Latest news with #Western-style
SoraNews24
5 hours ago
- SoraNews24
Japan's best rose gardens to visit in 2025
With thousands of bushes to be enjoyed, these floral wonderlands are just waiting for you to stroll around them. For many, when they connect the two words of 'Japan' and 'flower,' cherry blossoms are almost certainly what comes to mind. While hanami, or 'flower viewing,' is a popular springtime event for Japanese people, the appreciation of flowers is not limited to just cherry blossoms: there are many seasonal flowers that people nationwide flock to see. Plum blossoms, tulips, nemophilas, wisterias, azaleas, and hydrangeas, are just some of the many beautiful displays of nature, often with dedicated gardens for visitors to meander around in and admire. From mid-May to late June, roses are the main features of many of the country's gardens, so we've picked out some must-visit locations for you to head out and experience. ● Kyu-Furukawa Garden, Tokyo A garden with a unique landscape, featuring a Western-style mansion on a hilltop, a rose garden on the slope, and a Japanese garden at the bottom of the hill. It truly is a one-of-a-kind view combining Western and Japanese aesthetics. Visitors also have a chance to see the 'Blue Moon' variety, which has topped popularity polls for two years running. The Spring Rose Festival will be held until June 30, with general admission costing 150 yen (US$1.04). Garden information Kyu-Furukawa Teien / 旧古河庭園 Address: Tokyo-to, Kita-ku, Nishigahara 1-27-39 東京都北区西ヶ原1-27-39 Open 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (last entry at 4:30 p.m.) Website Image source: @Press ● Akirudai Park, Tokyo Designed in a European style with brick and marble, there are around 450 bushes of 110 varieties for visitors to enjoy at this metropolitan park. The park itself is spacious and offers scenic viewpoints, making for a relaxed outing. While free to enjoy, there are some facilities on the grounds that require a fee. Garden information Akirudai Koen / 秋留台公園 Address: Tokyo-to, Akiruno, Ninomiya 673-1 東京都あきる野市二宮673-1 Open 24 hours Website Image source: @Press ● Jindai Botanical Gardens, Tokyo With approximately 400 varieties and 5,200 rose bushes, this garden is stunning. During the peak season, there is the Spring Rose Festival, where visitors can view the 18 varieties inducted into the World Federation of Rose Societies Hall of Fame, along with many rare and original species collections. Entry to the garden costs 500 yen. Garden information Jindai Shokubutsu Koen / 神代植物公園 Address: Tokyo-to, Chofu-shi, Jindaiji Motomachi-cho 5-31-1 東京都調布市深大寺元町5-31-1 Open 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (last entry at 4:00 p.m.) Website Image source: @Press ● Ashikaga Flower Park, Tochigi Arguably one of Japan's most famous flower destinations, we would be remiss to not include it on this list. While generally more known for its wisteria, during early summer, 500 varieties and 2,500 bushes decorate the landscape in full bloom. Plus, the garden is lit up at night until the end of May, making for a whole day of floral enjoyment. Admission varies depending on the status of the blooming flowers, so check their website for up-to-date information, but it is at 1,300 yen at the time of writing. Garden information Ashikaga Flower Park / あしかがフラワーパーク Address: Tochigi-ken, Ashikaga-shi, Hasama-cho 607 栃木県足利市迫間町607 Open 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Website Image source: PR Times ● Ibaraki Flower Park, Ibaraki With over 900 varieties and 9,000 rose bushes, this is the season that the park is at its most beautiful. Take the opportunity to walk through a 60-meter (about 197-foot) rose tunnel, emerging out into a stunning rose garden. This year, there is even the debut of two new varieties developed in the prefecture: Shiho and Hitachi Otome. The rose festival will last until June 30 and will cost you between 1,200 and 1,800 yen, depending on how far along the roses are in their blooming cycle. Garden information Ibaraki Flower Park / いばらきフラワーパーク Address: Ibaraki-ken, Ishioka-shi, Shimoaoyagi 200-banchi 茨城県石岡市下青柳200番地 Open 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Website Image source: PR Times ● Yokohama English Garden, Kanagawa Having over 2,200 varieties, this garden allows you to enjoy roses from spring right the way through to fall, including many fragrant and repeat-blooming varieties. There are many other stunning rose spots within the city of Yokohama, such as Yamashita Park, Harbor View Park, Yamate Italian Garden, Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, Yokohama Children's Botanical Garden, and Nagahama Park, which would let you spend an entire weekend or more garden-hopping around the city. While the Rose Festival has now passed, you can still catch some flowers in bloom and at a lower ticket price, now costing only 1,000 yen, instead of the 1,500 yen it was during the peak season. Garden information Yokohama English Garden / 横浜イングリッシュガーデン Address: Kanagawa-ken, Yokohama-shi, Nishi-ku, Nishihiranuma-cho 6-1, tvk ecom park-nai 神奈川県横浜市西区西平沼町6-1 tvk ecom park内 Open 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (last entry at 5:30 p.m.) Website Image source: PR Times ● Sakura Kusabue no Oka, Chiba This is an internationally recognized garden, having