Tokyo Weekender

Tokyo's longest-running English lifestyle magazine, packed with food, travel, tips, city guides, news, interviews, and more.

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Featured Writers

Alice French

Kelsey Lark

Tokyo-based freelance writer and translator with 8+ years of professional experience in Japan.

Lyn Tsuchiya

Writer / Journalist / Poet /

Jessica Esa | Travel Writer

Hello! I'm Jessica, a freelance travel and culture writer from the UK and who is generally based between Tokyo and London. I specialise in Japan travel writing with other special …

Naomi Schanen

Writing and documenting history.

Will Heath

Thank you for visiting my writing portfolio. Here you'll find writing about Japanese culture, world travel, and literature.My name is Will and I am a freelance writer specialising in literature, …

Latest Articles

Studio Sedic: Yamagata's Hidden Hollywood

Yamagata Prefecture boasts endless mountain landscapes, an abundance of terraced rice fields, 70 percent of Japan’s annual cherry yield and not a lot else. Or so the humble rural idyll would have you believe. Look closer and you will find, in the mountains of Yamagata’s northern Shonai region, Japan’s best-kept …

By Alice French
8th July 2021 • Tokyo Weekender

This is What Sets ‘Ghost of Tsushima’ Apart from the Rest

By Will Heath
30th July 2020 • Tokyo Weekender

11 Video Games To Socialize With The World From Home

By Will Heath
26th June 2020 • Tokyo Weekender

The Secret Behind Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Epic Success

By Will Heath
19th June 2020 • Tokyo Weekender

Owl Eyes: "Tokyo is a beautiful chaotic city"

Owl Eyes, Australian indie-pop song writer and songstress is back in Japan for the Snow Machine Music Festival and her debut Japan tour. Owl Eyes regularly performs with Flight Facilities, including coveted slots at Coachella and Glastonbury. In 2019, Owl Eyes released two singles “You and I” and “Le Soleil” …

By Lyn Tsuchiya
27th February 2020 • Tokyo Weekender

Jonas Blue: "I love everything in Japan, even traveling by train"

Jonas Blue, DJ, songwriter, record producer, pop mega-powerhouse is back in Japan for his sold out The Blueprint 2020 Tour Japan. He will be traveling to seven cities throughout his tour, starting in Tokyo and finishing in Nagoya. With his debut single “Fast Car” earning him multi-platinum, platinum and gold …

By Lyn Tsuchiya
26th February 2020 • Tokyo Weekender

5 Ways to Prep for Valentine's Day at Shibuya Scramble Square

Valentine’s Day is looming around the corner. Every shopping mall, department store and major train station in Tokyo is bursting with Valentine’s Day chocolates, treats and drinks. Shibuya Scramble Square is no exception. From Valentine’s bento boxes to cocoa butter face cream, here are five ways to begin your preparation …

By Lyn Tsuchiya
4th February 2020 • Tokyo Weekender

11 Things To Do to Plan the Perfect Valentine's Day in Tokyo 2020

As Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday this year, this is the perfect date opportunity for you and your significant other. Here is our list of things to do to plan the picture perfect Valentine’s Day weekend in Tokyo. Don’t show up to your Valentine’s Day date empty-handed. Well-known for …

By Lyn Tsuchiya
3rd February 2020 • Tokyo Weekender

5 Things We Saw at the New Tokyu Plaza Shibuya

For those heading to Tokyu Plaza Shibuya’s public grand reopening on December 5 make sure you don’t end up at the nearby Tokyu Department Store, as it was easy for some of us to get lost and mistakenly walk to the wrong Tokyu shopping complex. Once we were within eyeshot …

By Lyn Tsuchiya
5th December 2019 • Tokyo Weekender

Sayama Green Tea School: Learn the Entire Process of Tea-making in Saitama

While picking tea leaves in the fields of the Sayama Green Tea School, I glanced up and saw a friendly Totoro statue standing outside a neighboring house...

