Sustainable Japan by The Japan Times

08/06/2025

Presented by The Japan Times since 2021, Destination Restaurants celebrates Japan’s most inspiring dining experiences — beyond the big cities. With a global culinary tourism market worth over ¥100 trillion, the economic and cultural value of these restaurants continues to rise. And by 2030, we aim to see all 47 prefectures represented on the list. 🌏🍜

Discover the evolving map of Japan’s food scene: https://sustainable.japantimes.com/magazine/vol48/48-01

Presented by The Japan Times since 2021, Destination Restaurants seeks out Japan’s best restaurants beyond big cities, selected by...

07/06/2025

🌟 Destination Restaurant of the Year 2025: Himawari Shokudo 2 🌟

Unlike past winners with dramatic backstories or remote locations, this year's honoree is led by the humble yet quietly extraordinary Chef Hozumi Tanaka. Tanaka’s path to cuisine wasn’t typical. Once working in architecture, it was a bistecca in Florence at age 22 that changed everything: “I realized food is culture too — and it has the power to make people happy.”

👨‍🍳🍽️ Read more about Chef Tanaka's journey: https://sustainable.japantimes.com/magazine/vol48/48-04

Of the 10 establishments honored each year as Destination Restaurants, the representative Destination Restaurant of the Year...

06/06/2025

🇯🇵✨ Destination Restaurant of the Year 2025: Himawari Shokudo 2

Nestled in Toyama City, chef Hozumi Tanaka’s Himawari Shokudo 2 has been named this year’s representative Destination Restaurant—offering original Italian omakase rooted in local flavors and creativity. Opened in 2024 with just eight seats, the restaurant embodies Toyama’s quiet strength: seasonal ingredients, culinary innovation, and community spirit.

If you’re seeking exceptional cuisine without the crowds of Kyoto, make your way to Toyama.

📍 Himawari Shokudo 2
1-5-18 Jinzuhonmachi, Toyama-shi, Toyama Prefecture
Learn More: https://sustainable.japantimes.com/magazine/vol48/48-03

Among this year’s 10 selected Destination Restaurants, Himawari Shokudo 2 was honored as the representative Destination Restaurant...

05/06/2025

🌾 Destination Restaurants began with a simple yet powerful idea: to celebrate Japan’s culinary excellence outside the big cities. Rather than rely on foreign rankings, this list is rooted in Japanese sensibilities and regional pride.

Now, 50 remarkable restaurants have graced the map

From the editor: https://sustainable.japantimes.com/magazine/vol48/48-06

Having commenced in 2021, Destination Restaurants reaches its fifth year in 2025, bringing the total number of restaurants on the list...

02/06/2025

Destination Restaurants turns 5 in 2025! 🎉🍽️🇯🇵

Since launching in 2021, the list has grown to include 50 incredible restaurants — and for the first time, Shikoku is on the map! Now, every one of Japan’s 10 regions is proudly represented. 🗾✨

Plot these restaurants across the country, and you’ll discover a whole new gastronomic landscape — a journey through the diverse flavors, traditions, and local cultures that define Japan.

Read our new issue now: https://sustainable.japantimes.com/magazine/vol48/48-06

28/05/2025

🇸🇪 Less is more — and for Swedish Ambassador Viktoria Li, it’s the heart of sustainable living.

She believes real change comes from cooperation — between governments, companies and civil society — and begins with early awareness: “In Sweden, sustainability starts in kindergarten.”

Read More: https://sustainable.japantimes.com/lr/121

Inspired by the pivotal events surrounding the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Viktoria Li decided to reset the direction of her life...

27/05/2025

Feeling Hungry?

Discover Mauvaise herbe, a hidden French restaurant in Okinawa’s Uruma city that champions local ingredients. Chef Keiji Ojima, trained in France and Japan, crafts salt-free dishes using fresh ocean and mountain produce—sometimes catching fish himself or working with local hunters. His innovative approach includes vinegar-based seasoning and a unique project to revive retired cows for Ayahashi beef. Mauvaise herbe redefines French cuisine with Okinawan roots, inviting us to rethink how we savor local flavors.

Read More: https://sustainable.japantimes.com/satoyama/161

The enigmatic French restaurant Mauvaise herbe keeps its phone number and address unlisted, disclosing its location in the Okinawa...

26/05/2025

The Japan Times Boarding and International School Day 2025 was held on April 20 at Tokyo’s Kudan Kaikan Terrace, offering a unique chance for families to explore Japan’s growing range of international and boarding schools. Keynote speaker Michael Rob Gray, a seasoned headmaster and advisor to schools like JINIS, highlighted how boarding schools blend life and learning to foster independence, friendships, and a global mindset.

Read More: https://sustainable.japantimes.com/esg/264

The Japan Times Boarding and International School Day 2025 for elementary to high schools was held at the Kudan Kaikan Terrace in...

25/05/2025

🌿 Where Global Education Meets Japanese Tradition — Welcome to JINIS 🗾🌍

As Asia’s premier junior boarding school, JINIS is redefining what it means to raise globally minded students. With a bilingual curriculum that integrates the British-based International Primary Curriculum and Japan’s Ministry of Education standards, students gain academic excellence while staying closely connected to their cultural heritage. Through authentic experiences like tea ceremonies, rice planting, and pottery-making, students don’t just learn about Japan, they live it.

Learn More: https://sustainable.japantimes.com/education/21

With a bilingual curriculum, immersive cultural experiences and a focus on character development, JINIS offers a unique blend of international education and deep-rooted Japanese culture.

24/05/2025

🎓 A School Less Ordinary – Harrow Appi Japan 🏔️

Discover Japan’s only full British-style boarding school — where tradition meets innovation in the breathtaking mountains of Iwate Prefecture. At Harrow Appi, over 300 students from 27 nationalities live and learn together in a nurturing, all-boarding environment that feels like home. Step into a school that’s anything but ordinary.

Learn More: https://sustainable.japantimes.com/education/20

Pioneering school offering a full-boarding experience immerses students in heritage and traditions while blending Japanese and British cultures for a unique, enriching education.

23/05/2025

✨ Discover a little magic of your own at EF Academy where education becomes an adventure! 🌍📚

With campuses in California, New York, and Oxford, EF Academy brings together students from 60+ countries in a truly global community filled with lifelong friendships, immersive academics, and unforgettable experiences. Ready to shape your future?

Click Here: https://sustainable.japantimes.com/education/19

EF Academy offers a unique academic experience in a truly global community filled with adventures, new friendships and endless opportunities for growth. Discover a little magic of your own.

22/05/2025

🌏 Dreaming of an international high school experience in Japan?

At NUCB International College (NIC), students from Japan and around the world come together to grow into future global leaders. NIC helps students achieve academic excellence without fear of competition .

Read More: https://sustainable.japantimes.com/education/18

The only boarding school in central Japan accredited by MEXT to offer two qualifications: the Japanese high school diploma and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP)