Tokyo
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
The UK‘s skate prodigies on the sport’s Olympics debut
Ride on — For the first time ever, skateboarding is embracing a more conventional status as an Olympic sport. Four skateboarders reflect on what happens to a subculture when it’s thrust into the mainstream.
Written by: Chloé Meley
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
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
Documenting urban underbellies across the world
From New York to Tokyo — Featuring photographs taken over the course of his career, Miguel Rio Branco’s long-term project explores cities across the world, examining our relationship with the spaces we inhabit.
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
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
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