Kohei Take
Quality of Life Survey: Metropolis now
You want a city that’s well run, delivers on life’s essentials and is fun too? This is our ranking of the top 25 in the world.
Ironing out the creases
In the rough and tumble of Japan’s wash-and-go laundry market, we visit a drycleaner that values service over speed (your shirt will be back in three weeks).
Bounty hunters
Most restaurants in Japan are in the city but in rural Hokuriku a young crop of restaurateurs and producers are hoping diners will follow them into the wild.
Counter: productive
He wanted to build the best fashion shop in the country. But where? He picked a town in the middle of nowhere. This is the story of the retail rebel.
Groomy kind of love
Pooch pampering has been taken to a whole new level in Japan. We head to the country’s largest dog show, where competitive groomers have their clippers at the ready.
Going up
Rome finally gets its own grand department store: a €250m gamble by Thailand’s Central Group that turns archaeology, ambition and 800 brands into the city’s newest must-visit address.
Hair style
With fewer clients around, smart Japanese hairdressers are putting design to the fore to win valuable customers. And there are fringe benefits too. We take a pew in three of Tokyo’s finest establishments.
Second helping
Shortly after scooping the top spot in our 2016 Restaurant Awards, Beard closed. Now its founder has returned from his culinary journey with a new partner and a brand-new restaurant.
Woodland retreat
Less than two hours from Tokyo and set amid hot springs, the Nest Inn Hakone is a tranquil haven.
Just your type
From magazine revamps and reinventions to much-loved mascots and new HQs, the media world remains a force of creativity.
