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Kenji Hall

Affairs

Asia

Japan reviews its ties with South Korea, Indian farmers' beef with the BJP and why Seoul's mayor rides the economy.

  • Issue #83
  • 4 min read
Asia
Business

Business

The growing trend for temporary retail spaces, health food in China and the height of the Haitian fashion.

  • Issue #83
  • 6 min read
Business
Urbanism

Asia

The new air route that links Sri Lanka to China and the Japanese scheme set to make a big return from rubbish.

  • Issue #82
  • 3 min read
Asia
Politics

Friends in high places

Japan's Foreign Ministry employs thousands to build international relationships. As the nation emerges from its post-war pacifist stance, diplomacy is more important than ever to prime minister Shinzo Abe's government.

  • Issue #81
  • 11 min read
Friends in high places
Society

Expo 81: Face of a nation

Japan’s cuddly corporate mascots are a central part of the nation’s identity. We meet the celebrated yuru-kyara creations and the people who bring them to life, exploring their huge and growing popularity.

  • Issue #81
  • 8 min read
A black and white mascot character with a yellow hard hat poses for photographs with people around it in a studio setting.
Manufacturing

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.

  • Issue #81
  • 6 min read
Inking ahead
Entrepreneurialism

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.

  • Issue #81
  • 9 min read
Gender specifics
Media

Media

Discovering the heart of Osaka's rare grooves, South Korean TV and a Middle Eastern print collective.

  • Issue #81
  • 4 min read
Media
Monocle Films

Japanese mascots

As their cutesy, cartoon profiles – and fanbases – continue to soar, Japan's cuddly collection of corporate mascots has come to inhabit a central part of the nation's identity. We meet these celebrated creations…

  • Film
  • 2 min watch
Japanese mascots walking in the street.
Design

Group think

As urbanists around the world devise new approaches to better everyday living, we highlight three projects in Japan, Sweden and Singapore taking a fresh perspective.

  • Issue #80
  • 6 min read
Group think

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