received the title of 'Hall of Fame Rose Garden' from the Great Rosarians of the World program in San Marino, USA. From May 10 to June 1, the Rose Festival 2025 is held with 1,250 varieties and 2,500 buses of roses in bloom, and will cost 410 yen to enter. Garden information Sakura Kusabue no Oka / 佐倉草ぶえの丘 Address: Chiba-ken, Sakura-shi, Iino 820-banchi 千葉県佐倉市飯野820番地 Open 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (last entry at 4:30 p.m.) Website Image source: PR Times ● Gifu World Rose Garden, Gifu Boasting a whopping 6,000 varieties and 20,000 bushes, this is easily among the top of Japan's gardens for sheer quantity of roses. It is split into two main gardens, with the first, the Rose Theme Garden, containing 14 sub-gardens with different themes, such as the Fragrant Rose Garden, and the Royal Rose Garden. The other main section is the Old Rose Garden, consisting of varieties that existed before the introduction of the first modern rose in the mid-1800s. Entry for the duration of the festival, which lasts until June 15, is 1,050 yen. Garden information Gifu World Rose Garden / ぎふワールド・ローズガーデン Address: Gifu-ken, Kani-shi, Seta 1584-1 岐阜県可児市瀬田1584-1 Open 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (last entry at 4:30 p.m.) Website Image source: PR Times ● Rosa & Berry Tawada, Shiga The main areas of this English-style garden, like the Garden of Roses and Perennials and Rose Garden, are in full bloom, along with a unique area that contains rare wild species from China, Laos, and India. There's also a Shaun the Sheep Farm Garden, for fans of that lovable sheep, as well as a Fairy Garden that has homes that look like they could have come straight out of Lord of the Rings . Entrance fees start at 1,900 yen, but are currently at 2,200 yen due to the blooming season. Garden information Rosa & Berry Tawada / ローザンベリー多和田 Address: Shiga-ken, Maibara-shi, Tawada 605-10 滋賀県米原市多和田605-10 Open: Morning Rose Garden until June 1 7:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m. (last entry at 9:00 a.m.); 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (last entry at 4:30 p.m.) Website Image Source: PR Times (1, 2) ● Sora no Hanabatake Sera Kogen Hana no Mori, Hiroshima Sera Kogen allows you to enjoy flowers no matter the season. While there are four farms in the area, some of which are temporarily closed, Hana no Mori features a rose garden. With different areas that frequently change the spotlight flower depending on the season, each visit will look a little different. The festival will continue until June 29, and prices range from 700 to 1,200 yen, depending on the flowers. Garden information Sora no Hanabatake Sera Kogen Hana no Mori / そらの花畑 世羅高原花の森 Address: Hiroshima-ken Sera-gun, Sera-cho, Tobari, Soraguchi 1405-ban 広島県世羅郡世羅町戸張空口1405番 Open 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (last entry at 4:30 p.m.); June 1 and June 8 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (last entry at 5:30 p.m.); June 7 Twilight Entry 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. (last entry at 6:30 p.m.) Website Image source PR Times ● Reoma Flower World, Kagawa During the Rose Festival held in spring and fall, various types of roses can be enjoyed throughout the park. New park-exclusive varieties Polly Bird and Woolly Glamour are making their debut this year. The Reoma Rose Garden, showcasing around 20,000 roses from around the world, and a rose garden supervised by The Rose of Versailles manga author Riyoko Ikeda, are both must-sees. Entry to the park costs 2,000 yen, but attractions within the park all have separate fees, unless you buy the free pass for 4,600 yen. Garden information New Reoma World / NEWレオマワールド Address: Kagawa-ken, Marugame-shi, Ayauta-cho Kurikumanishi 40-1 香川県丸亀市綾歌町栗熊西40-1 Open 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (Monday-Friday); 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday) Closed Tuesdays Website Image source: PR Times ● Uminonakamichi Seaside Park, Fukuoka During the rose season, this garden fills up with a sweet fragrance thanks to 220 rose varieties and around 1,800 bushes being in full bloom. A visit to this delightful little park will set you back 450 yen. Even if you are unable to make it to these gardens during the peak rose season, many of them have varieties that bloom more than once a year, as well as many other flowers. So, no matter when you visit, you will be sure to enjoy the beauty of the changing seasons. Garden information Kokuei Umi no Naka Michi Kaihin Koen / 国営海の中道海浜公園 Address: Fukuoka-ken, Fukuoka-shi, Higashi-ku, Oaza Saitozaki 18-25 福岡県福岡市東区大字西戸崎18-25 Open 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays in certain periods Website Image source: PR Times Top image: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Single Style / Retreat: Personal Spaces at Home and in Town
