A sweet twist to hiking in Japan
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NHK
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- NHK
Traffic congestion peaks in Japan as people travel during Bon holidays
Congestion on expressways, trains and flights has peaked in Japan as people flocked to resorts and their hometowns during the annual Bon holidays. Japan Railway companies say congestion on Shinkansen bullet trains outbound from Tokyo peaked on Saturday. Trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line left Tokyo at almost full capacity from the morning through the early afternoon. Nozomi services with reserved seats only were the most crowded. Cars with non-reserved seats of many outbound trains on the Tohoku and Hokuriku Shinkansen Lines were carrying more passengers than their capacities from the morning through the early afternoon. Traffic jam along the outbound lanes of expressways is also expected to peak from Saturday through Sunday. Most domestic flights from Tokyo were also mostly packed on Saturday. All Nippon Airways had 91.5 percent of its seats booked, while Japan Airlines had 84.4 percent.
Japan Times
19 hours ago
- Japan Times
A walk through Kokura, the city spared nuclear destruction
On arrival in Kokura one December day, the skies are dark and threaten a storm. It's little surprise as the town, now embedded within the industrial megacity of Kitakyushu, sees cloudy conditions over half the days of the year. And during World War II, such weather saved the city from nuclear destruction. Hiroshima had always been the primary target for the first atomic bomb, as it was home to two Imperial Japanese Army headquarters and a strategic port. Originally scheduled for Aug. 11, the second atomic bomb targeting the city's Kokura Arsenal, a conventional and chemical weapons production center, was rescheduled to Aug. 9 due to a forecasted storm and poor flying conditions.
Japan Times
a day ago
- Japan Times
At Himawari Shokudo 2, Italian food with a Japanese soul
In Japan's gastronomic firmament, Toyama Prefecture has long been overlooked and overshadowed by its neighbor, Ishikawa. The excellence of its seafood, sake, rice and other agricultural produce has never been in doubt. But its restaurants never managed to attain the same degree of prominence as those in the samurai city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa's prefectural capital. In recent years, though, that old order has undergone a sea change. First came the advent of the Hokuriku Shinkansen in 2015, which opened up a fast, efficient and direct link between Tokyo and the Sea of Japan. Then, in 2016 the first Hokuriku-focused Michelin Guide was published, followed by an expanded version five years later that shone the gourmet spotlight well beyond Kanazawa and onto Toyama, too. These days, the secret (such as it was) is well and truly out. Toyama is firmly on the map — and on the itineraries of gourmet travelers in the know. It was even listed by The New York Times as one of the '52 Places to Go in 2025 .' Now, as further confirmation, Toyama is also the location for The Japan Times' 2025 Destination Restaurant of the Year: Himawari Shokudo 2. The Destination Restaurant awards are not intended as a ranking system, and the aim is not to heap praise on individual chefs. Rather, the goal is to draw attention to the cuisines available in each specific region of Japan and to celebrate cooking that is rooted in those areas. Himawari Shokudo 2 has won its place on the strength of its original Italian-inflected seasonal dishes that highlight the quality and variety of ingredients from Toyama's fishers and farmers. But in many ways, it represents an unusual choice for such a high-powered list which has, up to now, focused mainly on innovative fine dining and more traditional Japanese cuisine. Chef Tanaka brings his modest personality to his food at Himawari Shokudo 2. | TAKAO OHTA By contrast, Himawari Shokudo 2 is more humble, not just in its name — it means "Sunflower Diner No. 2" — but also its modest reach and gradual rise to prominence, a profile that reflects the quiet character and unorthodox background of its soft-spoken owner-chef, Hozumi Tanaka. Finding inspiration in Italy Born in Toyama in 1975, Tanaka's career path has been far from conventional. He initially worked in a field related to architecture — though he purposely remains vague on this — and says he had no interest in food or cooking. It was only on a trip to Europe in his early 20s that his eyes were opened, not by fancy fine dining but a dish he was served at a simple trattoria in Italy's Tuscany region. "I was backpacking on a shoestring, staying with friends,' he says, 'and my budget was so tight, eating very little, basically just supermarket food. My focus was on the history and culture of the countries I was visiting, not the cuisine. But when I was in Florence, I decided to try a local bistecca (Tuscan-style steak)." He recalls it as a moment that changed the direction of his life. "I was amazed by how good it tasted. I realized for the first time that to travel was not just to look but also to taste — and that food is an essential part of culture,' he says. 