Japan
The wonderfully weird world of Shintaro Kago, manga outsider
In living colour — Shintaro Kago is a grandmaster of the grotesque: conjuring psychedelic illustrations that inspire as much awe as discomfort. As his cult following grows, he’s on a mission to keep surprising.
Written by: Thisanka Siripala
Magic in the mundane: candid shots on the streets of Japan
Blink & you’ll miss them — Travelling back and forth between Tokyo and Kamakura, photographer Shin Noguchi seeks out the extraordinary in the everyday. “I want to share these beautiful moments with other people,” he says.
Written by: Niall Flynn
Secret snapshots of Tokyo's vivid street life
Poetic timing — Mikiko Hara doesn’t need a viewfinder. Instead the Japanese street photographer shoots from the chest, allowing the camera to capture happy accidents that come as a surprise... even to her.
Written by: Mikiko Hara
The unlikely rise of Trap music in Japan
An insider’s perspective — After moving to Kobe to become a teacher, US native Jack Goldman discovered Kitchen House – a Japanese Trap record label spearheading a new cultural movement.
Written by: Daniel Spielberger
Spiritual soundscapes: The global influences of Hatis Noit
The Monday Mix — Japanese singer Hatis Noit takes us to a higher plain in the latest Monday Mix, mixing classical compositions with eerie, twisted experimentalism.
Written by: HUCK HQ
Daido Moriyama and the aesthetics of punk
A Japanese master — The defiant artist redefined photography when he first broke onto the scene in the late ’60s, offering his viewers a fresh new way of seeing the world. We talk to London gallerist Michael Hoppen about his life, art and enduring legacy.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Voyeuristic portraits of Tokyo’s hidden faces
Shibuya Unmasked — Standing on the corner of the Shibuya Crossing, photographer Oleg Tolstoy was met with a familiar sight: floods of people in white, near-identical surgical masks. Intrigued by the visual uniformity among the frantic crowds, he decided to document the city’s concealed faces.
Written by: Niall Flynn
Japan's Radiohead transcend all notions of a tribute band
A parallel reality — Every time cover band On A Saturday perform, they briefly transform into their idols. But this isn’t just an uncanny simulation – it’s a moment of togetherness shared with other fans.
Written by: Niall Flynn
Finding peace in the shadows of Mount Fuji
The Travel Diary — Cole Giordano heads to the lesser-explored corners of rural Japan, from the crystal clear creeks of Jinba Falls to the ghostly shrines of Fujiyoshida.
Written by: Cole Giordano
What it’s like to live as a black person in Japan
Lost in Tokyo — A new, short documentary from Amarachi Nwosu – titled Black in Tokyo – reveals what it’s really like to live as a black foreigner in a racially homogenous society.
Written by: HUCK HQ