Some people create their own personal spaces in the homes where they also spend time with their families, while others use services available in town to concentrate on something alone. Why do they choose a particular kind of space? Several people shared the reasons for their choices. Incense, music in a garden cabin The Yomiuri Shimbun The log cabin that was built in the garden of his house in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture. A company employee,33, in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, built a log cabin in his garden two years ago. Using a log cabin kit offered by a brand called Bess, operated by Tokyo-based housing company R.C. Core Co., he assembled it with his wife and some friends. Then they painted it and completed it in about two weeks. One look inside the cabin told me all about his interests. Camping items such as lanterns and tents were placed on the shelves; the room also contained things such as speakers and a turntable of the kind used by disc jockeys. 'I had longed for a space where I could keep my belongings and spend time surrounded by my favorite things,' he said. The Yomiuri Shimbun A man relaxes in his cabin, which is full of outdoor equipment and music-related things, in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture. On his days off, he sometimes spends whole afternoons inside the cabin. While his wife, who is a musician, concentrates on writing music at home, the log cabin allows them to spend time separate from each other for a while. 'I burn my favorite incense, play my favorite music and enjoy reading a book on the sofa, which makes me feel refreshed and energetic enough to think, 'I will do my best tomorrow,'' he said. Last year, he built a deck in front of the cabin, placed a bonfire pit there and watched the fire under the starry sky. He plans to seek more ways to enjoy the cabin in the future. His cabin may be something like an adult version of the secret bases that kids make. A home office full of figures The Yomiuri Shimbun Many figures are displayed in the home office in Fuchu, Tokyo. Some people create their own spaces inside their homes. When a man in his 50s, who works in the construction industry in Fuchu, Tokyo, bought a house, he asked Tokyo-based home renovation company Stylekoubou to turn one of its Western-style rooms into a home office. He built a wall showcase in the room to show off about 50 figures of movie heroes and other characters. They are treasures for him that he had kept boxed up before he moved here because there had been no place to display them. 'This room gets me in a working mood, but when I want to take a break, looking at the figures gives me a nice change of pace,' he said with a smile. When people visit for business or other reasons, the figures catch their eyes and spark conversation. His guests must feel that they are being let into a place that is very important to him. A hiding place in a coffee shop The Yomiuri Shimbun My Booth personal spaces, where users can concentrate on things with a drink they ordered, in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo Coffee Room Ginza Renoir, which operates coffee shops mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area, offers 57 'My Booth' personal spaces at 11 shops in central Tokyo as of the end of February. Each space is equipped with facilities such as a working chair and an Internet connection and can be used for ¥500 per hour including tax. There also is an all-inclusive price plan for more extended use. Users are required to order at least one item, such as a drink. According to an official of the chain, the primary users of the service are businesspeople. Parents and children will sometimes visit a shop and rent separate My Booth spaces, with the children using their space to study, the official said. He said the company has received feedback from users such as: 'I can use My Booth as a hiding place near my company to feel relaxed' and 'I can concentrate on my work and be more productive.' Booths in stations, hospitals The Yomiuri Shimbun The inside of a Telecube work booth, which is often used for online meetings, in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo There are personal spaces available all over the city. About 570 Telecube box-type personal work booths are available in about 230 locations across the nation, mainly in Tokyo and surrounding areas, as of the end of February. They are installed at train stations, airports, office buildings, universities, hospitals and other places. 'We try to install the booths in areas around transit routes,' said an employee of the Tokyo-based Telecube, Inc., which operates the booths. Each 1.3-square-meter box is equipped with a desk, power outlets and other facilities. Customers can use their smartphone to register and book time slots. Prices differ by location and vary from ¥220 to ¥330 per 15 minutes. Many of the users are businesspeople, who use them mainly for online meetings. 'It's common for people to use our booths for 60 to 75 minutes at a time for meetings. The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in online meetings, which has boosted the demand for spaces like these,' the employee said. One 52-year-old male company employee from Tokyo, a heavy user of the service, sometimes rents Telecube booths in multiple locations as he moves from place to place. 'When an online interview is arranged at short notice, it's hard to hold it in an open space like a cafe. These booths let me talk about confidential matters in a private space,' he said. Some people use Telecube booths to take online English conversation lessons, watch live streaming video or drink their morning coffee, according to him. 