Cha-Kaiseki cooking classes

Cha-kaiseki is a formal cuisine that is served at tea ceremonies. Although it sounds almost the same as the kaiseki meals introduced in Ibuki’s Travel section, cha-kaiseki is different.

By Steve Corless

Most visitors to Tokyo make it a point to visit the most well-known sights – Asakusa, Ginza, Shibuya and Meiji Shrine. These are all worth taking in, but Tokyo and its environs also offer a multitude of choices for a traveler seeking a less touristy and quintessentially Japanese experience.

Hikaru Utada is fast becoming the most well-known Japanese artist from Tokyo to New York and beyond. Her debut album First Love, created in 1999, is one of the biggest-selling albums in Japan of all time. She followed up in 2001 with Distance, which sold three million copies.

• Issian
  
• Boom Noodle
  
• Wann
• Kaname
  
• Maekawa
  
• Kushi Bar
  
• Umi Sake House
  

By Bruce Rutledge

Photos by Margarita Vanegas

Sushi may be the food of the gods, but the fare at a local izakaya has been the food of the common man in Japan for several centuries. The izakaya is an informal drinking and dining establishment that often has a red lantern out front. It’s akin to an English tavern, but with a food selection more like a Spanish tapas bar and a convivial atmosphere that can border on the rowdy.