By Kelsey Lark
10th September 2019 • Tokyo Weekender

Learn More About Saitama's Rugby Town Before Rugby World Cup 2019 Arrives

Until recently, Kumagaya City was a hidden gem in Japan’s rural landscape, and a place I was lucky to call home for five years. Now, with the Rugby World Cup soon approaching...

By Kelsey Lark
22nd March 2019 • Tokyo Weekender

10 Contemporary Japanese Authors You Should Know

The last few years have seen sales of Japanese translated fiction booming in the West. As a result, more of these talented writers are finally being translated for people to enjoy. Here are some of the contemporary Japanese writers people are talking about, and where you should start. Author of …

By Jessica Esa | Travel Writer
14th November 2018 • Tokyo Weekender

Convenience Store Woman: New Novel Offers a Rare Glimpse Behind the Konbini Counter

By Will Heath
19th October 2018 • Tokyo Weekender

Murakami's Latest Novel a "Gothic Retelling of The Great Gatsby"

By Will Heath
10th October 2018 • Tokyo Weekender

A Day in the Life of a Japanese Tatami Maker

Many of us have taken off our slippers to shuffle barefoot across the soft, cushioned floors of a tatami mat-covered room at some point in our lives. Although this traditional flooring is disappearing in many households, it’s still an intrinsic part of Japanese culture.

By Lisa Wallin
2nd May 2018 • Tokyo Weekender

14 Traditional Japanese Towns That Still Feel Like They're in the Edo Period

With their charmingly retro architecture and atmosphere, these traditional towns around Japan offer a glimpse back in time to the Edo period — perfect for a strolling weekend getaway.

By Lisa Wallin
6th April 2018 • Tokyo Weekender

The Definitive Guide to Japan's 34 National Parks, from Hokkaido to Okinawa

The ultimate guide to all of Japan's national parks and what you can do there.

By Lisa Wallin
16th March 2018 • Tokyo Weekender

48 Hours in Nikko: A Complete Itinerary of What to Do, Where to Eat & Where to Stay

Nikko: one of the most famous areas in Japan, and home to Nikko Toshogu Shrine, one of the nation's most popular destinations. While it's a great starting point, we find out exactly what the area has to offer.

By Lisa Wallin
13th March 2018 • Tokyo Weekender

10 Top Tokyo Bonenkai (End-of-Year Party) Spots

Worked with Tokyo Weekender on this advertorial article.

By Patrick St. Michel
5th December 2017 • Tokyo Weekender

10 Top Tokyo Bonenkai (End-of-Year Party) Spots

Every December in Japan, as the year comes to a close, groups of friends and companies gather for bonenkai, or “forget the year parties.” Here are some of the finest places to say goodbye to the year in style.

By Naomi Schanen
5th December 2017 • Tokyo Weekender

A Beginner's Guide to Goshuincho: How To Get One and How to Use It | Guides & Insights

The goshuin stamp and goshuincho book is a trend that has been developing in Japan over the last few years, and is particularly popular among women. But what is it exactly, and why do people do it?

By Lisa Wallin
8th November 2017 • Tokyo Weekender

6 Spots Around Tohoku for Halal Hunters

Breathtaking scenery, delicious delicacies, and colorful culture – Tohoku has it all. However, as with the rest of Japan, finding Muslim-friendly food here can prove difficult.

By Naomi Schanen
7th November 2017 • Tokyo Weekender

A Day in the Life of a Rickshaw Driver

The rickshaw driver: a common sight around Asakusa and yet what do we know about them, other than they seem really fit?

By Lisa Wallin
22nd August 2017 • Tokyo Weekender

Breaking the Rules of Kimono

Kimono has long been pigeon-holed as the “national costume” of Japan, but there is so much more to this "traditional" garment than first meets the eye.

By Lisa Wallin
21st July 2017 • Tokyo Weekender