'There is a demand for urban spaces where privacy is protected, where people can do whatever they like without worrying what others think of them,' the employee explained. People need to disconnect Yoshikazu Nango, a professor at Hosei University who wrote a book about urban theory focusing on personal spaces, explains 'personal spaces' as follows: 'I define a personal space as a space where anonymity is secured by certain partitions and people temporarily break away from groups to which they belong, such as families and companies.' One of the reasons behind the increasing demand for personal spaces could be the widespread use of smartphones and social media. In an environment where people always feel connected to other people, they may feel like they are placed in a state of mutual surveillance, which makes them feel stressed out. I think that is why people increasingly want to be disconnected or released from others. Furthermore, developments in communications have made it easier for people to coordinate time with others, allowing them to have more spare time. Personal booths are services that help users make effective use of their spare time. In Japan, people have created personal spaces by using partitions to block others from seeing them since long ago. Partitions became more common as a means to prevent infections during the COVID-19 pandemic, and blocking sound has become important with the rise of telework. People creating study rooms in their homes can be seen as part of this trend. In modern times, when we are always under pressure from others and tend to lose sight of ourselves, being in a personal space allows us to reexamine the ways in which we distance ourselves from others. It also provides us with an opportunity to break away from our daily lives, in which we tend to prioritize using time effectively, and to restore our own sense of time.' Separate spaces, awareness of others When I want to concentrate on something, make a phone call or read a book, I always look for a space where I can be alone, because I tend to worry about what people will think of me. Seeing personal booths in town sparked my interest. Now, I feel relieved to know that there are other people who want personal spaces, just like I do. What surprised me is that there are people who use personal spaces for connecting with others, such as through online meetings. While personal spaces may seem isolated, they may make us aware of our connections to other people.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
If Trump keeps threatening our judges, we'll lose our rule of law
In recent weeks, President Trump has called various federal judges "monsters who want our country to go to hell,' "EVIL,' "lunatics,' "CORRUPT,' "crooked,' "unfair disaster[s],' and "disgraceful.' Down Pennsylvania Avenue, in the halls of Congress, Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN) recently put up Western-style "wanted posters' of various federal court judges. High-profile political actors from Elon Musk to Representative Marjorie Taylor Green to Arizona's own Representative Eli Crane have recently called for the impeachment of judges. All told, such words have unsurprisingly led to increased unpleasantness for federal judges – death threats to Judge Amir Ali, bomb threats to the sister of Justice Amy Coney Barrett, suspicious deliveries to Judges Paul Engelmayer and Jeanette Vargas, etc. The U.S. Marshals Service reported 224 investigated threats to federal judges in 2021. That number grew to 457 in 2023. And 2025 is on pace for a new record. U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts recently made a rare public rebuke of attacks on the federal judiciary: "For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.' So too did Justice Kentanji Brown Jackson ("relentless attacks … undermining our Constitution and the rule of law.') Last week, Congressional Democrats introduced a bill to transfer control of the U.S. Marshals – the men and women who provide security for the courts – from the executive branch to the federal judiciary. The authors of the bill fear that without the legislative change, judges will fear for their safety if they rule against President Trump. All of this is unfortunate. And while it might be worse than ever, none of this is new. We know that in Arizona. I clearly remember the left's hostile reaction when the Arizona Supreme Court ruled against the "Invest in Ed' initiative in 2018. Some critics challenged the merits of the legal opinion. That's fine. It's even healthy. Others chose a different route. They questioned the ethics of the judges. Or their patriotism. Or their commitment to democracy. Similar charges were made following the Arizona Supreme Court's ruling that reinstated Arizona's 1864 abortion ban. Activists focused on Justices Clint Bolick and Kathryn King, saying they were "unfit to serve' or that they were "abusing their positions for years to serve a political agenda.' Former state legislator Athena Salman called into question the whole judicial process: "[This] corrupt Court completely disregards our rights.' Nevermind that judges were being asked to make a specific legal determination on what the laws, as written, required. They weren't being asked for their opinion on what the law should be, or whether or not it was absurd