Tsutom Watanabe
Retail therapy
From covered arcades to century-old curtain shops, Osaka's shoppers favour face-to-face commerce over convenience — proof that Japan's second city still prizes conversation as much as consumption.
Christmas shopping in Kyoto
Forget big-box shops or available-anywhere finds. Japan’s former capital is a haven for crafty shoppers and those looking for something a little different.
Tie the knot
The cracks are showing for this Japanese husband-and-wife duo. But that’s the point: they’ve built a career using natural wood.
Essays
Is H&M’s new flagship the future of fast retail? Plus: have suits become a thing of the past?
Transport design: full steam ahead
Japan’s long-distance trains are entering a new era of luxury and innovation. Monocle visits the industrial and interior designers who are redefining train travel.
