, Shizuoka that is celebrating twenty years of operation this year. Baird Beer has multiple taprooms throughout Japan, including the Bashamichi Taproom in Yokohama. This cozy, three-story bar and restaurant offers an array of authentic American-style barbecue to go along with roughly two-dozen styles of craft beer. Baird Beer has gained international recognition since its founding and is certainly an influential brewery. In the early 2000s, when many breweries were sticking to traditional European styles, Baird was ambitious with its experimentation. On a monthly basis,…
With 2020 in our rear-view mirror there are many that want to wave goodbye and promptly forget it. In no way do we mean to trivialize the losses experienced by so many, but before we shut the door on 2020, let’s emphasize the positive that came out of it. The medical world notched one of its greatest modern achievements by producing a vaccine in under a year. The year of COVID forced us to be introspective. Many of us learned new things and took on new hobbies. Less time commuting and increased time at home allowed some to spend more…
How will you remember 2020? Most of us will probably remember this as an unusual year. Many may remember it negatively because of the way COVID has altered our lives–or, if you are a business, then how it has affected the bottom line. Change is stressful, especially the dramatic change we’ve faced this year. Change can also be a chance for self-reflection and growth, or a moment of opportunity. We hope you’ve been able to squeeze plenty of positives from this year. Assuming you are in good health, and that your employment hasn’t been affected, then we’re sure you can…
There has been quite a buzz about the JR EAST Welcome Rail Pass 2020, which went on sale on October 16. While most JR rail passes can only be bought and used by visitors to Japan, this new pass is available to all foreign passport holders, regardless of visa status. The pass allows holders three consecutive days of unlimited travel on the Tohoku, Yamagata, Akita, Joetsu and Hokuriku shinkansen, along with JR East train lines and a number of local railways… for just ¥12,000 (or ¥6,000 for children 6~11). With the hiking season in full swing and the snow season…
Japan is full of international residents with interesting stories about how they got here and what they’re doing now. It always seems to involve unexpected twists and fortuitous encounters. One of those residents is Yokohama’s Brian Hutto. Hutto is the owner of Craft Sake Shoten, a casual sake-tasting room a few blocks from Yokohama Station. A little more than five years ago, Hutto was working in San Francisco in the hotel industry with no plans of moving to Japan. How do you go from there to being one of the few international residents in all of Japan to run a…