to return to Arizona's territorial law. I once proudly thought the political right was largely immune from such nonsensical actions. But then Abe Hamadeh and Kari Lake came on the scene. Following their various losses, they blamed anyone possible. And that included the judiciary. Hamadeh, now a Congressman, once wrote derogatorily of the political left that, "In their attempt to further destroy the rule of law, Democrats are going after judges who stand in their way.' But his tune changed following his winless record in state trial courts, appellate courts, and the Arizona Supreme Court: "[Judicial] corruption must be rooted out completely.' "Marxist radical Democrat judges are destroying America while Republican judges are surrendering.' "I wish our judges loved the rule of law more than they hate me.' Never once did Hamadeh consider that he was simply wrong on the law and the facts. Instead it was the moral character of every single judge who ruled on his cases. He got so convinced of his own victimhood and judicial corruption that he took to the airwaves on the James T. Harris Show to call for the removal of Ducey-appointed Justice Clint Bolick. As for Kari Lake, after each legal loss – and there are lots of them – she takes to social media to boldly state that she only lost because of 'corruption,' 'cowardice,' 'cabals,' or 'compromised' judges. She even accused one judge of unlawfully handing over his judicial responsibilities to liberal attorney Marc Elias – a 'ghostwritten' legal decision. I witnessed first hand the effects of such comments. In May 2023, I sat in the courtroom of one Lake case when my team found a social media message from a Lake supporter threatening the judge in the case. We showed it to the court. The court paused the case until additional security could be provided. This needs to stop. The judiciary's role is to make decisions on facts and law. Inevitably, some litigants win, and some lose. That's true even in emotionally fraught cases. It's true in political cases. And sometimes, even if the public is overwhelmingly on one side, that side might lose because the facts and law don't support that side. That's how the law works. And we are a country of law. The losing party must respect this process. You can of course disagree with a court's ruling. You can write or speak about how they got the law wrong. You can appeal. But comments to the effect of 'corruption,' should be reserved for situations in which there is, in fact, corruption – e.g. if a judge takes a monetary bribe to rule a certain way. Similarly, calls for impeachment or the removal of the judge shouldn't be made simply because you dislike a ruling. They should be limited to obviously deficient or illegal conduct. If the path we're currently on continues, and if politicians like President Trump continue threatening our judiciary, then it's trouble for the future independence of the judiciary. Judges won't be able to fairly evaluate facts and law if they fear that a ruling that aggravates one party may lead to the judge's physical harm or removal from the position. That's extortion. And who would even want to be a judge in such a setting? Only the corrupt. As Arizona Justice Clint Bolick wrote in these pages, "it's game over if judges look over their shoulders.' Stephen Richer is a former Maricopa County recorder. He is now a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government's Ash Center, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, and CEO of Republic Affairs. Follow him on X: @stephen_richer. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Trump's attacks on judges threaten US rule of law | Opinion
Time of India
4 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Replacing THIS food from one meal can be beneficial for liver health, experts reveal
A recent study reveals that swapping meat for plant-based protein in just one meal can significantly benefit individuals with liver disease. Researchers found that this dietary change lowers harmful ammonia levels, which are linked to cirrhosis and cognitive decline. Experts emphasize that even small dietary adjustments can positively impact liver health. Liver diseases are a growing health concern. Many factors contribute to the disease, and one among them is diet. Scientists have confirmed the link between a poor diet and increased risk of developing liver disease, particularly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Recently, researchers have found that avoiding one food item can significantly benefit liver function. A new study by researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Medicine and the Richmond VA Medical Center found that replacing meat with plant-based proteins for one meal can be beneficial for liver patients. Swapping meat with plant-based proteins in just one meal lowers harmful ammonia levels, found in people with advanced liver disease. High levels of ammonia in the blood are linked to cirrhosis and a type of cognitive decline called hepatic encephalopathy. Cirrhosis affects the liver's ability to process toxins like ammonia, which is produced in the intestines when gut bacteria break down food. In healthy individuals, ammonia is processed by the liver and excreted by the kidneys. However, in patients with cirrhosis, this ammonia