Melissa Uchiyama

Melissa Uchiyama is a food writer, essayist, and teacher who leads creative writing camps in Tokyo. You can find Melissa at EatenJapan.com and on Instagram @melissauchiyamawrites.

Sukiyaki Is One-Pot Comfort, Japanese-Style

Winters in Japan mean congregating around heat. We camp out under kotatsu, Japanese heated tables, and share all ...

Food January 27, 2022
Sukiyaki (Japanese Beef Hot Pot)

To make sukiyaki at home, you can buy a special wrought-iron sukiyaki pan, or simply use a large ...

Recipes January 27, 2022
The Patient Art of Drying Persimmons

In Japan, to be alive in autumn is to live on persimmons. The sweet ones, crisp or soft, ...

Food December 9, 2021
Ice-Cold Noodles for Hot Summer Days

There are only so many foods you can throw down a waterslide—well, only so many foods that would ...

Food August 4, 2021
Cold Somen With Homemade Tsuyu (Noodle Dipping Broth)

Serves 4 8 bundles dried somen (2 bundles per person, depending on appetite) Ice cubes Tsuyu, for serving ...

Food August 4, 2021
How to Make Umeshu, the Spirit of a Japanese Summer

Just as spring slips and summer arrives in Japan, before the mosquitoes swarm and the thick humidity hits ...

Food June 22, 2021
Japanese Pickled Cabbage and Kombu Salad

Shiomomi, the salt-massaged method, is the perfect place to start making Japanese-style pickles, or tsukemono. This recipe is ...

Food May 31, 2021
Pickled Things: An Introduction to Japanese Tsukemono

Think of pickles—what do you think of? Invariably, a sour crunch? Vats of bright green dill, maybe? The ...

Food May 31, 2021