Japan
Surreal scenes from the streets of Tokyo
A new book by photographer Feng Li uses images of strange encounters to explore the historical centre of street photography.
Written by: Isaac Muk
In search of authentic Japanese rope bondage culture
(NSFW) Shibari’s popularity has boomed worldwide. Yet in Tokyo, Kinbaku remains an underground affair, connected to the sex industry and practiced by cult icons like Akira Naka.
Written by: Manami Okazaki
Inside Japan’s most notorious Love Hotel
Tokyo’s Alpha Inn has provided a vital home for underground erotic expression and Japan’s BDSM community – but can this iconic space survive?
Written by: Manami Okazaki
Photos documenting Japan’s underground subcultures
From the Yakuza to a biker youth gang known as the Bosozoku, Bruce Gilden recounts capturing Tokyo and Osaka in the ‘90s.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Documenting the tradition of Japan’s female pearl divers
The ama — Photographer Stefan Dotter recalls travelling to the city of Toba to capture a community of women who are among the very few keeping an ancient deep-sea diving custom alive.
Written by: Huck
Inside the soaring Pokémon trade fuelled by lockdown
Gotta Catch Em’ All — With the pandemic triggering widespread nostalgia, many have found themselves returning to childhood favourites like Pokémon, which turned 25 this year. And now, card traders are raking in hundreds of thousands by capitalising on the growing demand.
Written by: Gunseli Yalcinkaya
The dystopian megacities of anime architecture
Brave new world — A new book celebrating the creative process behind Japan's animated cityscapes offers both architectural escapism and bold imaginings of a near future.
Written by: Gunseli Yalcinkaya
Kai Fusayoshi reflects on a life shooting the streets of Kyoto
In his own words — After a fire destroyed his life's work, Japanese photographer Kai Fusayoshi was ready to give up. Now a new exhibition of his remaining work has him reflecting on the happier times and his incredible career.
Written by: Kai Fusayoshi (as told to Marigold Warner)
Gritty images of everyday life on the streets of Tokyo
Unexpected beauty — Photographer Tatsuo Suzuki discusses his compelling portraits of contemporary Tokyo, and finding fascination and tensions in the mundane.
Written by: Miss Rosen
A humorous look at Japanese family life, in photos
No place like home — For over a decade, photographer Motoyuki Daifu has been documenting the lives of his loved ones, seeking out quiet moments of magic among the mundane.
Written by: Motoyuki Daifu
An outsider’s take on 21st century Japan
Independent Mysteries — Since first visiting as a tourist, photographer Michael Magers has been enchanted by Japan. His new book collates work from the past eight years, in which he‘s captured a country bursting with ‘endless possibility’.
Written by: Huck
The extraordinary rise of Japan's unlikely tattoo hero
The art of intimacy — Horiren 1st is one of the world’s most sought-after tattoo artists, celebrated for keeping the ancient Japanese method of Tebori alive. But in a country where body art is considered taboo, her journey to the top hasn’t been easy.
Written by: Michael Magers