All Articles
Everything published so far, newest first.
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Tea & Coffee
Mugicha: Japanese Barley Tea, Cold in Summer and Hot in Winter
How Japanese barley tea is actually made and drunk at home — cold-brewed in the fridge all summer, and kept hot in a thermos in winter — and what to look for when you buy it.
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Home & Interiors
Is a Kotatsu Worth It Outside Japan? What to Know Before You Buy
What living with a kotatsu is actually like, from someone who uses one every winter — the good part, the parts the photos leave out, and what to check before buying one in the US.
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Tea & Coffee
Choosing Matcha for Lattes: What to Look for on the Label
Latte mixes, powdered green tea, origin, and package size — how to read a matcha listing before you buy, and why the smallest print matters more than the grade.
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Food & Kitchen
The Japanese Kitchen Tools I Actually Use Every Day
The tools that get used daily in a Japanese kitchen are not the ones English articles recommend. Here is what comes out every day, and what is still in the drawer.
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Tea & Coffee
Japanese Green Tea: What People Actually Drink at Home
Matcha is the exception, not the rule. Sencha, the pot it goes in, why the water should not be boiling, and the caffeine-free barley tea that carries the summer.
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Food & Kitchen
How to Cook Japanese Rice at Home
Washing, soaking, the measuring cup that trips everyone up, and what to do with the leftovers. The everyday routine rather than the ceremonial version.
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Tea & Coffee
How to Set Up a Matcha Station at Home
What a matcha setup actually needs, how to care for a bamboo whisk, and how to store matcha without losing its color and flavor.
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Food & Kitchen
What Actually Goes in a Japanese Bento Box
Rice, about five small dishes, and a set of habits for keeping it safe at room temperature until lunchtime. What an everyday Japanese bento is really like.
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Bath & Beauty
Japanese Bathroom Design: Why It's Set Up That Way
A Japanese bathroom is arranged around one fact: the tub water is shared and reused. The wet room, the stool, the lid and the separate toilet all follow from it.
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Tea & Coffee
Strawberry Matcha at Home: What You Actually Need
What to buy for strawberry matcha, why the expensive matcha is the wrong choice here, and how to avoid clumps, bitterness and a drink that tastes like dessert.
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Tea & Coffee
How to Make Matcha Without It Tasting Bitter
Bitter matcha is almost always one of three fixable things: water that is too hot, the wrong grade of powder, or skipping the sift. Here is how to fix each one.
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Food & Kitchen
Japanese Pantry Essentials: The 7 Things to Buy First
What to actually buy to start cooking Japanese food at home, which labels on the shelf are misleading, and the two ingredients you already own that matter most.
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Home & Interiors
What Is Japandi? A Beginner's Guide to a Warm, Minimal Home
Japandi is where Japanese and Scandinavian design meet. What actually defines it, the five pieces that change a room most, and the mistakes beginners make.
