Monocle - global affairs, culture and design

New pastures by the sea: Meet the transplants who call Hakodate and Aoshima home

We head to the northern and southern corners of Japan to chat to the newcomers who have escaped the big-city bustle and the locals who simply wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Issue #190
11 min read

New pastures by the sea: Meet the transplants who call Hakodate and Aoshima home

The Faster Lane

From a summit in Bahrain to a soirée in Shanghai, join Monocle’s next story

3 min read

Culture

How decadence foreshadows decline and the enduring appeal of ‘Wuthering Heights’

5 min read

The Weekend Opener

Mind the age gap: 20 polite reminders that the doors are closing on your youth

4 min read

Sport

Ever wondered what goes into a live Olympics broadcast? Here’s how the event makes it to your screen

7 min read

Music

Five floor-fillers from Brazilian Carnival that will bring the ‘bloco’ to you

3 min read

Art

Zona Maco: The art fair where Latin American artists are primed for centre stage

3 min read

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump host Halloween at the White House on the South Lawn October 30, 2017 in Washington, DC

Politics

How many staff does it take to run a country? The answer is no joke

4 min read

Latest from Monocle radio

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Affairs

What We Learned: Ice hockey in Canada, Olympic Winter Games 2026 and Super Bowl LX

The Curator
6 min

Affairs

Is it worth prosecuting the powerful?

The Foreign Desk
34 min

Affairs

The day of love and the end of the world?

Monocle on Saturday
35 min

Affairs

The Munich Security Conference begins. Plus: week one of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina

The Monocle Daily
39 min

Affairs

Monocle Radio at the World Governments Summit in Dubai – Part 3

The Briefing
37 min

Affairs

Monocle Radio at the World Governments Summit in Dubai – Part 2

The Briefing
41 min

Affairs

Monocle Radio at the World Governments Summit in Dubai – Part 1

The Briefing
59 min

Affairs

EU leaders agree a ‘Buy European’ policy

The Briefing
30 min

Art

Prince Louis Albert de Broglie of Parisian taxidermy shop Deyrolle

The Monocle Weekly
13 min

Affairs

Soft power at the Games – will Team Finland step up?

Monocle in Milan
64 min

Affairs

What’s on the agenda at this year’s Munich Security Conference?

The Globalist
60 min

Urbanism

How Santo Domingo’s old town is attractive for both residents and visitors

The Urbanist

Affairs

Why the world increasingly considers the US a threat. Plus: Politics versus sport at the Olympics

The Monocle Daily
36 min

Affairs

What to expect from the Munich Security Conference in a new era of diplomacy

The Briefing
33 min

Affairs

How the Olympic Winter Games machine works with figure skater Valentina Marchei

Monocle in Milan
58 min

Affairs

Bangladesh heads to the polls in the first vote since Sheikh Hasina’s ousting

The Globalist
58 min

Design

‘We want art to be approachable.’ Bonhams auction house’s bid for accessibility

Welcome to the new Bonhams HQ, where the auction house is demystifying the business of selling art and reacquainting visitors with a historic Midtown building.

190 | Issues
6 min read

Illustrations showing two skiiers in red on a mountain

Why the Winter Olympics are better than the Summer Games

Often seen as a junior partner of the Summer Games, the Winter Olympics are a thrill to watch – and an important diplomatic asset for nations canny enough to participate.

5 min read

Planning a trip? Monocle’s City Guides know far more than Google ever will

Our growing offering is a labour of love from locals and insiders, not algorithms and influencers. Andrew Tuck explains the art of the perfect address book.

4 min read

Editor’s letter: Our February issue is here to explore movement and new beginnings

Monocle’s February issue is all about being on the move and starting again. Our editor in chief explains why now might be the best time to put down fresh roots.

190 | Issues
3 min read

MEET OUR COLUMNISTS

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Andrew Mueller

Host of The Foreign Desk on Monocle Radio

TRAVEL GUIDES

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Monocle City Guides

AFFAIRS

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What multiple passports mean for identity, belonging and modern life

Securing a secondary citizenship can be a matter of making the right investments or donations. Marko Peck, an adviser in the sector, explains why business is booming.

190 | Issues
5 min read

DESIGN

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Floor plans to die for: The perfect architecture for murderers, serial killers and satanists

Blood spills differently on a beautiful floor. From Gaudí killing-spree settings to modernist murder pads, architecture has long been crime’s elegant accomplice. Here are some of the most notable pairings from popular culture.