Words Adam Blakey
Photo Keith Ng

Not that it was a big secret or anything, but you just know Gwen Stefani Harajuku’d the fruit out of all of us by getting on her knees and shamelessly licking the place clean on her last album. Regardless, style messiahs will still head straight for Cat Street, a mecca for [...]

Words and Photos by Ayumu Kaneda
A celebration of minimalist form, art and nature – the twin museums of Benesse House and Chichu Museum on Japan’s Naoshima Island are two of Tadao Ando’s most striking and pure creations. Unconstrained by a city or any surrounding buildings, they present a rare opportunity to see a master’s work [...]

Words Adam Blakey
Photo Dustin Humphrey
I once heard a theory that people who smoke cones have a greater lung capacity than those who don’t because punching a few corkscrews forces you to stretch your chest fillets way further than usual. If there is any truth to this then the legendary Ama divers of Japan must be [...]

For such a huge city that’s so driven by aesthetic Tokyo has very few chic boutique hotels. In fact, I’ve only ever been able to find one, The Claska. But then, one is all you need and when it’s as good as The Claska. It’s a little bit away from the traditionally groovy areas but [...]

Tips by Hideki Iida
Must Visit Stores
Adelaide 3-6-7 b-town, Minamiaoyama Minato-ku, Tokyo. + 81 03 5474 0157;
http://www.adelaide-addition.com
One of the most artistic shops in Tokyo.
Midwest 1-6-1 Jinnan Shibuya-ku (4th floor), Shibuya ku, Tokyo. + 81 03 5428 3171;
Select store – you can find many high end as well as young edgy designers.
Best [...]

Tokyo, Japan
Feature courtesy of Paperplane Magazine
Words Wildred Brandt, Photos Chris Searl
The city of Tokyo is home to 12 million people, but the population of greater Tokyo is 30 million. That means, not only are Tokyo’s streets themselves packed with residents, but every weekday, the city actually swells to nearly three times its size, only [...]

Story by Karen Walker
Photos by Mikhail GhermanThe perception I always had of Japan before visiting it was that it would be very Western; that since it opened up to the outside world in the 19th century or began it’s rise as a global power in the 50’s, it would have embraced everything Western and become [...]