Gazing and Grazing

On a cool day or when you may want something a tad healthier, Okame in Tokyo's Yoyogi Uehara area may be the answer. Okame serves Oden, which is different types of tofu, vegetables and fish balls simmered in a broth and eaten with just a touch of mustard. This is great especially when you need something less oily, perhaps to balance out all the grilled A5 wagyu beef and tonkatsu. But Okame also has excellent broiled fish. So if you're not exactly a tofu fan, there...

Friends often ask me for restaurant recommendations in Tokyo and frankly you can't go wrong, but I would suggest Ushigoro for grilled beef. It would be a shame not to have Japanese beef on a visit to Tokyo but it can also be very expensive. So to me, going to one of the mid-range yakiniku restaurants is good enough.

Ushigoro has three branches - two in Ginza and one in Nishiazabu. Reservations are a must for all...

Cherry blossoms have become one of the holy grails of annual travel to Japan. For around 10 days the blooms of cherry trees fill industrial grey cities like Tokyo with bursts of pink. You could literally dash all over Japan in search of the best instagramable shots but after a while, perhaps just visiting a couple of spots is good enough.

I am lucky in being able to visit Tokyo for work and regretfully, I...