Japanese gourmet foods and sweets have fans around the world for their unique flavors and diversity.
However, opportunities for Japanese food lovers living abroad to gain a deeper understanding of these gastronomic delights and discover new ones are limited.
Therefore, through this article, we wanted to widely promote the appeal of Japan’s unique food culture and provide information that will help people overseas enjoy Japanese gourmet foods and sweets more deeply.
In this article, we have carefully selected blogs that provide high quality information and take you on a journey to explore the diversity of Japanese food and the culture and history behind it.
Of course, there are media run by American people, but there are also many media run by Japanese people, so you will be able to learn more about the real charms of Japan.
We hope you will make good use of the various media and enjoy Japan!
An American media that introduces Japanese sweets and food
The media presented in this chapter are intended for the United States.
However, some of them are operated by Japanese companies.
The information in the media introduced in this section is reliable, so please take a look at them.
Native Expat
Native Expat is a blog run by a Japanese woman who has spent most of her life in Australia.
She is Japanese, but having spent two-thirds of her life in Australia, she experienced reverse culture shock when she returned to Japan.
From this unique perspective, she records in detail what she felt while spending time in Japan.
She has also compiled information on many of Japan’s wonderful tourist attractions, so if you are planning a trip to Japan, be sure to check it out.
EDOPEN JAPAN
EDOPEN JAPAN is a website that compiles information on Japanese language study cram schools around the world.
This site allows people from any country to find a Japanese language study school that is right for them.
In addition, you can use this site as a study content because it also compiles questions to prepare for the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test).
For example, you can learn how to express “delicious” and “Thank you for the meal” in Japanese.
This site is a must-see for those who want to improve their Japanese language skills.
Japanese media introducing Japanese sweets and food
Since the media presented in this chapter are Japanese media, the content is in Japanese.
Therefore, if you are not good at Japanese, please use a good translation software to view the contents.
This translation software is recommended for computer users.
This translation software is recommended for smartphone users.
Enriching Lives with Food
This site is being promoted by a husband and wife duo under the concept of “A little good food enriches our hearts and minds. The articles by the wife, a nursery school nutritionist, will be a strong ally for moms who are worried about baby food. There are also categories for food delivery and ordered gourmet foods, so we recommend this site to busy mothers and mothers who are concerned about their children’s diet. The articles on food delivery are especially detailed and include comparisons of various food delivery companies, making it a must-see for anyone considering food delivery. You may be able to find a food delivery company that suits you.
Yome Pon Biyori
On this site, a housewife living in Hyogo Prefecture introduces delicious lunch restaurants around Hyogo Prefecture, as well as a little useful information. The articles by the couple, who have graduated from child-rearing, introducing dishes from various restaurants are as exciting as if you were peeking in on their date. The site’s key point is that you can read the articles while enjoying not only the photos of the dishes, but also the steps taken to get to the restaurant. Housewives who have settled down to raise their children or live in Hyogo Prefecture are welcome to take a look.
Bari Hyogo Prefecture.
This site introduces gourmet food and sightseeing destinations specific to Hyogo Prefecture. Since the information is from local residents, you can definitely learn about the attractions of Hyogo Prefecture. I recommend this site to anyone who is planning to visit or travel to Hyogo Prefecture. Hyogo Prefecture is a large prefecture, but the site is very easy to read and helpful because it introduces each area separately in different categories. If you want to go shopping, eat delicious food, feel nature, etc., there is information on the site to match any of your desires, so please take a peek.
Kurara’s Blog
Kurara’s Blog is a site that introduces sightseeing spots, local festivals, and events in Aichi Prefecture and other areas from Tokai to Tohoku. Many of the articles are written by women in their 30s who are raising children from a real mom’s perspective, so if you are planning a trip to Tohoku with young children, please check it out. The articles also detail seasonal events such as shaved ice and fireworks displays, so if you have a specific time of year in mind, we recommend that you look for articles that take the season into consideration. This is a fun site that makes you want to go on a trip just by looking at it, as it also lists parks with beautiful plum blossoms, flower fields with beautiful sunflowers, and spots where you can see rare fireflies.
NeroroLog
Nerolog is a website by a web designer living in Saitama, Japan, that provides information on delicious restaurants and deals in the Tokyo area from Saitama. The articles on the ordered products all look delicious, so they are useful not only for your own eating, but also for selecting gifts for your friends and acquaintances. There are also reviews of Costco purchases, so we recommend this site for those who like Costco and shopping. The article on going out is a must-see for those who have trouble choosing a restaurant in the Kanto area or live in Tokyo, as the writer’s recommendations are introduced in detail with many pictures.
