Skip to main content
Currently being edited in London

Daily inbox intelligence from Monocle

Kenji Hall

Politics

Politics

Future leaders of Japan, the Lisbon Treaty anniversary and how spooks are coming out of the shadows.

  • Issue #129
  • 4 min read
A side profile portrait of a woman in a light blazer with pearl earrings, looking into the distance against a soft urban backdrop.
Politics

Tipping point

In Japan, communism is not a dirty word. A top-selling newspaper and donation at the municipal level herald a decisive moment for this leftist, pacifist party.

  • Issue #129
  • 7 min read
Japanese Communist Party politicians campaign from the roof of a van outside a busy urban train station.
Soft Power

Follow the bear

Fluffy, furry mascots are everywhere in Japan but Kumamon has captured the nation’s imagination like no other. We explore his ‘very’ soft-power potential.

  • Issue #129
  • 10 min read
Kumamon, the black bear mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture, stands in a fluorescent-lit office corridor lined with shelves.
Technology

Icely does it

Japan’s sure-footed team of scientists and engineers head out into the cold to monitor our atmosphere.

  • Issue #129
  • 3 min read
A large group of workers in hard hats pose together inside an industrial warehouse with vehicles and equipment around them.
Society

Piggy in the middle

After footage of a boar attacking a man in Fukuoka emerged, the city felt compelled to respond. Monocle’s Kenji Hall joins a patrol.

  • Issue #129
  • 4 min read
A wild boar rummages through a pile of rubbish on a city street at night.
Business

Get a move on

From a cosy town in eastern France to easygoing Hiroshima, we’ve visited three compact cities with nature on their doorsteps that offer big business potential and quality of life.

  • The Entrepreneurs #1
  • 17 min read
Get a move on
Business

Born to do it

From a blue-sky thinker to a master fashion brand builder, we meet the founders, owners and CEOs who have navigated the rocky road to success and are only too happy to share directions.

  • The Entrepreneurs #1
  • 13 min read
Man in navy suit standing in modern interior space with geometric wall panels.
Business

This is what success looks like

Does being your own boss mean weekend freedom or late nights? We asked eight successful entrepreneurs, from fashion to furniture, what their Friday evenings look like and what success really means to them.

  • The Entrepreneurs #1
  • 9 min read
Niclas Ahlström, founder of Made by Choice, sits on a couch with a young child and stuffed toys, with colorful artwork on the wall behind.
Business

Business

A Swiss boatmaker using great design to stay afloat and how Hasselblad is staying relevant.

  • Issue #127
  • 4 min read
Business
Culture

Quality controller

Goodbye summer, hello contemplative culture. Monocle presents its guide to the best of the season's new films, series, novels, music and art, for when the nights draw in.

  • Issue #127
  • 42 min read
Quality controller

Monocle Cart

You currently have no items in your cart.
  • Subtotal:
  • Discount:
  • Shipping:
  • Total:
Checkout

Shipping will be calculated at checkout.

Please note: Orders to the United States may experience delays beyond the estimated-delivery window due to customs processing. Please refer to our FAQs for information on import duties and regulations.

All orders placed outside of the EU that exceed €1,000 in value require customs documentation. Please allow up to two additional business days for these orders to be dispatched.

Not ready to checkout? Continue Shopping