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Explore hidden gaps in Japanese culture
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Ricardo Paredes reframes anime through Renaissance and realism.
Discover Shibuya-kei, Japan’s 90s music revolution blending genres.
Jonathan Choe on building a universe rooted in sci-fi and military symbolism.
‘Toru Dance’ explains how to reclaim freedom through movement.
From hip-hop import to Tokyo staple with Grillz Jewelz.
Wenders wanders a city racing forward, searching for Ozu’s stillness.
A roadside journey through Japan’s strangest love hotels.
How Mei Semones lets language follow memory.
Before Harajuku, Shoichi Aoki archived the world’s fashion.
While f5ve draws in the world, Crystalline Structures creates their universe.
Step into nostalgia with Super Kaylo’s enchanting 1-bit demakes.
How the Bokka of Oze keep the porter tradition alive.
A look inside Sabae’s eyewear craftsmanship with BLANC.
The anarchic tribute that brings tokusatsu back from cultural oblivion.
The future Japan once sold returned as archived fantasy.
Japanese denim found its way from Kansai to US skate culture.
From arcades to consoles, Japan turned early 3D polygons into cultural icons.
Inside the legacy of one of anime’s most iconic studios.
Revisiting a handmade animation era with 1991’s ‘PAPERS’.
Tracing how jazz evolved from Lupin’s charm to Bebop’s sci-fi western universe.
Explaining the glue between anime, fine art, toys, and fashion.
Paprika is back, leading PARCO’s Grand Bazar.
Tokyo’s outsider spirit, Blue Spring, and emotion stitched into Elsewhere.
Discover how Akira Nakai and RWB transformed Porsche tuning forever.
An emotional blueprint evolved into wearable architecture.
The culmination of Kon’s experiments in psychological animation.
Kyoichi Tsuzuki’s cult classic gets a second life.
How Hara Kazuaki documents the daily lives of her kids in Nagano.
Shin Hanga preserved traditional aesthetics while negotiating Western influence and change.
Fashion
Jonathan Choe on building a universe rooted in sci-fi and military symbolism.
Before Harajuku, Shoichi Aoki archived the world’s fashion.
A look inside Sabae’s eyewear craftsmanship with BLANC.
Japanese denim found its way from Kansai to US skate culture.
Tokyo’s outsider spirit, Blue Spring, and emotion stitched into Elsewhere.
An emotional blueprint evolved into wearable architecture.
Rediscovering traditional indigo dyeing through a new generation.
The creative chaos of 90s Harajuku immortalized by iconic fashion magazines.
Runways, vintage book treasures, and konbini snacks, the final days of Fashion Week Tokyo.
Tradition becomes design as Kai Mackenzie refines heritage into form.
Dive into the first three days of Fashion Week Tokyo.
Yutaro Saito’s sixth column joins a man who cleans Tokyo voluntarily.
Precision and subtlety define the understated power of Tokyo’s uniforms.
How Japan’s charm culture keeps creating new trends.
Yutaro Saito’s fifth column joins a man who wears what he eats.
The ordinary unravels gently in Mihara’s layered emotional silhouettes.
Masculinity here is soft-spoken, styled, and rooted in routine.
Yutaro Saito’s fourth column joins a man on a worldwide fishing trip.
Streetwear’s silent coder, remixing chaos into something strangely coherent.
Born in post-war Kobe, reborn on Tarantino’s blood-soaked set.
Pickyou is single-handedly revolutionizing the second hand scene.
Yutaro Saito’s third column finds quiet strength in Crocs.
A collaboration that explored identity through fashion, music, and performance.
Yazawa’s manga wears its heart out loud, stitched in Westwood’s tartan.
How a carabiner on a belt says more than designer logos.
What are Japanese designers thinking about?
Genderless kei blends comfort, color, and confidence with effortless charm.
A knit cap, pink jacket, and 40,000 kilometers later.
Yutaro Saito captures the quiet confidence of aging in fashion.
Art & Design
Shin Hanga preserved traditional aesthetics while negotiating Western influence and change.
Music & Film
Manga & Anime
From doujinshi roots to global icons, the revolutionary impact of CLAMP on the world of manga.
Kaibutsu - Ryuichi Sakamoto's Last Cinematic Testament
Ryuichi Sakamoto left an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape. Yet there remains one particular film that has eluded the spotlight: Sakamoto's final cinematic testament.
Oyasumi Punpun is Hurting for You
How Asano’s masterpiece seeks comfort in the struggles of daily life.
Threads Of The Unseen - Seiran Tsuno’s 3D Couture
Explore the world of Seiran Tsuno through her fascination with the spirit world and curiosity in 3d printing,
AKIRA - The Missing Link with the Olympics
As you dive a little deeper in Akira’s narrative, you may discover an intriguing resemblance to Japanese history.
Japan's Maestro of Feet - Fumare Lou-Chan
Meet Lou-chan, a Brooklyn native that isn’t shy about his love for feet.
Tsunotsuno - Transforming Otaku
Explore the digital otaku world of TsunoTsuno
MAMIMOZI - Fusing Graffiti with Calligraphy
Discover the unique style of Calligraph2ity artist MAMIMOZI.
Kenji Endo - A Musical Legacy of Curry Rice
Who was Kenji Endo, Japan’s folk revival legend.
Snatcher - Hideo Kojima's ode to Blade Runner
Explore one of Hideo Kojima’s revolutionary titles that laid the foundation for his future work.
Björn Andrésen - The Face That Inspired a Generation of Manga Artists
The face behind beautiful feminine looking male characters in manga and anime.
Exploring Tokyo’s Fixed Gear Bike Scene with Nao
An interview with Nao exploring the cultural relevance of Fixie Bikes in the streets of Tokyo today.
South2 West8 - How fly fishing became a street fashion statement
How did a niche utility clothing brand from Hokkaido end up collaborating with Supreme?
Kimiko Nishimoto - Japan’s most Creative Obachan
Meet the 95-year-old obachan that expresses herself through humorous self portraits
The Yakuza Incident that Reshaped Japanese Cinema
One event changed the portrayal of yakuza in Japanese cinema: The internal strife within the ranks of a particular yakuza family, the Yamamori.
Kazuo Umezu - Unveiling the Eerie Elegance of the Animal Kingdom
Beneath the surface Kazuo Umezu’s chilling tales lies a hidden facet of his creative identity - his portrayal of the animal kingdom.
Barefoot Gen - The Animated Horror of Hiroshima
There’s no anime that portrays the history Hiroshima as intense as the 1983 anime movie Barefoot Gen.
Inari Type - Exploring culture through typeface
How does an independent type foundry manage to express culture through typeface design?
How Boys’ Love feeds Japan’s sexual repression
How does a genre that revolves around gay relationships hinder Japan's sexually progressive mindset?
TYPICA - connecting Japan’s coffee producers with the world
How does a community platform connect coffee producers with roasters all over the world.
Japan Slowly Crafting Its Own Beer Culture
The road to independence, how Japanese craft beer rises through the ranks.
From the Bronx to Tokyo - hip-hop’s unexpected, groundbreaking cultural exchange.