Morning set of toast, egg and coffee on a cafe counter, Gifu

Eat what is in season, where it grows

Seasonal food from the Japanese countryside — the prefectures, the small places, and the people who cook there.

Free ordering cards

Morning set — Gifu. January 2025.

New posts: every place visited in person, every photo our own. When we name a price, it’s what we paid.

In season now — Autumn

Four seasons, four sites

Japanese food changes four times a year, and so does this site.

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Regional gems

Prefectures open as we visit them.

History of Japanese cuisine: sushi and chopsticks on a dark board

Start here: the story behind the food

Why rice, miso and seasonality matter so much at a Japanese table. Our most-read article walks through Japanese cuisine from the Jōmon period to today.

Read the history of Japanese cuisine →

The printed ordering cards fanned on a wooden table: Hello, What do you recommend, Is it local, Dietary, Practicalities, Thank you, and the folding allergy card

Ordering cards for the countryside

Six printable bilingual cards for eating where nobody speaks English — what to say, how to ask what is in season, and an allergy card the kitchen can read. Free.

My Japanese is poor. With my wife beside me, I’m fine. Without her, I’m pointing at menus. So I made these to help me — and she checked every line, so I don’t embarrass myself. — Dave

One email with the download. We’ll write when there’s something worth reading — a season turning, a place worth the detour. Unsubscribe any time.

Who is behind this

Dave and family raising a toast over sukiyaki at the family home in Japan
Family dinner — Gifu, Japan.

A family with one foot in Australia and one in Japan. We go, we eat, we ask permission, we write it down. We tell you the date we went and the price we actually paid, in yen. More about us.

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