Netherlands: state of the nation

With any luck you’ll spot a sumo wrestler out and about in Ryogoku, the riverside neighbourhood that is home to Kokugikan, Tokyo’s distinctive sumo stadium. Across the water is Kuramae, another old neighbourhood that has long been famous for its craft workshops and still hums with industry.

Monocle’s optimistic March issue challenges us to do it better, whether that be by growing your own forest or running a cleaner, leaner business. We visit the cities bringing the wilderness back to urban life and find out why you can mend almost anything. Plus: nature’s fluffiest film stars.Available now at The Monocle Shop

Harajuku is a neighbourhood of contrasts, home to the Meiji Shrine, which is surrounded by one of Tokyo’s largest green spaces, and a dense network of small streets packed with shops and cafés. Aoyama attracts a more grown-up crowd. Here, chic boutiques sit alongside one of the city’s most exquisite museums.

This historic corner of northeast Tokyo was once described as a place for “universities, bookshops and intellectuals”. Academic institutions are still there – along with the Holy Resurrection Cathedral – but Kanda is also home to electronics district Akihabara, a huge shrine and dozens of Japanese curry restaurants too.