accumulates in the bloodstream and can reach the brain, causing hepatic encephalopathy, which is a potentially life-threatening condition. This condition impairs cognitive function and can lead to confusion, delirium, coma, or death. To understand how removing meat from one meal could help liver patients, the researchers followed 30 adults with cirrhosis, all of whom typically ate a Western-style diet rich in red meat and low in fiber. The categorized the participants randomly and assigned them to eat one of three types of burgers—beef/pork, vegan meat substitute, or vegetarian bean-based, each containing 20 grams of protein. The meal also included low-fat potato chips, a whole-grain bun, and water. No condiments or toppings were added to this meal. The researchers then tested blood and urine samples, and compared it with before the meal, to examine the ammonia levels and gut bacteria composition. They found that people who consumed meat burgers had higher levels of amino acids linked to ammonia production and hepatic encephalopathy, compared to those who ate the plant-based options. 'It was exciting to see that even small changes in your diet, like having one meal without meat once in a while, could benefit your liver by lowering harmful ammonia levels in patients with cirrhosis,' Jasmohan Bajaj, a world-renowned expert in hepatic encephalopathy with the Richmond VA Medical Center said in a statement. 'We now need more research to learn if consuming meals without meat goes beyond reducing ammonia to preventing problems in brain function and liver disease progression. ' Smriti Mandhana Flaunts Fit Look in Masked Athleisure in Andheri 'It can be so hard to make long-term dietary and behavioral changes. We wondered if making an occasional change could be an option for these patients. Liver patients with cirrhosis should know that making positive changes in their diet doesn't have to be overwhelming or difficult,' Bajaj added. What should you do So, does that mean skipping meal in just one meal can help liver patients? 'The main take-home message was that occasionally skipping meat from just a single meal can have benefits for patients with cirrhosis. A simple change to a patient's diet or substituting some parts of it could be a simple and accessible method to reduce ammonia generation,' Bajaj said. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
SoraNews24
26-05-2025
- SoraNews24
Made-to-order onigiri rice ball hotel breakfast buffet in Tokyo is open (and awesome) to all
A handmade way to start the day in downtown Tokyo's most traditional neighborhood. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that's especially true for travel breakfasts. Starting off with a solid, satisfying breakfast gives you some extra flexibility in picking when and where you'll eat lunch, since you won't have to slam the brakes on sightseeing and exploring because you're starving by 11 o'clock. And if you're looking for an especially memorable breakfast in Asakusa, Tokyo's most culturally traditional neighborhood, we've got just the place. You'll find it at Ichi no Ichi, which is a restaurant located on the third floor of the Asakusa Tobu Hotel. Don't worry, though, the breakfast buffet is open to non-guests, so you can treat it like you would any other restaurant, and with the building located just one minute from Asakusa Station, it's super easy to slot into whatever other plans you have for your time in the neighborhood. The fare is a mix of Japanese and Western-style dishes, so you can get things like pancakes, bacon, and sausages… …or Japanese staples like simmered kabocha (Japanese pumpkin), grilled fish, and tofu. These are all pretty standard at Japanese breakfast buffets, but what makes this one special is the onigiri (rice balls). Instead of just putting out a plate of them, the buffet has an onigiri bar, where a chef makes yours to order! Just tell the chef what kind of topping you'd like, and he'll press the ingredients into the rice by hand. During our visit the options included Hokkaido salmon, Fukuoka mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and Seto Inland Sea chirimen (young sardines), but you can also request a simple no-topping onigiri sprinkled with salt. On the other end of the spectrum, the buffet's onigiri bar also offers decadent cheese-covered grilled onigiri. Once your onigiri are ready, a server will bring them to your table, along with nori (dried seaweed) for you to wrap them in. Fresh and delicious, and with a perfect, hand-crafted density, they were immensely satisfying. Each individual onigiri is a little on the small side, but since this is a buffet you can always go back for more, and the sensibly sized portions also leave you with enough space to try multiple toppings, and to enjoy the buffet's other dishes too. Speaking of other dishes, the Western-style offerings were no slouch either, with the eggs Benedict being an especially tasty standout. The Asakusa Tobu Hotel/Ichi no Ichi breakfast buffet is open daily from 6:30 to 10 a.m., priced at 2,750 yen (US$19) for adults and 1,430 yen for kids aged 4 to 12. Location information Asakusa Tobu Hotel / 浅草東武ホテル Ichi no Ichi / 壱之壱 Address: Tokyo-to, Taito-ku, Asakusa 1-1-15 東京都台東区浅草1-1-15 Website Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