'I also sensed the power of food to please people. That instilled in me the idea that I could pursue a career in the kitchen.' After a life-changing gourmet moment with a Tuscan-style steak in Italy, Tanaka decided to pursue a career as a chef. | TAKAO OHTA Tanaka went on to visit Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Egypt and even Jamaica. But he never forgot that first awakening in Italy. And that is why, when he finally set his sights on cooking at the age of 27, it was Italian cuisine that he chose. He spent the next decade working at restaurants in Tokyo, most notably at Ristorante Terauchi in the Nishiazabu neighborhood, where he learned the techniques of charcoal-grilling that underpin his cuisine to this day. Eventually moving back to his hometown, Tanaka opened his original Himawari Shokudo in 2013. It was a simple trattoria-style operation with seating for 14 people, initially offering both a la carte dishes and a ¥5,000 set menu. As its popularity grew, Tanaka increasingly began to focus on using local ingredients, such as shiro-ebi (white shrimps) and hotaru-ika (firefly squid) from Toyama Bay, both of which are considered signature delicacies of spring. During the pandemic years, when restrictions meant that Tanaka was unable to turn seats, he compensated by moving to a multicourse set menu that was pricier (¥9,000 or ¥11,000) but included dishes of greater sophistication. A second bloom A further step upmarket became unavoidable when the building that housed Himawari Shokudo had to be redeveloped. Tanaka made the jump, moving into a sleek new home that was once a local bank branch. What he lost in terms of local character, he has more than made up for with his spacious, gleaming open kitchen that seems to take up half the total footprint of the ground floor premises. The second incarnation of Himawari Shokudo sees Tanaka adopting an "omakase" (chef's choice) dining concept. | TAKAO OHTA Launched in April 2024, Himawari Shokudo 2 has fewer seats (just eight now) and higher overheads. Tanaka had to again up the price of his omakase (chef's choice) menu to its current ¥18,000. But this, he says, has also allowed him to unlock more of his own potential as a chef. "Having a simple a la carte blackboard makes things easier: You just cook whatever the customer orders," he explains. "But an omakase menu requires creating my own new dishes, and that's something I didn't think I could do. When I began working on my new menu, I was surprised to find I came up with so many ideas.' What hasn't changed is his attachment to Italian cuisine and his wider Mediterranean influences or, of course, his love for grilling over charcoal. More than ever, though, these days he is allowing his Toyama roots to shine, front and center on the plate. One of his signature starters in spring features hotaru-ika that are lightly blanched in hot water and served on a crepe of grated yamato-imo (yam) prepared with a classic dashi of katsuobushi (cured bonito flakes). Under the tiny brownish-red squid is a mix of sansai (wild edible plants) seasoned with an olive oil dressing. It is a perfectly balanced synthesis of Mediterranean and local influences — and a superb appetizer. Himawari Shokudo 2's version of falafel features deep-fried balls of mashed chickpeas mixed with green herbs. | TAKAO OHTA Rather more left-field is his two-bite take on falafel. Mashed chickpeas are mixed with green herbs, formed into balls, wrapped in a thin pastry crust and deep-fried. Tanaka serves these with shredded carrot and a sauce he conjures up from neri-goma (sesame puree) blended with white balsamic vinegar and yogurt. Elegant and light, it's a long way from any Middle Eastern roots, but it works wonderfully. Tanaka's pasta dishes are, equally, more a demonstration of the excellence of Toyama produce than of Italian comfort food. In season, he serves homemade agnolotti with rich ragus of venison or inoshishi (wild boar), which he sources from hunter-forager Mokutaro Ishiguro — who also happens to be the brother of Tanaka's sous-chef, Fuko Ishiguro — in the foothills of the nearby Hida Mountains. Mostly, he dials it back and keeps things as uncomplicated as possible. He pairs perfect al dente spaghetti with the sweetest of new-season green peas, accenting them with fresh mint leaf, olive oil and the zest of white lemons. The inspiration may be Italian but the execution is entirely Japanese in its profound simplicity. For a main dish, Tanaka grills cuts of the flavorful Owara Clean Pork, a Toyama breed raised without the use of artificial additives. | TAKAO OHTA For his main dishes, Tanaka turns to his charcoal grill. He takes it slow, cooking his meat alternately over a thick metal plancha grill then allowing it to rest over 15-minute cycles. Rather than game meats, he uses a local breed, Owara Clean Pork, which is raised in a sterile environment with minimal use of artificial additives or antibiotics. Light and flavorful, the meat requires only the simplest of accompaniments, perhaps a sprig of deep-fried taranome, the shoot of the wild angelica tree collected at the peak of spring. Despite his late start as a chef, Tanaka has found support through his decade-long participation in a group informally known as "Team Toyama." It was set up by a number of fine dining chefs in the prefecture, including Eiji Taniguchi of L'evo , The Japan Times' Destination Restaurant of the Year in 2021 and now holder of two Michelin stars. Through social gatherings and occasional workshops, they have created a network whose aim is to elevate the quality of ingredients in their region. They have also introduced local producers and artisans, such as noted ceramicist Gaku Shakunaga and his sister, Yui, a metalworker whose elegant place settings are a feature of Himawari Shokudo 2. While Tanaka still remains characteristically modest about his Destination Restaurant of the Year award and his place in this hierarchy, Himawari Shokudo 2 is a more than worthy winner. And, once again, it is helping to cement Toyama's well-deserved place on Japan's dining map. Jinzuhonmachi 1-5-18, Toyama, Toyama 930-0008; 076-482-6091; ; open 6-10 p.m. (Sat. also 12-3 p.m.), irregular holidays; omakase (chef's choice) menu ¥18,000; nearest station Toyama; no smoking; some English spoken
