Business
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Inking ahead
A national pride in the handwritten has forged a Japanese industry exporting more than ever. With innovation showing no signs of letting up, we visited the sharpest tools in the pencil case.
Art of the ages
From cedar bentwood to eyewear, Japan’s dedicated craft capitals are an enlightening model of traditional manufacturing. We explore towns keeping ancient skills alive in the modern age.
Generation game
Traditional craftsmen and young designers are combining to create a new Kuramae.
Oceania
Australia's food bowl for Asia and the rise of the kiwi (the currency rather than the bird - or the fruit).
Attention seekers
From growing their first ventures to exploring new horizons, crafty entrepreneurs know it’s the small touches that make businesses stand out – from London spectacles to tableware in Nagoya.
Gender specifics
Japan’s culture is steeped in patriarchy but for business to thrive that needs to change. We meet four women who have overcome the hurdles to lead their field.
Making a point
In a competitive world driven by technological advances, some artisan producers are staying resilient and challenging the mass-produced industry. Monocle films visits entrepreneurs in Istanbul, Cape Town and Mallorca who champion the art of…
Heart of industry
Abbotsford in Melbourne attracts new residents thanks to its healthy small businesses.
Cooking the books
How do you train a workforce that values manual work, is self-reliant, accommodating to both men and women and, above all, hospitable? In Finland it starts with a simple premise: biscuits.
