I found this stylish magazine "MONOCLEI met them when I was a university student.
It all started when a stylish friend of mine pulled out a colorful tote bag she'd bought at Tokyu Hands in Shibuya (which at the time had staircases in all four directions) and lent it to me, saying, "Wataru, I think you'll like this."
English text written in a crisp font against a chic black background.
I immediately knew it was a British magazine. It had a neat, British feel to it.
It has a nostalgic yet sophisticated new atmosphere, reminiscent of old Japan.
When I opened it up, I found it was a monthly magazine, with articles divided into categories such as "A: Affair/World Affairs," "B: Business/Business and Economics," "C: Culture," "D: Design," and "E: Editor/Voices of the Editorial Team." By reading this one magazine published every month, you could stay up-to-date on the latest developments happening on this planet.
The table of contents includes the names and email addresses of editorial offices around the world, along with the names of the people in charge.
I still vividly remember feeling anxious about whether I, a young woman in my early twenties at the time, would ever become an adult who could read magazines like this on a regular basis, but also having high hopes for the future.
Editor-in-Chief Tyler Brûlé
I first learned about editor-in-chief Tyler Brûlé when I was a student and self-publishing a book.
My colleagues and I were working on a book (CRIOSITY) that involved interviewing people who are active all over the world and asking them simply, "Why did you decide to do that?" The leader of that project heavily referenced a book called "Sputnik: Whole life catalogue" by Kunichi Nomura.
That book is now out of print, and it was and still is being traded on Mercari for around 100,000 yen, but it contains an article about a young Tyler, and that's how I got connected with the editor-in-chief of MONOCLE.
The episode described in it was shocking.
He was originally a freelance journalist reporting on the conflict in Afghanistan. He was shot in an accident. He was taken to the hospital and his life was saved, but he felt a strong sense of unease about what was happening and that it was happening on the same planet as the glamorous fashion shows taking place in Paris and Milan, so he decided to create a media outlet to convey this to the world.
That was the gist of it.
The reason behind MONOCLE's A through E genre classifications became incredibly clear to me, and I became completely engrossed in this media. Even now, 12 years later, I still subscribe to the magazine from the UK.
"MONOCLE Radio" is good again. Absolutely fantastic.
Originally called "Monocle 24," it's a 24-hour internet radio station. All programs are structured in 30-minute segments, alternating between talk shows and music programs, much like a podcast, making it easy to listen to for extended periods without getting bored.
Also, the jingle is really cool.
The music programs are divided into Continental Shift (Atlantic) and Pacific Shift (Pacific). For example, the Atlantic Shift program will feature artists active in the region, such as "Bringing you music from Anchorage to Auckland." The Pacific Shift program features a surprising number of Japanese artists, from Mariya Takeuchi to Kenshi Yonezu, which is impressive considering it's a British radio station.
This radio show is seriously incredible because it seems to have achieved that level of localization in virtually every country in the world.
"MONOCLE SHOP" is located in Yoyogi Hachiman.
Until recently, there was a shop with a cafe in the basement of the Hankyu Men's department store in Yurakucho, but it has now moved to Yoyogi Hachiman. Here, you can, of course, buy the latest magazines, and you can also purchase goods created in collaboration with top brands from around the world. From Japan, they have bags and perfumes created in collaboration with Yoshida & Co. and COMME des GARCONS, and from Germany, they have collaborated with RIMOWA, among others, showing impeccable taste.
I'm not affiliated with MONOCLE in any way, but if you have a regular subscription to the magazine, you can get 10% off your purchases here.
Surprisingly, there's a real-life event held once a year that you can participate in in Japan.
Although it hasn't been held in recent years due to the pandemic, MonocleShop in Japan still holds an annual event that is open to magazine subscribers.
I once exchanged business cards with Tyler when his shop was still in Yurakucho, and I still keep them safe.
