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Spilling the beans
Barista-turned-businessman Kenji Kojima wanted to get back to doing what he loves best: making coffee ( writes Fiona Wilson ). After helping Oslo-based Fuglen to set up in Tokyo, he recently opened Nexpect Coffee in a former newspaper shop on a quiet street in the Kodenmacho neighbourhood of Nih... See more
The Monocle Weekend Edition – Sunday 26 January 2025
Japanese cafés were modeled on Parisian ones—though Paris was a place few Japanese people traveled to at the time, save the wealthy and the academic intelligentsia, who were…
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Kyle Chayka • Filterworld
The chocolate cake was good, Momo said. We had milk, too. Warm milk. In the shop, I noticed that the back of Momo's neck smelled. It smelled sweet. Her growing up repulses me. It is not her growing that disgusts me, but the growing itself. She casts off unneeded things. So many things. She can't help herself. And so I pity her. Her youth, her ignor
... See moreHiromi Kawakami • Manazuru
‘There’s also dessert – sorry, I mean the mizugashi course. So please take your time,’ said Koishi, shrugging her shoulders. ‘That’s right, Koishi. There’s no such thing as “dessert” in Japanese cuisine. The fruit served at the end of the meal is called mizugashi. We’re not in France, after all!’ said Tae, her nostrils flaring.
Jesse Kirkwood • The Kamogawa Food Detectives
Suyako dipped her first piece of tonkatsu in the ponzu sauce, then brought it to her mouth. She chewed carefully on it a few times. Then her face broke into a gentle smile. ‘Delicious.’ The word wasn’t addressed to anyone in particular, but seemed to burst from her mouth. For her second piece, she chose the spicy sauce. This time, before taking a b
... See more