Fiona Wilson
Big ideas in small packages: Japan’s tiny ‘kei’ vehicles provide a compact lesson in design, efficiency and versatility
From Honda’s top-selling N-Box to the Suzuki Every microvan, Japan’s perfectly formed mini cars will take you the distance.
Missing old-school audio? Press play at Dug Factory, Tokyo’s boombox specialist and analogue empire
Tokyo-based collector Junichi Matsuzaki has spent more than two decades amassing retro audio units. Here he lets us in on his prized collection of 5,000 items.
Penthouses for poodles: The rise of Japan’s hi-tech, pet-first homes
Scenting opportunity in the rise in animal ownership, canny developers are creating fetching homes designed with your furry friends in mind.
Why Fuglen chose Kyoto’s Shichiku neighbourhood for its newest Japanese space
Norwegian coffee roaster Fuglen Kyoto has opened a design-led outpost in Shichiku, blending café, jewellery studio and family home.
Asics reinforces luxury strategy with expansion of Onitsuka Tiger in Japan
Asics is building on the growth of its fashion label, Onitsuka Tiger, by opening a dedicated shoe factory where every stage of production is handled by local craftspeople. Next up? Beauty and food.
Kaptain Sunshine’s international expansion highlights global appeal of Japanese craftmanship
Japanese designer Shinsuke Kojima is widening his reach. Kaptain Sunshine’s shops, shows and silhouettes are now causing a global buzz.
Eight elegant objects that will make your days feel more considered
From lighting to kitchenware to a truly unique watch, our editors are sharing the well designed , small upgrades that will make life more luxurious.
The five fashion collaborations and retail launches to know now
As 2026 begins to find its groove, we cross continents to reveal the most impressive and noteworthy projects.
The reality behind Japan’s “vanishing phenomenon” and how people disappear
Global media’s obsession with sensationalising Japan into its eccentric, often stereotyped image is reductive. The much-discussed yet decades-old phenomenon of ‘johatsu’ is just one example.
How Japan’s snowiest cities are tackled with custom snowplough innovation
Nichijo is the leading plough manufacturer in the world's snowiest country. But is a business based on cold weather a good bet in a climate crisis?