Diary of Space Waka
This site helps people how to move on their own axis. It gently helps those who have ever wondered how to live their lives, such as how to improve the quality of life and how to write a “dream notebook” to make their ideals a reality. The book is also full of recipes that are gentle to the body, such as homemade sausage and mayonnaise with zero additives and no guilt. If you have been feeling tired lately or if you are health-conscious, this is a great site to read and a chance to face yourself.
Ikoee! Oita Local Blog
This blog is a site where writers from Oita Prefecture in Japan share all the charms of Oita. From Italian, Japanese, sweets, cafes, noodles, and even international cuisine, you are sure to find a restaurant of any kind recommended in Oita Prefecture. In addition to food, there are also articles on hot springs, shrines, and pilgrimages to sacred anime sites, so this is a site for people who like Demon Slayer and Shingeki no Kyojin(Attack on Titan) and SHOGUN as well. There are also many articles dedicated to seasonal events, so when you visit Oita, be sure to look for articles on seasonal events and incorporate them into your travel plans.
Still room for growth
This is a site where a businessman gives advice on how to improve your ordinary life, such as his own recommended products and study methods. If you are spending your daily life somehow, please take a look at this site. When you spend time at home, it tells you how to spend your time comfortably, and when you go out, it tells you how to spend your waiting time effectively and how to pass the time in a fun way during your travel time. There are also articles that solve problems that people who have recently started blogging tend to run into, so I recommend it to those who have tried to blog and have fallen behind. It’s the kind of site that makes you feel like you still have room to grow, and that you should work hard to grow with it.
Daily Shinjuku
This site is dedicated to Shinjuku, Tokyo, providing real Shinjuku life and the latest Shinjuku news. From information on dining in Shinjuku and reviews of movies you can see at Shinjuku theaters to information on store openings and closings and dog and cat giveaways, this site has just the kind of information that will scratch that itch for anyone living in Shinjuku. Since Shinjuku is one of the cities with the largest number of foreign residents in Japan, the site also offers convenient language translation to help foreigners living in Shinjuku. If you live near Shinjuku, please take a look at this site.
TX Gourmet Introduction
This site introduces gourmet foods along the Tsukuba Express rail line and nearby areas. If you like Tsukuba Express or plan to use it, please take a look at this site. The site introduces many inexpensive and delicious restaurants, quick ramen shops, and izakayas (Japanese-style pubs) to stop by on your way home from work. You may even find a restaurant that you did not know about or would like to try, even though you have been using the Tsukuba Express until now. The writer, who wants to save restaurants and eateries suffering from Corona, carefully introduces the location of each restaurant and its menu.
Abroader
Abroader is a Japanese website with information on “learning English,” “freelancing,” and “moving abroad.
Not only is there a great deal of content, but the operator of this site has been very influential in Japan, publishing books, appearing on TV, and so on.
The article on sweets on this site is called “Japanese Sweets that Foreigners Enjoy.
It is a compilation of many confections recommended for foreigners.
Saboten-san’s Life Notebook
Saboten-san’s Life Notebook is a blog that introduces wonderful ways to serve Japanese food and recommends products.
The articles use many cooking photos, which can be a good reference for actual recipes.
She also publishes many reviews about food and drinks that are popular in Japan, as well as home-delivered meals.
If you want to cook Japanese food or check out what is popular in Japan, this is a must-see.
Wakayama Navi
Wakayama Navi is a website that promotes the charms of Wakayama Prefecture in Japan.
Wakayama Prefecture is a charming city rich in nature, located near Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe in Japan.
The gourmet articles on this site introduce many attractive Japanese sweets and delicious treats in Wakayama Prefecture.
Furthermore, you should definitely make use of this blog when you travel to Wakayama Prefecture, as it introduces information on the attractive nature, hot springs, and parks in Wakayama Prefecture.
Sakananosa
Sakananosa is dedicated to the fascinating world of Japanese seafood.
The operator of this blog is a fish professional with long experience in the sales, processing, and management techniques of fresh fish in Japan.
In this blog, you will also find tips on how to choose raw fish at the market and how to cook fish.
This blog will definitely make you a fish geek.
Cochitose Blog
Cochitose Blog is a blog about food in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.
Ibaraki Prefecture is located adjacent to Tokyo and is known as a hotspot for Japanese traditional architecture with many Japanese-style buildings.
In this blog, the charms of the hidden gems of Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, are conveyed in an easy-to-understand manner with actual photos.
Of course, a map of the stores is also included, so you can save the map and go there when you travel to Japan.
Check out this blog if you want to explore Japan’s hidden gems.
