October 1st is Sake Day around the globe because it generally marks the start of the sake brewing season in Japan. You may not have known this, but sake is enjoying a renaissance, with production, sale and export of premium styles on the rise. There are several good places in Yokohama to drink premium sake, including Sagan (featured on our cover) in the Motomachi-Ishikawa area. Just a stone’s throw away is the family-owned liquor store Aichiya, which has a tasting bar. In Hanasaki-cho, Hanasaku is another great one. If you’re more interested in sipping at home, Kimijimaya is a well-respected…
Author: Seasider
The Noge area has literally hundreds of establishments to choose from–something for pretty much everyone’s taste. Now entering its third month of business, Hitsuji is a great option for the young, hip crowd looking for something new. Those in search of lamb dishes will discover none on the menu as the name originates from owner Kawaguchi Masashi’s zodiac sign. What you will find is a specialty rotisserie Daisen Chicken from Tottori Prefecture. Coming in a half or full size (¥1380/¥2480), the juicy rosemary-roasted chicken is easily a meal on its own. The tasty Anchovy Cabbage (¥580) makes for a very…
The bad news is that Japan has one of the world’s highest reported rates of suicide. The good news is that recent efforts to reduce the death toll have been successful: 23,971 people took their own lives in Japan last year, a reduction of 1,456 from 2014, and the sixth straight annual decline. World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th seeks to raise awareness about suicide and suicide prevention. For the past several years, Japan-based mental health non-profit TELL has organized walks that offer participants a chance to connect with others and to remember lives that have been lost. The…
On Thursday, September 15th, IKEA Kohoku in Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama will celebrate its tenth anniversary. IKEA, the biggest home furnishing company in the world, opened the Kohoku store in 2006, making it their second in Japan at the time. IKEA Kohoku opened their doors with the vision statement, “To create a better everyday life for the many people.” Over the ten years the store has been in existence, it has become more and more popular with customers seeking that improvement in their daily lives. IKEA’s unparalleled design concepts keep customers coming back time and again. The company calls it “democratic design”—…
September always sees a couple of weeks of “zansho” (“late summer heat”), though typhoons and other storms blow that away leaving cool, clear days that are harbingers of autumn. Look for higanbana (red spider lily) to begin popping up in gardens and yards across the city with the moisture. Dragonflies take flight and will be surfing the air in greener parts, too. It’s also jazz season in Yokohama as the city hosts its annual Jazz Promenade. Yokohama is widely known as a city with strong jazz roots, but this multi-venue festival spread across town is when this really comes apparent.…
Sure, it’s a bit toasty out, but escape from the heat is never farther than the ocean or mountains, neither of which are far from downtown Yokohama. Previously, the month of August was devoid of official holidays, but this year the Japanese government has graced us with a new one: Yama no Hi, or Mountain Day. If heading to the coolness of higher elevations was in your plans, now you have another reason to do it and an extra day off, too! We aren’t encouraging you to leave the city completely behind for a month in the woods. For some,…
Ahhh, sake. What attracted us to Kanouya in the first place was their sign out front advertising a wealth of quality nihonshu (sake). With an attractive storefront in one of Noge’s newly remodeled buildings, we had to venture in to find out more. The new interior certainly makes it feel upscale. The sake list is about 20 deep and changes every few weeks, depending on availability and season (glass ¥320〜/180ml ¥640〜). The bar also has its own special, high-end junmai ginjo made by Hayashi Brewing of Gifu (glass ¥500/180ml ¥980). There may be some other items…
In unison with the World Railways Expo 2016 at Pacifico Yokohama running through Sept. 11th, the Hara Railway Museum will also focus on international displays. Hara will be running trains with international flair in the minute Z gauge through a special German village diorama. They will also be loaning some of their trains to the Expo that have never been on display, even at their museum. From his nearly 200 trips abroad, Hara Nobutaro collected a multitude of railroad paraphernalia and interesting antiques. Related to the theme of the event, they have been borrowed from the private gallery at his…
When the muggy monsoon weather lifts, most of Japan gets steamy hot. Yokohama is no exception, but at least the city is waterside and benefits from offshore breezes. If you have time for a day-trip or even an overnight stay, to the west of the city lie cooler, greener elevations that also offer respite from the heat. Many people, however, don’t mind the heat and flock to the beaches. Kanagawa thankfully has some great ones. In this issue, we offer a handful of suggestions for beachside entertainment. Firework festival season is also upon us, so check our calendar for those…
Toward the end of June, IKEA Kohoku donated furniture items (sofas, dining tables, TV stands and curtains) to the orphanage Seibo Aijien, located in Yokohama’s Naka-ku. Working from its vision of “creating a better daily life for more people,” IKEA endeavors to exert a positive influence on the environment and society. IKEA has thus embraced a sustainability strategy running through 2020 called “PEOPLE & PLANET POSITIVE”, which seeks to engage in a variety of altruistic activity. One key aspect of PEOPLE & PLANET POSITIVE is “providing a better way of life for people and the community.” One way of realizing…