We’re so pleased to bring you Tokyo Weekender Vol 1., 2025. As you may have noticed, we’re publishing less frequently this year — instead, we’re going to bring you longer issues every two months, each with even more profiles of fascinating individuals, trend reports, deep dives, recommendations and a travel section that’s nearly doubled in size.
This issue’s cover star is the incandescent comedian Atsuko Okatsuka. She was born in Taiwan, raised in Japan until age eight and then suddenly taken to Los Angeles by her grandmother, in an act that she has since come to recognize as, in her words, “technically a kidnapping.” Our staff writer Alina Joan Ito interviewed her in Tokyo, where she discussed her unique approach to comedy — one that acknowledges the sheer, overwhelming absurdity of the world and turns it into something we can all laugh at together.
We also have an interview with director Mark Gill about his new biopic, Ravens, which takes a bold and surreal approach to depicting the life of the tortured genius photographer Masahisa Fukase — as well as the life of his second wife, Yoko, whom he photographed relentlessly. We spotlight the incredible photographer Yuri Horie, whose glittering, technicolor photos document subjects who are larger than life: drivers of neon- and gold-festooned dekotora, or “decorated trucks”; extravagantly outfitted lads celebrating Coming of Age Day; shirtless, tattooed men strutting around Kabukicho. We take you inside the iconic Hatoya Hotel, a decadent time capsule from the Showa era, and chronicle the unlikely fashion influence of Japanese construction worker uniforms … plus a lot more!
In our travel section, we focus on off-the-beaten-path destinations in Kyushu, Japan’s sultry and subtropical southernmost main island: Ryokan Oomuraya, a beautiful traditional inn with centuries of history that’s been reborn as a haven for vinyl lovers; Showa no Machi, a tiny district in Oita Prefecture that will make you feel as though you’re stepping 80 years back in time, with its perfectly preserved streets and shops; the volcanic wonderland of Aso city; and more. (We also have a wonderful piece about Kumamon’s rise to global fame.)
Our ultimate goal with this issue was to show lesser-known sides of Japan — brash subcultures, charming and quirky lodgings in the countryside, under-appreciated design and hidden corners of Tokyo that even longtime residents might overlook.
Read the issue online below:
