We try Japanese-style steamed pork buns, soufflé cheesecakes, cheese tarts, and takoyaki in Osaka, the city known as Japan’s kitchen.

Osaka is a city full of attractions, so we used the Amazing Pass to cram in as much as possible for a very reasonable price.

Nara was once Japan’s capital city, and is home to heritage sites and plenty to see and do – a lot of them free!

We visit Uji, the city in Japan that produces the world’s best matcha, to try some interesting matcha dishes and learn more about matcha.

We visit Nagahama to try their famous fermented funazushi fish and for a wander around the peaceful Kurokabe Square.

Ryokan Japanese inn experiences can be spendy, so we cover how to choose a ryokan that best suits exactly what you want.

Kobe beef on a budget that isn’t Steakland? We visit Teppan Dining Houki, a hidden restaurant with a simple yet elevated Kobe beef lunch set.

We try some of Kobe’s cheaper fare – beef tendon gyuu suji, carbtastyic sobameshi and modanyaki, eggy akashiyaki, and Chinatown’s famous nikuman from Roushouki.

We gorge on Okayama’s fresh locally-caught fish, a huge fresh melon parfait, and demi-glace deep-fried pork cutlet rice bowls demi katsudon.

A recap of Te Ahi Kōmau, a Food Fire Festival in South Auckland, New Zealand celebrating Māori and Polynesian food, arts, and culture.