Most liveable city, 2016: Tokyo

Producers and retailers of luxury goods are waking up to the power of affluent seniors. We travel to Japan to meet the brands that are wise to the trend.

Look up as you stroll Zürich’s streets and you’ll see these outdoor living rooms everywhere. Monocle Films visited the city to outline this architectural feature and how it improves quality of life.

Our annual ranking is back as we take a fresh look at the best cities to call home. From open-minded mayors and improved transport links to fresh retail openings and investment in public space, find out who’s doing it best.

We take lessons in liveability from the winner of 2018’s Monocle Quality of Life survey. Join us for a tour of the Bavarian capital, where we cover everything from improved infrastructure to new clubs.

The sun is shining and glasses are clinking so it must be time for our annual Quality of Life Survey. Once you've discovered (and debated) our rundown of the top 25 cities in the world, get the verdict on smart street furniture, making the perfect park and why you need a pair of Speedos. Dive in…

The German capital has become home to numerous new businesses and start-ups, attracting people from around the globe. And despite its complex past, it is an outpost of liberalism, possibility and ambition. How can other cities learn from Berlin’s successes – and the challenges it’s faced?

From Amsterdam to Zürich, find out who's up and who's down in our global ranking of the best cities in the world to live in.

The Czech Republic’s second city was central to European design before falling into a troubled 20th-century sleep. Revival came thanks to research investment but its future may lie in its design heritage.

We pull up a bar stool in Amsterdam at the inaugural Night Mayor Summit to hear from pioneering night watchmen and urban provocateurs in cities around the world.

Marking the biggest shake-up in the survey’s nine-year history, Monocle’s 2015 Quality of Life survey awards Tokyo the number one city to call home. Rising from second place in 2014, the Japanese capital’s defining paradox – its heart-stopping size and concurrent feeling of peace and quiet – helped it claim the crown.

How do we create cities that deliver quality of life for everyone? That can pull in global talent but also take care of locals? Places that are good for a fun night out and also running a new enterprise; that have culture and architecture on the right scale? These were the challenges at the heart of Monocle's Quality of Life Conference in Lisbon. This film shares the questions that we all need to answer.

For many older people in Japan work isn’t just a way to keep busy but also a source of happiness and wellbeing. From a 71-year-old barber to a 100-year-old café owner, Monocle visits Japan’s elderly who are showing little sign of letting up.

Monocle takes a cinematic look at the top cities in our 2014 Quality of Life Survey. We spotlight Copenhagen at number one, Tokyo as our top Asian city and Vancouver leading the way in North America.

Months of good-natured, frequently late-night and jetlagged debate have produced Monocle's definitive (and just a little subjective) guide to the world's most liveable cities. Correspondents were dispatched worldwide to assess the cities. The entire issue is devoted to the concerns, forces, people and policies that make our cities work. Highlights include essays by thinkers such as Jonathan Raban and Alain de Botton - who both take a swipe at questionable new developments in their respective cities, Seattle and London. And after the perfect city has been found, Monocle provides a special separate design directory on how to build the ideal house, as well as offering advice on how to create the perfect neighbourhood.

The unassuming Shimada Gama workshop in Gotsu doubles up as an open-air museum of traditional stoneware pottery. It specialises in creating large pieces that are burnt in a sloped wood-fired kiln. We talk to the 73-year-old master Shimada Takayuki about the challenges of passing the rare skill and aesthetic sensibility down to his son and grandson.

Japanese company Time & Style knows how to inject innovative spirit into traditional crafts. Over the past two decades its founder Ryutaro Yoshida has criss-crossed Japan to woo reluctant artisans to collaborate on modern designs. We meet him in the remote region of Shimane as he develops a series of handmade washi paper lamps.

The beauty of Japanese design has won fans around the world but it takes great panache to translate it to large-scale projects. We sit down with architect Kengo Kuma in his Tokyo office to talk about the recently completed Japan National Stadium. It’s a building that has given a new lease of life to traditional craftsmanship and stimulated local economies.

In 1928 Maruni Wood Industry was born out of a fascination with the masterful carpentry in ancient shrines. Today its furniture is found in the Californian headquarters of Apple as well as airport lounges, galleries and restaurants around the world. We meet the company’s president to talk about the challenges of managing a family-run business.

We travel to Japan’s least-populous prefecture, Tottori, where we explore one of its most-famous hotels.

One of Japan's most venerable department stores, Isetan stocks everything you'll ever need. We hit the shop floor to find out the secret of its success.

Pull up a pew to discover classic Japanese bars with soothing lighting, knowledgeable and immaculately turned-out bar staff and loyal clientele.

We look back at the hushed world of the iconic Hotel Okura in Tokyo. Monocle Films was granted exclusive access to capture the gracious ways of this much-loved modernist gem just before it was demolished in 2015 to give way to a new iteration of the building.

With its drip-filter coffee, myriad craft shops and quality fishing scene, Hokkaido’s capital reels you in with a laidback lifestyle and a strong stroke of creativity.